CAR honours three BC radiologists

OTTAWA – The Canadian Association of Radiologists has announced the recipients of three awards. The CAR Gold Medal has been given to Dr. Bruce Forster (pictured left). The recipient of the CAR Young Investigator Award is Dr. Faisal Khosa, and the recipient of the CAR Distinguished Career Award is Dr. Giles Stevenson.

Dr. Bruce Forster, CAR Gold Medal. This medal is presented to a long-time member of the CAR who has made outstanding contributions to the Association as well as to the profession of radiology in Canada. It is the CAR’s highest honour.

Since the beginning of his career in radiology, Dr. Bruce Forster’s leadership skills were obvious. He started as a Chief Resident in Radiology; he has been Director of Residency Research, Head of the Department of Radiology at UBC and Regional Department Head in Diagnostic Radiology.

As an educator, he has been Chair of the Radiology Residency Education Committee, a mentor for undergraduate students, supervisor in resident’s research projects, and selected by the residents as a Master Teacher. He has been an editor and reviewer of numerous scientific journals, a lecturer, and international visiting professor. He’s been a principal investigator in many research projects with important sums allocated to his activities. Provincial health politics have also interested Dr. Forster.

In addition to all his various and successful activities, Dr. Forster has served the CAR in multiple committees since early 2004 as a member of the Board and recently promoting the leadership courses. Of course, he is a diligent member of the CAR Foundation. Dr. Forster has generously participated in teaching activities, had gracious availability and is loyal to his university, hospital and the CAR.

The recipient of the CAR Young Investigator Award is Dr. Faisal Khosa (pictured left). This award is presented to a CAR member in the early stages of a career and recognizes exceptional contributions to medical imaging-related research.

Dr. Faisal Khosa is an Associate Professor in radiology at the University of British Columbia. He received his medical degree in Pakistan followed by board certifications in radiology from Ireland, the USA and Canada. He subsequently completed an MBA at Goizueta Business School.

He has delivered more than 200 invited lectures, published 135 peer-reviewed manuscripts, published over two dozen book chapters and has received over six million dollars in collaborative grants in North America. He is an award-winning radiologist, author, educator and scholar, but it is his work as a mentor, researcher and advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion that has created a legacy, not only for his own profession but also for the larger healthcare and academic community.

His interests include the study of leadership and disparities in academia and he has mentored more than 500 students from academically under-represented groups. In the last 15 years, he has pioneered, championed and supported many philanthropic initiatives, including schools and free healthcare clinics in support of minorities and indigent populations in the developing world. His mentoring website includes links, lectures and career counselling advice.

The recipient of the CAR Distinguished Career Award is Dr. Giles Stevenson (pictured left). The CAR Distinguished Career Achievement Award is presented to honour individuals who, over the course of their career, have made very significant contributions to radiology in Canada.

Dr. Giles Stevenson first began his career in Canada in 1976 as Associate Professor of Diagnostic Radiology at McMaster University, Hamilton. He was promoted to professor in 1982 and was professor and chairman of the same department from 1997-2007, as well as being Chief of Radiology at Cherdoke-McMaster Hospitals over that duration. Since that time, Dr. Stevenson was appointed Professor Emeritus at McMaster and has done a considerable number of locums tenens, particularly in rural BC, providing much-needed imaging services in remote locations.

He was appointed Honorary Professor, UBC Department of Diagnostic Radiology in 2005, a position which he currently still holds and continues to be active in teaching medical students to this day.

Throughout his 42-year career in Canadian radiology, Dr. Stevenson has generously served on countless committees at the University (Program Director, Faculty Executive, Dean’s Advisory Group), hospital (Endoscopy Committee, Computers in Medicine, GI Program Executive) and community (RCPSC Nucleus Group and Chair, RCPSC Examining Committee, Chair of Canadian Heads of Academic Radiology, Board Member and President Society of GI Radiologists, Area Counsellor for RSNA) levels.

For the CAR, he has served on the Committee for Training and Qualifications, including as its Chair, the Committee for Interventional Radiology, and as Board member/President for the Canadian Radiologic Foundation for six years.

As a GI Radiologist, Dr. Stevenson has achieved international renown, receiving its highest honour, the Cannon Medal, in 2006. Most of his 117 papers in the peer-reviewed literature are related to GI clinical and research topics and have been published in such high impact factor journals as Gut, AJR, Radiology, and The Lancet.

Dr. Stevenson’s contributions with regard to barium examination of the GI tract and CT colonography are seminal, and he remains one of the few radiologists practicing at that time (or any other) who was skilled in endoscopy, providing an indelible clinical link to other specialties. As his outstanding work became known, Dr. Stevenson found himself invited regularly as a visiting professor (26 times internationally) and in great demand as a speaker (137 invited presentations). Throughout his career, he has been revered as an educator, garnering teaching awards at McMaster, giving refresher courses at top international meetings, and authoring a truly incredible 42 book chapters and editing two prominent books in the specialty.

Dr. Stevenson has served the Canadian Radiology community with dignity, professionalism, energy, innovation and good humour. He epitomizes collegiality, humility and selflessness in his dedication to the specialty from the most hallowed academic halls to the most rural locales.