Department of Oncology Annual Report for 2003: Acting Chair
April 2004
Thanks go to the many who have contributed to this annual report. This year brings a slightly different flavor to our report. It is the first without Gavin Stuart as head, which will go hand in hand with the arrival of our new Department Head, Professor George Browman.
So what do we have to report on? I’d like to focus on some distinguished achievements by the department and its faculty, identify individuals who have made the transition between Gavin and George an easy one, and leave you with a challenge for the current year. In identifying some of the people who have made the difficult transition between Gavin Stuart and his successor, let me stop awhile on how much Gavin achieved in his 11 years as Department Head.
Gavin Stuart was the first Head of the Department of Oncology, and through his energy saw the department grow from less than 40 members, to a department of over 150 when he left. He was tireless in his efforts to promote oncology as a multi-pronged discipline, and through his leadership saw the promotion of training and research in all specialty areas in cancer in Calgary. His appointment to the deanship of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of British Columbia in September 2003 was well earned, and we wish him every success in that role.
The transition period has been made easy by several people stepping up to the plate. These include Walley Temple (Deputy Head), Brenda Rehaluk (our Academic office manager), Linda Strong, Don Morris, Jill Nation and Chris Brown. The department needs to acknowledge that these individuals spend countless hours presenting a coordinated face to the Faculty of Medicine. We also owe a debt of gratitude to the Search and Selection Committee that worked feverishly between September and February 2004 to find a new head.
What events during 2003 should we focus on? I am particularly satisfied with the full accreditation of our training programs for the next 6 years by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in April 2003. We are proud of faculty who received distinguished achievement awards within the Faculty this past year. Steve Robbins received the Watanabe award for Overall Excellence. Dr. Peter Forsyth and Dr. Neil Hagen both were promoted to full professor status in the 2003/ 2004 promotions cycle, and Dr. Don Morris was promoted to Associate Professor in the same cycle. Together with the Cross Cancer Institute the Cancer Biology Research Group within the department was successful in their application for funding of a Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Training Program. Opportunities for funded graduate training commenced in 2003, with a special focus on translational research.
The department has successfully recruited several physicians, and other key individuals. These include Tina Cheng (Medicine), Aru Narendran (Pediatrics) Elizabeth Yan (Radiation Oncology), Ian Kay/ Chris Newcombe/ Deeann Radford (Medical Physics), and…
It is exciting to announce new developments in the department. Highlights have been the appointment of Dr Greg Cairncross to the Alberta Cancer Foundation Brain Tumour endowed chair position, the successful Lance Armstrong fundraiser for an endowed chair in molecular epidemiology, and the formation of the Alberta Stereotactic Radiosurgery Program as a new collaborative program within the Departments of Oncology and Neurosciences. This partnership will be spearheaded by the acquisition of fund-raised technology, which will put Calgary in the forefront of stereotactic treatment in Canada. Another key development was the announcement of a $4.3 million grant to Dr Jose Pereira, on behalf of the Pallium project – a distance education palliative care project. The formation of the Southern Alberta Cancer Institute within the Faculty of Medicine is a key change that is in the process of taking place.
We were sad to see key people move away, but happy that many of them have been able to take on new challenges elsewhere. We celebrate the achievements of these individuals, who include Scott Ernst, Stefan Gluck, Paul Mobit, Steve Shawchuk and Gavin Stuart.
What challenge do I leave with you for 2004? This is a critical time for the department. Several key changes have occurred within the department, and Alberta Cancer Board. These leave us with gaps and opportunities. What will happen to researchers as they try to compete within a shrinking pot of money? How will we move ahead to accommodate growth? How will we advance our mandate to provide high quality training, patient care, and research? I believe that the department has grown and fostered under Gavin Stuart, because of motivated division heads. I urge you all to continue to ask questions on how to advance your division, and how we can advance our mission to make a difference in the science of oncology. Thank you for your continued work within the department.
Peter S Craighead MBChB FFRadT FRCPC
Acting Head, Department of Oncology
Faculty of Medicine
University of Calgary