Chair's Welcome 2017-2018
THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE 2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT.
Welcome to the University of Toronto’s Department of Radiation Oncology (UTDRO) Annual Report for 2017–2018.
This has been an exciting and eventful year for UTDRO. We concluded our 2014–2017 strategic plan, The Transformative Agenda: Roadmap to 2017, which guided us in achieving excellence in the areas of research, education and systems influence. This year, we refreshed our strategic plan (2018–2022) entitled: Reflect. Transform. Lead. that will maintain our Vision of Global leadership in Radiation Oncology by transforming practice through innovation and excellence in research and education. I would like to thank all the faculty and trainees who have participated in the consultation process over this past year, and in particular, the leadership and support from the 13-member Strategic Planning Steering Committee.
We have defined five specific goals that we will work towards to continue our global leadership role, and transform practice around the world. We are the home of internationally renowned educators, researchers, thought leaders, innovators and system influencers. We have a brand that continues to grow; synonymous with innovation and excellence. Finally, we have set a high bar whilst fostering an environment that is supportive and enabling. To read more about our new and refreshed strategic plan, please visit radonc.utoronto.ca.
We are in a particularly exciting time as radiation medicine continues to evolve with new technologies, such as artificial intelligence being incorporated into our everyday work life. Through the research of our own faculty and advances such as automated planning, we aspire to remain on the cutting edge, as we develop, examine, and disseminate how radiation medicine practice will evolve in the years to come.
Throughout the past year, many of our faculty members were recognized for their outstanding achievements; continually enhancing our reputation as one of the top academic cancer programs internationally. Dr. Eileen Rakovitch received the 2018 Israel Cancer Research Fund Women of Action Award; Dr. Ananth Ravi received the Cancer Care Ontario Human Touch Award; Ms. Sophie Huang was the recipient of the 2019 Welch Memorial Lecturer Award; and Dr. Michael Velec received the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists Early Professional Achievement Award. Along the research front, Dr. Benjamin Lok received the 2018 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Young Investigator Award, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Conquer Cancer Foundation Career Development Award. Dr. Kathy Han was the recipient of an American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2017 Annual Meeting Travel Award. Dr. Normand Laperriere was a co-winner of the Till and McCulloch Best Paper of the Year Award from the Princess Margaret Cancer Research Institute for his landmark publication in the New England Journal of Medicine. Ms. Vickie Kong received a 2017 Sanofi grant, and Dr. David Shultz received a Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) research seed grant. Drs. Bradly Wouters and Gregory Czarnota both received funding from the Ontario Research Fund/Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Dr. James Chow was recognized for his outstanding work as a reviewer for the Physics in Medicine and Biology Journal. As well, Dr. Meredith Giuliani received the Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) Residency Education Implementation Award.
Congratulations to our newly-appointed and promoted faculty. Drs. William Tran and Eric Tseng were appointed as Assistant Professors. Drs. Marianne Koritzinsky and Stanley Liu were promoted to Associate Professor, and Drs. Lisa Barbera and Eileen Rakovitch were both promoted to Full Professors at UTDRO.
Several highlights from this year’s events include the enduringly successful RTi3 Conference, with 155 delegates participating in three workshops, four keynote speakers, 48 oral presentations and over 70 abstracts. The Clinical and Experimental Radiobiology course had 58 registrants, 14 faculty members, including two international guest speakers. We hosted our first Technological Innovations in Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy course with 34 registrants, and 20 teaching faculty members along with two international guest speakers. Our Annual UTDRO Research Day, which celebrates the research accomplishments of our trainees, had 120 attendees with 70 trainees and 50 faculty members. Finally, we bid farewell to another year of outstanding graduates from our Residency (Radiation Oncology, and Medical Physics), Fellowship, and Medical Radiation Sciences (MRS) and Master of Health Science in Medical Radiation Sciences (MHScMRS) programs.
My sincere gratitude to Dr. Gregory Czarnota, Executive Vice Chair of UTDRO, and the three Vice Chairs Drs. Michael Milosevic, Rebecca Wong and Shun Wong, for their wise counsel, invaluable assistance, and unwavering support throughout the year. I am also deeply grateful to our Executive Committee for their hard work and continued commitment to excellence in our programs. Finally, I thank our faculty members, trainees, and UTDRO staff who have all played a vital role in maintaining our department’s position as a global leader in radiation medicine.
Dr. Fei-Fei Liu, MD, FRCPC
Chair and Professor
Department of Radiation Oncology
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