McGill’s SuPER centre wins Prix Hippocrate

MONTREAL – The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) is proud to announce that the Surgical Performance Enhancement and Robotics (SuPER) Centre has received the 2025 Prix Hippocrate Innovation technologique in the category Transformateur, recognizing its leadership in advancing surgical innovation through collaboration, technology and translational research.

SuPER is Canada’s first and only hospital-based surgical robotics and artificial intelligence centre capable of conducting full-spectrum translational research from bench to clinic. Located at the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), this research hub is bringing robotics and AI to many medical disciplines — from orthopedic, abdominal, head and neck, eye, maxillofacial and spinal surgery to interventional cardiology and radiology—reimagining and redesigning medical procedures to make them less invasive, more personalized, safer and more effective.

“At the MUHC, we firmly believe that innovation is essential to providing exceptional care to our patients. The SuPER Centre is a truly exciting addition to our environment, as it is helping us to make a local to global impact and continually challenge the status quo in healthcare practices,” said Dr. Lucie Opatrny (pictured), president and executive director of the MUHC.

Celebrating transformative collaboration
The Hippocrate awards celebrate interdisciplinary teams whose work creates measurable value for the health and well-being of Quebecers, highlighting initiatives that improve accessibility, quality of care and user experience in the healthcare system. It is organized by the Prix Hippocrate committee and supported by philanthropic partners from Quebec’s health and social services community.

By granting this award to SuPER, the jury acknowledged the centre’s success in bringing together multiple sectors and disciplines to accelerate healthcare innovation. Indeed, SuPER’s interdisciplinary model and strong partnerships reflect the values at the heart of the Prix Hippocrate, which celebrates innovation achieved through collaboration and patient-centred design. The award also reflects The Institute’s broader mission to translate research discoveries into real-world impact.

“This recognition underscores the extraordinary collaboration across disciplines that makes SuPER such a unique environment for advancing innovation and precision medicine in surgical care,” said Dr. Rhian M. Touyz, executive director and chief scientific officer of The Institute. “The team’s work is redefining how we integrate technology and data to improve patient outcomes.”

Recognizing a national leader in surgical robotics and AI
Supported by the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and leveraging the expertise of McGill University and the MUHC Department of Surgery, SuPER brings together leading teams to design, test and refine technologies that address real clinical needs. Under the leadership of Prof. Amir Hooshiar, founding director of SuPER, assistant professor of surgery and scientist at The Institute, the centre embodies a new model for surgical innovation — one that integrates clinical insight, engineering expertise and advanced data analytics to transform care. By integrating clinicians, engineers, researchers and trainees under one roof, the centre fosters the type of interdisciplinary partnerships that drive innovation and improve the patient experience, key principles at the heart of the Prix Hippocrate’s mission.