Vision: Excellence and leadership in radiation medicine research, education, and clinical practice

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2 Vision: Excellence and leadership in radiation medicine research, education, and clinical practice Mission: To advance the science and practice of radiation medicine 2

3 Table of Contents Chair s Report 5 Vice Chair Reports. 7 Faculty and Staff lists Committees. 14 Clinical Programs Education Report 21 Graduate Education 22 Undergraduate Medical Education. 27 Postgraduate Medical Education 28 Continuing Education. 34 Medical Radiation Sciences Program 38 Equity Report. 45 Research Report. 46 Research Grants. 49 Publications 77 Peer-reviewed. 77 Non peer-reviewed. 107 Book Chapters 108 Abstracts. 110 Presentations. 144 Awards. 180 Research Day

4 Department of Radiation Oncology Executive Chair Mary Gospodarowicz Vice-Chair Vice-Chair Vice-Chair Academic Affairs Clinical Affairs Academic Programs Pam Catton Shun Wong David Jaffray Associate Chair & Director Director Radiobiology Director, Postgraduate Education Fellowship Program Graduate Studies Barbara-Ann Millar Charles Catton Bradly Wouters Director Director Director Physics Residency Graduate Education Undergraduate Education Jean-Pierre Bissonnette Nicole Harnett May Tsao Director Director Director Academic Communications Continuing Education Equity Anthony Brade David Wiljer Fei-Fei Liu 4

5 Chair s Letter I am very pleased to present the University of Toronto, Department of Radiation Oncology Annual Report. Our Department has continued to push the leading edge of radiation oncology research, education, and clinical practice while maintaining a keen eye on our future directions. Over the past year, we have welcomed six new members to the UT DRO faculty, Dr. William Chu, Ms. Caitlin Gillan, Dr. Brian Keller, Ms. Winnie Li, Dr. Katharina Sixel, and Dr. Beibei Zhang. Professor Bradly Wouters was appointed UT DRO Associate Chair of Graduate Studies, a new post within the Department responsible for increasing the Department's engagement within the Institute for Medical Sciences, the primary venue for engagement in graduate programs. Our faculty continues to contribute to research and education on an international level, securing funding from agencies worldwide and receiving honors for their work. This year, Professor Pamela Catton was awarded the Canadian Association of Medical Education (CAME) Certificate of Merit for her exceptional contribution to medical education. Ms. Amanda Bolderston was announced as the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologist s (CAMRT) President-Elect for a two-year term beginning in Ms. Nicole Harnett was awarded the Welch Memorial Lecture through the CAMRT for her outstanding contribution to her profession at a national level through education, research, and administration. I want to congratulate Dr. Kristy Brock and Ms. Tara Rosewall, who were promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, and Drs. Charles Catton, Laura Dawson, and Rebecca Wong, who were promoted to the rank of Professor. Tara Rosewall is Canada s first Radiation Therapist to reach the academic rank of Associate Professor. She is a great pioneer and a leader who has paved the path for radiation therapists seeking academic careers. I am proud to announce that the first class of the new Master of Health Science in Medical Radiation Sciences began their studies in September of The new degree program, a joint partnership between the UT DRO and Institute of Medical Science, is the first of its kind in North America. The two-year full-time professional degree provides an avenue for radiation therapists seeking a more advanced practice role to develop and strengthen their leadership skills and knowledge-base. Dr. Pamela Catton brought survivorship education and research to the forefront this year with the launch of the Electronic Living Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Cancer Survivorship Research (ELLICSR) program. ELLICSR, a novel academic survivorship program focused on research and innovation is located at the Toronto General Hospital - University Health Network and a virtual space online, connects survivors from across Ontario and teaches healthy living skills. Our department continues to provide excellent programs and events and this would not be possible without the help of our faculty and committees. During this economic tumultuous time, I congratulate the Continuing Education Director, Dr. David Wiljer for his success in key CE events. The IMRT Insights partnered with Cancer Care Ontario and 5

6 attracted its biggest audience to date. RTi3 partnered with Sheffield Hallam University in the UK and provided insight to practice sharing methods across the pond. We have made considerable progress defining our Department s future direction through the strategic planning process we ve embarked upon over the past year. With the advice of faculty past and present, and of leaders in radiation oncology and medical education worldwide, we have identified key priorities moving forward. I look forward to working toward these common goals with the continued cooperation, feedback, and assistance of our outstanding faculty. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the contributions made by Dr. Pamela Catton, who served as Acting Chair from June to October 2010 during my sabbatical leave and UT DRO Vice-Chairs Professor David Jaffray, Professor Shun Wong, and Professor Pamela Catton; their leadership and achievements are invaluable to the success of UT DRO. I am confident that, as you review this year s report, you will be impressed with the accomplishments, vision and direction of the department. Mary Gospodarowicz, MD, FRCPC, FRCR (Hon) Professor and Chair 6

7 Vice-Chair Reports Academic Affairs Dr. Pamela Catton As Vice-Chair for Academic Affairs, Dr. Pamela Catton is responsible for the oversight of all education and financial activities in the Department. During the period our focus was on: 1.) Visioning the strategic role education will play in the future of UTDRO; 2. Renewing our focus on graduate education 3) Growing our continuing education enterprise in collaboration with provincial and international partners. 1. The UTDRO is unveiling a new strategic plan in the Fall of 2010 with a transformative and innovation-focused agenda. It acknowledges and builds on the historic role UTDRO education programs have played in developing the academic leaders for the future, and the synergy we have between research and education that brings innovation to the workplace. The extensive consultative process to develop this plan was completed within the academic year, and enjoyed huge faculty engagement. 2. At the graduate level, the Department is committed to enhancing the depth and breadth of our graduate training programs. We have reevaluated a fruitful 10 year relationship with the Institute of Medical Science (IMS), and see an increasing number of successful MSc and PhD candidates graduate from the RO stream. The MHSc in MRS has been successfully launched and is already being modified to support distance learning through virtual programming. In order to harness the true potential we see in this graduate training relationship with IMS, Dr. Bradly Wouters was appointed Associate Chair, Graduate Studies this academic year. 3. The UT DRO CE portfolio has worked closely with the radiation medicine programs at Princess Margaret and Odette Cancer Centre to provide monthly joint rounds that are teleconference around the province. We have also partnered with Cancer Care Ontario to collaboratively host the Target Insight meeting, focused on the delivery of IMRT. We hope this meeting will provide the impetus to develop a community of practice for radiation medicine in Ontario. This year the annual radiation therapy conference metamorphosized into RTI3 Inquire, Inspire, and Innovate in strong collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) in the UK. The new look and name now more accurately reflects the focus of this unique education forum for Radiation Therapy. These collaborative partnerships have contributed to the success of our programs and lay an exciting foundation for continued growth and expansion. The outstanding leadership and teaching abilities of several members of the Department were acknowledged through prestigious education awards. Amanda Bolderston won the 2009 CAMRT President s Medal for outstanding mentorship Pamela Catton was the University of Toronto co-recipient of the Canadian Association of Medical Education Certificate of Merit. Edward Chow won the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Ontario Palliative Care Association. Normand Laperriere was awarded an honorary Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiology, Bernard Cummings is Honorary Life Member of the Association of Radiation Oncologists of India, John Kim Board of Directors with CARO and Lee Manchul Chair Elect of the Northeast Group on Educational Affairs. 7

8 Clinical Affairs Dr. Shun Wong As Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs, Dr. Shun Wong is responsible for policy and program issues related to relations with clinical sites and faculty. In this portfolio, he oversees the appointment, three-year review and academic promotions of members of the Department, and ensures that the recruitment and clinical manpower plan at the clinical sites is aligned with the academic plan of the University Department. The past 12 months have witnessed continuing growth of clinical, research and educational activities at Princess Margaret Hospital-University Health Network and Odette Cancer Centre-Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Both centres continued with upgrading of state-of-the-art radiation planning and treatment machines and information systems. Despite the economic downturn, the radiation program at the two sites continued to benefit from strong philanthropic support by their respective hospital foundations. The Department continued to foster its regional leadership in research and cancer care in collaboration with Cancer Care Ontario. The Department continued to provide educational and clinical support to an expanding list of academic and community hospitals both within and outside the Toronto Central LHIN. We bid farewell to Dr. Allison Brown and Ms. Cynthia Eccles. The academic activities of the Department continued to grow with a number of successful recruits in all three clinical disciplines, Radiation Oncology, Physics and Radiotherapy. New appointments in included: Dr. William Chu, Assistant Professor; Dr. Brian Keller, Assistant Professor; Dr. Katharina Sixel, Assistant Professor; Dr. Beibei Zhang, Assistant Professor; Ms. Caitlin Gillan, Assistant Professor; and Ms. Winnie Li, Lecturer. Congratulations are in order to Drs. Charles Catton, Laura Dawson and Rebecca Wong who were promoted to the rank of Professor, and Dr. Kristy Brock and Ms. Tara Rosewall to the rank of Associate Professor. 8

9 Academic Programs Dr. David Jaffray Radiation Oncology is truly a leader in professional and scientific diversity. Our field embraces a complexity of clinical compassion, technical expertise, and fundamental biophysical understanding. Our faculty and our recent growth are a reflection of this diversity. In effort to improve patient outcomes and advance our understanding of radiation therapy, we see our faculty reaching out to a variety of scientific disciplines, alternative funding sources, and building inter-professional, inter-disciplinary relations. This is a reflection of our strong sense of purpose, our obligation to advance the field, and a confidence in a united goal. This year has seen us grow through our strategic planning process that identified many directions and desires for expansion as well as areas of consolidation. Our digging also brought three cultural elements into relief: a propensity for welcoming diversity, a respect for the data and its use in formulating our steps forward, and a indomitable responsibility to innovate not just discover, not just teach, not just care but truly innovate. Innovations abound and it is a pleasure to recount a few to drive the aforementioned points home. Under the leadership of Dr. Greg Czarnota, the department has its second Terry Fox Program Project funded to explore the role of ultrasound in therapy. This is a major milestone that also bridges investigators from OCC and PMH. The establishment of the ORF-RE funded Ontario Consortium for Adaptive Interventions in Radiation Oncology brings an additional $7M to cancer research in the province with the vast majority funding projects at both PMH and OCC. In addition, we have seen the grand opening of the CFI-funded ELLICSR facility under the direction of Dr. Pam Catton to investigate cancer survivorship issues. As well as, new funding from the CFI to create a dedicated MR-guided radiation therapy facility at PMH. While these large grants are exciting, the true progress is coming in the growing number of faculty that are landing operating grants on diverse topics including: SPECT imaging in breast cancer, dynamic contrast enhanced CT, automated treatment planning, and advanced quality assurance methods. A growing spirit of collaboration is also bringing opportunities for innovation the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Cancer Care Ontario, and numerous industry relationships are forming or strengthening as we realize win-win situations. The fall of 2010 will see us present the fruits of our strategic planning process and each take our roles in building on our momentum. 9

10 Faculty Radiation Oncology Professor Andrea Bezjak James Brierley Robert Bristow Charles Catton Pamela Catton Edward Chow Bernard Cummings Associate Professor Ida Ackerman Cyril Danjoux David Hodgson Normand Laperriere Assistant Professor Judith Balogh Lisa Barbera Elizabeth Barnes Andrew J. Bayley Anthony Brade Patrick Cheung John Cho William Chu Hans Chung Peter Chung Gregory Czarnota Adjunct Thomas McGowan Radiation Physics Professor David Jaffray Associate Professor Kristy K. Brock Michael Sharpe Laura Dawson Anthony Fyles Mary Gospodarowicz Fei-Fei Liu Michael Milosevic Brian O'Sullivan Jean-Philippe Pignol Andrew Loblaw Robert G. MacKenzie Cynthia Menard Lawrence F. Paszat Phillip Davey Robert E. Dinniwell Mary A. Doherty Saibishkumar Elantholi Parameswaran Andrew J. Hope John Kim Anne Koch Wilfred Levin Lee A. Manchul Michael McLean John Rowlands Gillian Thomas Richard Tsang Padraig Warde Rebecca Wong Shun Wong David Payne Eileen Rakovitch Jolie Ringash Yee Ung Barbara-Ann Millar Gerard Morton Ian Poon Arjun Sahgal Jacqueline Spayne Alex Sun Ewa Szumacher May Tsao Danny Vesprini John Waldron Woodrow Wells 10

11 Assistant Professor Hamideh Alasti Deidre Batchelar Jean-Pierre Bissonnette Stephen L. Breen Marco Carlone Young-Bin Cho James Chow Catherine Coolens Timothy Craig Mostafa Heydarian Mohammad Islam Brian Keller Harald Keller Daniel Letourneau Patricia Lindsay Miller MacPherson Katherine Mah Howard Michaels Douglas Moseley Geordi Pang Thomas Purdie Katharina Sixel Collins Yeboah Ivan Yeung Beibei Zhang Lecturer David Beachey Robert Heaton Alexander Lightstone Anna Simeonov Radiation Therapy Associate Professor Tara Rosewall Assistant Professor Amanda Bolderston Caitlin Gillan Carol Gillies Lecturer Lisa DiProspero Valerie Kelly Instructor Ruth Barker Renate Bradley Angela Cashell Martin Chai Biology Professor Bradly G. Wouters Assistant Professor Marianne Koritzinsky Nicole Harnett Lori Holden Sophie Huang Winnie Li Karen A. Moline Patricia Charman Fiona Cherryman Marta Evans Wendy Flanagan Cathryne Palmer Douglass Vines Emily Sinclair Jane Higgins Kari Osmar Marc Potvin Aisha Sheikh 11

12 Education Associate Professor Joyce Nyhof-Young Assistant Professor David Wiljer Cross-appointments Professor Richard Hill Andrew M. Rauth Associate Professor Alex Vitkin Assistant Professor John Rawlinson Milton Woo New Appointments William Chu Brian Keller Caitlin Gillan Winnie Li Katharina Sixel Beibei Zhang Departures Allison Brown Cynthia Eccles Promotions - Effective July 2009 Professor Charles Catton Laura Dawson Rebecca Wong Associate Professor Kristy Brock Tara Rosewall 12

13 UT DRO Staff Administrative Manager Business Officer Communications Officer Administrative Coordinators Resident Training Program Physics Residency in Radiation Oncology Fellowship Training Program Medical Radiation Sciences Program Associate Registrar Student Services Officer Administrative Assistant Effie Slapnicar Telma Liu Alicia Barker Kim O Hearn Tanya Webb Elena Gessas Jeremy Kwan Humberto Rocha Tanya Webb 13

14 Department of Radiation Oncology Committees Executive Committee Mary Gospodarowicz (Chair) Andrea Bezjak Jean-Pierre Bissonnette Anthony Brade Charles Catton Pamela Catton Fiona Cherryman Hans Chung Nicole Harnett David Jaffray Fei-Fei Liu Barbara-Ann Millar Cathryne Palmer Effie Slapnicar (Ex-officio) Jacqueline Spayne May Tsao Danny Vesprini Padraig Warde David Wiljer Shun Wong Bradly Wouters Finance Committee Pam Catton (Chair) Mary Gospodarowicz David Jaffray Telma Liu (Ex-officio) Effie Slapnicar (Ex-officio) Shun Wong Appointments Committee Shun Wong (Chair) Pam Catton Mary Gospodarowicz David Jaffray Effie Slapnicar (Ex-officio) 14

15 Academic Communications Committee Anthony Brade (Chair) Alicia Barker (Ex-officio) Kristy Brock Caroline Chung Greg Czarnota Adrian Ishkanian Kim O'Hearn Effie Slapnicar (Ex-officio) Anand Swaminath Danny Vesprini Tanya Webb (Ex-officio) Academic Promotions Committee Shun Wong (Chair) Pam Catton Anthony Fyles Mary Gospodarowicz David Jaffray John Rowlands Gillian Thomas Padraig Warde Effie Slapnicar (Ex-officio) Teaching Effectiveness Committee Jean-Pierre Bissonnette (Chair) Ida Ackerman Amanda Bolderston Pamela Catton (Ex-officio) Lisa DiProspero Normand Laperriere Effie Slapnicar (Ex-offiico) Bradly Wouters Education Committees Undergraduate Medical Education Committee May Tsao (Chair) John Cho Joyce Nyhof-Young Lee Manchul Ewa Szumacher 15

16 Postgraduate Medical Education Committee Ida Ackerman (Chair) Sadia Ali Ameen Al-Omair Gaurav Bahl Jean-Pierre Bissonnette Pamela Catton Elisa Chan Caroline Chung Louis Fenkell Matthew Follwell Meredith Giuliani Eugene Hong Andrew Hope Shaqil Kassam Harald Keller Luluel Khan Eric Leung Karen Lim Barbara-Ann Millar Mike Milosevic Fazilat Mohammed Sten Myrenhaug Kim O Hearn Sarah Rauth Ewa Szumacher May Tsao Danny Vesprini Woodrow Wells Rebecca Wong Fellowship Committee Charles Catton (Chair) Andrea Bezjak Gregory Czarnota Anthony Fyles Mary Gospodarowicz Michael Milosevic Gerard Morton Effie Slapnicar (Ex-officio) Padraig Warde Shun Wong 16

17 Department of Radiation Oncology Representation On University of Toronto Committees Ackerman, I Continuing Education Committee, Member Catton, P Faculty of Medicine Education Committee, Member Hospital and University Education Committee, Member Faculty Council Board of Examiners, Faculty of Medicine, Chair Institute of Medical Science, Admissions Committee, Member Gospodarowicz, M Clinical Chairs Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Member Clinical and Basic Science Chairs Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Member Clinical Relations Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Member Council of Health Sciences Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Member Clinical Relations Committee, Member Faculty Council, Member Harnett, N Curriculum Committee, Institute of Medical Science, Member Faculty Council, Faculty of Medicine, Member Manchul, L Faculty Council Continuing Education Committee, Member Oncology Continuing Education Committee, Member Continuing Education Council, Chair Agenda Committee, Faculty of Medicine Faculty Council, Member Millar, BA Internal Review Committee, Member Postgraduate Education Advisory Committee, Member Nyhof-Young, J Dean's Advisory Committee for Equity and Diversity, Member Faculty Research Grants Committee (Clinical/Public Health Section), Faculty of Medicine, Member Determinants of Community Health Year 1 Course Planning Group, Faculty of Medcine, Member Palmer, C Interfaculty Curriculum Committee, Office of Interprofessional Education, Faculty of Medicine, Member Steering Committee, Physician Assistant Education Program, Faculty of Medicine, Member 17

18 Health Sciences Committee on Emergency Preparedness, Member Task force on Valuing Academic Performance Phase 2, Member Ringash, J Research Grants Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Member Clinical Epidemiology Program Executive Committee, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Member Clinical Epidemiology Graduate Programme Admissions Committee, Department of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, Chair Academic Board of the Governing Council, Member Faculty Council, Faculty of Medicine, Member Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Associate Programme Director Curriculum Committee, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Member Faculty Committee, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Member Wiljer, D Continuing Education Directors & Leaders Committee, Member 18

19 Clinical Programs Princess Margaret Hospital Dr. Padraig Warde The Princess Margaret Hospital Radiation Medicine Program (RMP) is one of the largest in the world. With modern facilities equipped with 16 linear accelerators, all IMRT and IGRT enabled, Leksell Gamma Knife 4C and Perfexxion, HDR and PDR brachytherapy programs, it is capable to handle most radiation therapy challenges. The clinical expertise spans all cancer sites with large breast, lung, genitourinary, upper and lower gastrointestinal, gynecologic, head and neck, central nervous system, ocular, lymphoma, sarcoma, skin, endocrine and pediatric radiation oncology groups. In , PMH RMP continued to expand its clinical and academic programs. RMP faculty provided consultations in many collaborating institutions including St Michael s and St. Joseph s Hospitals in Toronto and the Southlake Cancer Centre in Newmarket. The staff is involved in broad scope of research programs from basic cancer biology research, translational research program, large clinical trials program, and significant health services research portfolio. Last year witnessed continued expansion of translational research conducted in newly opened STTARR. The STTARR research programs, foster collaboration and interdisciplinary research. We are especially proud of the expanding research initiatives conducted by PMH radiation therapists, the largest such program in the country and one of the largest internationally. Tara Rosewall, head of research in radiation therapy, has been promoted to associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto. RMP PMH leadership extends well beyond radiation oncology and Toronto. Dr Padraig Warde continues as Provincial Head, Radiation Treatment Program at Cancer Care Ontario. Dr. Marco Carlone continues as chair of Science and Education Council of the Canadian Organisation of Physicists in Medicine (COMP). Drs. Ivan Yeung and Miller MacPherson continue as the clinical physics leads in Southlake and Credit Valley Cancer Centres respectively. Dr. Jim Brierley continues as chair of the National Staging Advisory Committee of the Canadian Partnership against Cancer. The ongoing partnership with the Aviano Cancer Centre in Italy saw faculty from Italy visit PMH and presentations by RMP staff in Aviano Cancer Centre. 19

20 Odette Cancer Centre Dr. Shun Wong The past twelve months have witnessed continuing growth of the clinical, research and educational activities of the Radiation Treatment Program at Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Almost 6500 new radiation oncology patients were seen in academic year 09-10, and about 100,000 fractions of radiation treatment were delivered. Upgrades to the existing clinical infrastructure continued. Two new linacs with full IGRT capability added capacity to state-of-the-art radiation treatment. Many other specialized programs including tomotherapy, stereotactic radiation therapy (body and head) and brachytherapy continued to expand. In collaboration with Imaging Research, a 3 Tesla MRI unit and associated research infrastructure support was completed. Dr. William Chu, a Toronto-trained radiation oncologist was appointed to the Department, and two additional radiation oncologists are scheduled to start over the next year. We also welcome Dr. Brian Keller, medical physicist, who joined the Department. There is an ongoing international search to recruit an academic leader to head the Department of Medical Physics. The Program continued to foster its regional leadership role in cancer care. In addition to co-managing the temporary radiation treatment facility at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Radiation Oncologists continued to participate in peripheral clinics and multidisciplinary cancer conferences at a large number of academic and community hospitals both within and outside of the Toronto Central LIHN. Faculty members continued to be successful in securing external peer-reviewed and industry supported grants. Most notable was a 3-year $2.7 million CIHR Terry Fox Grant awarded to a multidisciplinary team lead by Dr. Gregory Czarnota. Faculty at Sunnybrook published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in These research grants and publications are detailed elsewhere in the annual report. Ms. Ruth Barker was appointed Director of Health Professions and Interprofessional Education/Care at Sunnybrook. Ms. Lori Holden was a winner of the Sunnybrook Schulich award for clinical excellence. The Rapid Response Radiation Program received an Outstanding Leadership Award from the Ontario Palliative Care Association for its contribution to clinical services, research and education. 20

21 Education Report Introduction The UTDRO has a comprehensive education program that supports the entire range of professional and research training needed for all three radiation medicine disciplines, and includes fully accredited pre and post certification programs at the undergraduate, postgraduate and graduate level, as well as thesis based research training at a Masters and Doctoral level. Professional Development and Continuing Education programs for all faculty are collaborative and interdisciplinary in nature. Highlights of the report Medical Radiation Sciences BSc/Diploma Program April 2010 saw the first cohort of students graduate from the renewed curriculum that has increased interprofessional learning opportunities and a clinical simulation semester. Residency Program in Radiation Oncology Physics The program welcomed Durham Regional Cancer Centre, as our first accredited affiliate. Residency Program in Radiation Oncology Dr. Eric Leung and Dr. Meredith Giuliani, both PGY3 residents were multiple award winners this year for their research. Radiation Oncology Fellowship Program Two fellows successfully defended their MSc Thesis at the School of Graduate Studies at UT. In January 2010 the program welcomed for the first time 4 fellows into a second, mid-year intake. Graduate Studies This is a watershed year for The Terry Fox Foundation Strategic Training for Excellence in Radiation Research for the 21st Century at the Canadian Institute of Health Research, After 6 years, EIRR21 was successfully renewed this spring for an additional 6 years, receiving $1.95M in total funding. Dr. Bradly Wouters became Associate Chair Graduate Studies Continuing Education Monthly joint rounds that are teleconference around the province. RTI3 and Target Insight continues to grow collaboratively with provincial and international professional academic partners 21

22 Graduate Education The UT DRO has made a substantial commitment to graduate level research education and training in Radiation Medicine. This is done through collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine s Graduate Institute - the Institute of Medical Science (IMS), as well as with other University departments including Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (HPME) and Medical Biophysics (MBP). UT DRO has faculty members holding graduate appointments in these departments supervise graduate students from a variety of programs in within and outside the University of Toronto. The UT DRO also developed and recently renewed the CIHR funded Excellence in Radiation Research for the 21 st century (EIRR21) program led by Fei-Fei Liu (described elsewhere). This year, a new UT DRO Associate Chair in Graduate Studies was announced and Professor Bradly Wouters was appointed to the position. This appointment is envisaged to further strengthen the involvement and success of UT DRO in our graduate training programs. UT DRO Graduate Training Initiatives at the University of Toronto A. The Institute of Medical Science 1. Research programs The UT DRO has established a collaborative relationship with the Institute of Medical Science in developing graduate research training opportunities in radiation medicine via the Radiation Oncology Stream. Eligible Trainees in all of the radiation medicine professional programs can apply to the MSc or PhD program to be supervised by UT DRO faculty that hold graduate appointments. In the following UT DRO graduate students were enrolled in the MSc/PhD stream in the Institute for Medical Sciences: Name Degree Thesis Supervisor Chan, Phillip MSc Fyles, A. Dinniwell, Robert MSc Milosevic, M. Franks, Kevin MSc Jaffray, D. Koh, Eng-Siew MSc Catton P. Case, Robert MSc Dawson, L. Lim, Karen MSc Milosevic, M. Mehdizadeh, Hany MSc Siewerdsen, J. Amaral, Joao MSc Roberts, T. Chopra, Supriya MSc Menard, C. Chung, Caroline MSc Menard, C. McArdle, Orla MSc Hodgson, D. Taremi, Mogan MSc Bezjak, A. Velec, Michael MSc Brock, K. This year Dr. Robert Dinniwell and Dr. Karen Lim successfully defended their MSc thesis. 22

23 Future plans for this program include expansion of both the number of MSc and Doctoral students pursing degrees within the Radiation Oncology Stream as well as the number of UT DRO faculty at both the associate and full professor levels within IMS. 2. Professional Stream - MHSc Medical Radiation Sciences Graduate Program Director Nicole Harnett In 2008 a new professional master s degree program - MHSc Medical Radiation Sciences -received final approval at the University and successfully completed an external review by the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies. This unique professional program, the first of its kind in North America, is designed to foster the development of a new cohort of radiation therapists those who will become academic thought leaders in radiation therapy practice and take responsibility for further advancing the contribution of radiation therapists in the cancer care jurisdiction. The program curriculum builds upon the 3 existing courses at IMS and adds radiation medicine and therapy content in an additional 9 courses all developed and implemented within UTDRO. Existing Courses: MSC1500H - Advanced Radiotherapy and Medical Physics Dr. Jean-Philippe Pignol, Director MSC1501H - Frontiers in Radiation Medicine Research Dr. Robert Bristow and Dr. Bradly Wouters, Directors MSC1502H - Translational Radiobiology Applied to Radiation Science Dr. Anthony Fyles, Dr. Anne Koch and Dr. Patricia Lindsay, Directors New Courses: MSC1503, 1504 and 1505H Clinical Reasoning and Decision Making in Radiotherapy I. II, III Dr. Pamela Catton and Ms. Nicole Harnett, Directors MSC1506H Professional and Clinical Leadership Ms. Cathryne Palmer and Dr. Joyce Nyhof-Young, Directors MSC1507H Clinical Competence, Evaluation and Continuous Learning Ms. Ruth Barker and Ms. Lisa Di Prospero, Directors MSC1508H Medical Radiation Sciences Research Development Ms. Tara Rosewall, Director MSC1509H Master s Research Project Ms. Tara Rosewall, Director 23

24 MSC1510, 1511Y Clinical Internship I, II Ms. Nicole Harnett, Director The inaugural intake for this unique new program was September 2009 with an intake of 3 students. With the second year just underway, evaluation of the first year of curriculum is being reviewed and analyzed. During the academic year, the program representatives and faculty will be working to convert all courses into a distributed learning format providing the majority of curriculum on line in combination with the requirement to complete several on-site modules here at UT across the first year. This will result in a program that is accessible around the province, across the country and beyond. Future plans for this program include an annual intake of 5 10 students. It is hoped that affiliations with teaching hospitals outside the GTA will make it possible for a broader cross section of the radiation therapy community to access the full-time program. Future plans for this program include an annual intake of 5 10 students. It is hoped that affiliations with teaching hospitals outside the GTA will make it possible for a broader cross section of the radiation therapy community to access the full-time program. B. Other Graduate Departments Many UT DRO faculty members hold cross-appointments in other departments with graduate education programs and actively supervise MSc and PhD students who are pursing degrees directly within the Radiation Sciences within these departments. This includes a large number of graduate students within the Medical Biophysics Department who are pursing degrees in both radiation physics and radiation biology research programs as well as students enrolled in graduate programs through HPME and OISE. As the graduate education and training continues to grow, the UT DRO has made a strategic choice to create increased collaboration and interaction between graduate programs and to facilitate interaction between trainees in the Radiation Sciences between these programs. This will include further development of the graduate level teaching courses currently offered through IMS, and promotion of these courses in other departments including MBP. The Terry Fox Foundation Strategic Training Initiative in Excellence in Radiation Research for the 21st Century (EIRR21) at CIHR Program Director Dr. Fei-Fei Liu Introduction The EIRR21 research training program is a joint TFF-CIHR funded initiative designed to provide enhanced training opportunities to develop a new cadre of transdisciplinary scientists. 24

25 Participants The trainees currently fully enrolled in the Program in include: Trainee Status Supervisor(s) Bassi, Christian MSc Stambolic, V. Chopra, Supriya MD-MSc Menard, C. Harding, Shane PhD Bristow, R. How, Christine PhD Liu, F-F. Lakshman, Minalini PDF Bristow, R. Lee, Justin MD-MSc Czarnota, G. Lee, Mark MD-MSc Dawson, L. Lim, Karen MD-MSc Fyles, A./Milosevic, M. O Donnell, Lara PDF Durocher, D. Shirodkar, Purnata MSc Koch, A. Stewart, Kelly PhD Kelley, S. Taghibakhsh, Farhad PDF Rowlands, J. Structure of program EIRR21 continues to expand, with the current cohort of 12 active trainees, in addition to 12 alumni (Table 1), and 15 full graduates. Many of these graduates hold academic positions in Canada and Europe, as clinician-scientists, research physicists, post-doctoral fellows in research, or careers in the biotechnology industry. Hence, all alumni (100%) are contributing to biomedical research in some capacity, either within Canada or globally. From the group of the current 24 trainees, 12 have completed their full 2 years within EIRR21, but are still active participants because they find the Brainstorm sessions of particular value. The remaining 12 active trainees all currently hail from the University of Toronto. With the most recent competition (Oct 2009), an additional 9 trainees were recruited into EIRR21. Academic output The spectrum of research in EIRR21 continues to be broad, ranging from in vitro understanding of basic molecular mediators of radiation damage response and repair, to complex in vivo models of radiation-induced lung injury, novel radiopharmaceuticals for therapy and imaging human tumour models, to optimizing radiation treatment delivery to lung, cervix, and liver cancer patients, and discovering biomarkers for prostate cancer patient radiation response and toxicity. Such a breadth of research topics, embedded within a single research training program is truly unique, providing an outstanding network for interdisciplinary interactions, enabling bridging science to be conducted. The publication record from the EIRR21 trainees continues to be exceptional. In terms of quantity of publications, there are a total of 94 (published or in press) publications, contributed by 26 trainees, for an average of 3.6 papers per trainee, which is an impressive feat, given that the average duration for each trainee in EIRR21 is only approximately 2 years. In addition, several are in high impact cancer Journals, including Science, Curr Biol, Mol Cell, J Clin Oncol, Mol Cell Biol, Cancer Res, Cl Cancer Res, Nucl Acid Res, J Cell Biol, hence, both the quantity and quality of research are remarkable. For the second year in a row, Dr. Nadine Kolas, an EIRR21 alumnus (supervisor Dr. Daniel Durocher), was the recipient of the highly coveted John Charles Polanyi Prize from the Ontario Government, 25

26 targeting researchers in the early stages of their careers who are continuing post-doctoral studies in Ontario. Special activity this year This is a watershed year for The Terry Fox Foundation Strategic Training for Excellence in Radiation Research for the 21st Century at the Canadian Institute of Health Research, otherwise known as EIRR21. After 6 years, EIRR21 successfully renewed this spring (ranked #5) for an additional 6 years, receiving $1.95M in total funding. Its vision is to recruit and train the next generation of innovative trans-disciplinary Radiation Medicine Researchers. Since 2003, 41 trainees from a variety of different research backgrounds including radiation medicine, physics, imaging science, bio-informatics, molecular biology, chemistry, and cancer biology have all participated. Sixteen graduates are currently holding faculty positions in academic hospitals or research institutions, both here in Canada, and Europe, thereby achieving its vision in building research capacity. This year s EIRR211 Research Day took place on Monday June 29th, 2009, when the international Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), comprising of Dr. Jim Woodgett (Director of the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute), Professor Gillies McKenna (Director of the Institute for Radiation Biology Research at Oxford University), and Dr. Paul DeLuca (Provost of the University of Wisconsin), reviewed the EIRR21 program, and provided constructive critiques for continuous improvement. One of the most innovative aspects of this year s EIRR21 Research Day was the collaboration with Professor Brian Silverman from the Rotman School of Management, whose MBA students worked with EIRR21 trainees in three teams, to compete for the EIRR21 Cup. This Cup was awarded to the team with the best scientific invention, best intellectual property protection, best business plan, and knowledge translation strategy, in addressing this year s thematic challenge of: How to visualize microscopic residual cancer cells in human patients? The winning team, led by Dr. Farhad Taghibakhsh (imaging science), comprised of Dr. Supriya Chopra (Radiation Oncology), Danny Constantini (Pharmaceutical Sciences), Priscilla Lau (molecular biology), Larissa Moniz (molecular biology), Purnata Shirodkar (molecular biology), and Kelly Stewart (Chemistry), along with three Rotman collaborators (Adrienne Lo, Mingyu She, and Broke Weir). A reception following the event was attended by Drs. Chris Paige, Peter Lewis (Vice-Dean of Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto), and Ben Neel, along with the SAB, EIRR21 faculty and trainees, and Industry representatives from GSK and Varian. And for next year, EIRR21 will do something different yet again...stay tuned! 26

27 Medical Education Undergraduate Medical Education Program Director: Dr. May Tsao Associate Program Director: Dr. Joyce Nyhof-Young Introduction The UT DRO not only supports the Faculty of Medicine Undergraduate Medical Education curriculum, but is also committed to support the needs of individual medical students throughout the country and abroad as they seek knowledge and experiences in Radiation Oncology. These experiences are primarily offered as electives, observerships and research attachments. Structure of program The Department of Radiation Oncology continued to provide teaching to pre-clerkship (years 1 and 2) and clerkship (years 3 and 4) medical students. Pre-clerkship teaching included teaching students in the Determinants of Community Health (DOCH) II course and providing lectures and seminars for the Pathobiology of Disease course. During the academic year ( ), 15 University of Toronto electives, 10 observerships, 7 Ambulatory Community Experience (ACE) students and 8 Ivan Smith Scholarship awardees rotated through the Department of Radiation Oncology clinical practices at both Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre - Odette Cancer Centre and Princess Margaret Hospital. PMH hosted 18-second year medical students completing research projects for their Determinants of Community Health (DOCH) 2 course. Academic output The overall average teaching effectiveness score was 4.5 (out of 5) for the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, meeting Departmental standards for Excellent. Special activity this year An undergraduate medical education objectives package for the Department of Radiation Oncology at University of Toronto was developed during this academic year. National Level Activity An Equity and Diversity Audit Tool for Canadian Medical Schools has been developed and piloted at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM). It will be made available to all medical schools via the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC). 27

28 Postgraduate Medical Education Radiation Oncology Residency Program Program Director: Dr. Barbara-Ann Millar Associate Program Director, Interim Program Director: Ida Ackerman Associate Program Director and Director Resident Research: Dr. Rebecca Wong Introduction The Radiation Oncology Residency Program is a five year CaRMS entry specialty training program fully accredited by the RCPSC. The goal of this radiation oncology program is to produce the academic clinical leadership of the future. Participants The 25 trainees currently enrolled include: PGY1 Alfaraj, Fatimah Kassam, Shaqil Kurtz, Goldie Shahid, Negin Shaw, Erynn Skliarenko, Julia PGY4 Al-Omair, Ameen Chan, Elisa Han, Kathy Ishkanian, Adrian PGY2 Barrett, Kate Chiang, Andrew Conrad, Tatiana Hong, Eugene Khan, Luluel PGY5 Follwell, Matthew Myrehaug, Sten Soliman, Hany Yoon, Fred PGY3 AlDuhaiby, Eman Caissie, Amanda Giuliani, Meredith Leung, Eric Marchand, Eve-Lyne Mohammed, Fazilat Structure of program The residency program is comprised of a series of clinical attachments primarily at two fully affiliated teaching hospitals associated with the UT DRO: the University Health Network and the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre and their respective cancer programs the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre - Odette Cancer Centre and the Princess Margaret Cancer Program. PGY1 and PGY2 are primarily off service rotations although the trainees do get some exposure and time in radiation oncology. Residents can also elect to do up to 6 months of research training as part of the program. The clinical program is supplemented by a rich academic milieu of rounds, tumour boards, case conferences and visiting professorships at both institutions. The clinical program is supplemented by formal teaching sessions and courses. The Academic Block (PGY1) includes several modules, such as, the Fundamentals of Medical Physics, Fundamentals of Radiobiology, Introduction to Clinical Oncology, Research Methods, CanMEDS: Beyond Biology, Introduction to Radiation Therapy & Planning Systems, Junior Anatomy course and Biostatistics. The Academic Half-Day (all years) 28

29 includes didactic treatment planning drills for a junior and senior resident as well as expert teaching on numerous topics. Other courses include PGY3 Applied Physics course and PGY4 - PGY5 Anatomy course. The Radiobiology Course, developed under the leadership of Dr. Bradly Wouters, Dr. Robert Bristow and Dr. Anthony Brade offered in a condensed format for the second year in a row. Distinguished Professor Dr. Soren Bentzen attended as visiting faculty for the 2010 course. Evaluations Written examinations in physics and radiobiology in PGY1 Mini Research Presentation evaluated by faculty Director of Resident Research PGY1 OSCE s in PGY2/PGY3 Clinical Applied Physics Examination in PGY3. Treatment planning drills in PGY3 to PGY5 Radiation Treatment Planning Competency Examinations in PGY4 and PGY5 Royal College Fellowship Certification Examinations in the spring of PGY5 Bi-annual review of resident evaluations and progress in the program Academic output Radiation Oncology Residents presented their research at the Postgraduate Education Research Day on May 8, There were 32 abstracts submitted for peer review by our physics & radiation oncology residents and fellows. The trainees presented 15 Orals and 15 posters at this year s event. Professor Philippe Lambin was the invited speaker. In addition, radiation oncology residents published 26 papers, submitted 21 abstracts, received 14 oral presentations and 20 poster presentations in major national and international conferences such as CARO, ASTRO, ASCO, MASCC, AACR and MASCC. Academic Awards Dr. Meredith Giuliani, PGY3, won the W.J. Simpson Award for Academic Excellence in Research by a Resident (Supervisor: Dr. Pamela Catton) as well as: Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology Award for Best Poster Presentation by a resident th Annual Ontario Thoracic Cancer Conference Resident Research Prize, Awarded for the top abstract submitted by a resident 2010 Ellen Epstein Rykov Memorial Prize for excellence in postgraduate research, University of Toronto 2010 Timeposters Fellowship for excellence in postgraduate research, University of Toronto 29

30 2010 Joseph M. West Family Memorial Fund for excellence in postgraduate research, University of Toronto Dr. Eric Leung was awarded two prestigious awards, the ASCO Merit Award that is given annually to recognize outstanding abstracts and the Novartis Oncology Young Canadian Investigator Award is dedicated to advancing the field of oncology through the promotion of research. Adrian Ishkanian Canadian Urologic Oncology Group (CUOG) Abbott Research Award. Title: Identification of candidate predictive biomarkers specific to intermediate risk prostate cancer, which may aid in prognostication and prediction of individual response to therapy. Best Resident Oral Presentation. Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology Annual Scientific Meeting. Quebec City, QC. Title: Copy number alteration predicts for biochemical recurrence in localized prostate cancer using high resolution array comparative hybridization. Dr. Matthew Follwell, Dr. Sten Myrehaug, Dr. Hany Soliman and Dr. Frederick Yoon successfully passed their final fellowship exam in Radiation Oncology. The residents awarded their annual clinical teaching award for 2010 to Dr. May Tsao and their annual half day teaching award to Dr. Andrew Hope. Residency Program in Radiation Oncology Physics Program Director: Dr. Jean-Pierre Bissonnette Site Coordinators: Dr. Jean-Pierre Bissonnette (PMH); Dr. Milton Woo (OCC); Dr. Katharina Sixel, (DRCC) Introduction The Toronto Residency Program in Radiation Oncology Physics is an intensive two-year practical training program that prepares students to become future leaders in medical physics. Through clinical rotations, a research project in clinical physics and educational components, students are equipped with fundamental knowledge of the disciplines of radiation oncology and radiation therapy. Physics Residents learn to recognize, understand, and address scientific and technical problems by working directly with experienced radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists. The program had ten Physics Residents in The Residency Program in Radiation Oncology Physics started in July 2007 by combining existing long-standing medical physics residency programs at the Princess Margaret Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre - Odette Cancer Centre. The goal of the joint program is to produce highly competent medical physicists who combine 30

31 a comprehensive understanding of clinical radiation physics and specific knowledge of radiation therapy and radiation oncology principles and practice with enhanced leadership, research and teaching skills. On March 10, 2008, the program was accredited to the maximum of 3 years through the Committee on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP). The trainees currently enrolled include (expected graduation date in parenthesis): Ananth Ravi (September 2010), Daria Comsa (September 2010), Mark Ruschin (January, 2011), John Bracken (September, 2011), Huan Yu (September, 2011), Matthew Wronski (September, 2011), Robert Weersink (September, 2011), Roxana Vlad (September, 2011), Claudia Leavens (December 2011), and Michael Lamey (January, 2012). Structure of the Program The program accepts applications from qualified and highly motivated candidates with a post-graduate degree in medical physics or a related discipline. The minimum program length is 2 years and includes a mix of didactic instruction, clinical rotations and clinical projects. Each resident is assigned a mentor who acts as a guide throughout the program. During the first year the residents have didactic training in Radiation Biology, Radiation Safety, Clinical Radiation Physics and Dosimetry and the Principles of Treatment Planning. There are rotations in Instrumentation, Treatment Planning and Quality Management. In the second year there are rotations in Brachytherapy and Imaging Physics, Advanced Treatment Planning and a continuation of Quality Management. One distinguishing feature of the program is that residents interact with a multidisciplinary environment involving radiation oncologists and radiation therapists during parts the Academic Block, the Applied Physics tutorials and the Interdisciplinary Rotation that follows specific patients from first clinic to treatment. Evaluation Resident knowledge is evaluated at regular, topical resident question and answer sessions based upon the program syllabus. To complete the program the resident must successfully pass the Review A oral examination, organized by a standing provincial committee of Cancer Care Ontario. Dr. Jean-Pierre Bissonnette is a member of the Review A examination committee. In , four candidates (Alex Karotki, Andrea McNiven, Alexandra Rink, and Claire McCann) successfully passed their Review A exams. All are now gainfully employed. Academic output Throughout the 2-year program the resident is expected to work one or more clinical physics projects under the supervision of a staff medical physicist. The results of this work were published in peer-reviewed journals or presented at the UT DRO Research Day, and at the meetings of the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists, and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. 31

32 In , 4 residents graduated and were hired in full-time positions. Physics residents published five peer-reviewed papers and 17 abstracts to national or international conferences. The winner of the 2010 J.R. Cunningham award for academic excellence in research by a medical physics resident was Dr. Robert Weersink. Special activity this year In 2009, the program commenced an affiliation process with the RS McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre, leading to ten resident positions for Radiation Oncology Fellowship Program Program Director: Dr. Charles Catton Introduction The UT DRO Fellowship Program is one of the largest and most successful radiation oncology fellowship programs in North America, attracting excellent candidates from around the world. It has two streams: a one-year clinical research program and a two-year research program. During the one-year Clinical Research Program, fellows acquire clinical expertise in one or two radiation oncology disease sites and complete a research project. The two-year Research Fellowship Program emphasizes training in the principles and conduct of scientific research. Fellows earn advanced degrees in a relevant department at the School of Graduate Studies at UT. In January 2010 the program welcomed for the first time 4 fellows into a second, mid-year intake. Participants Fellows Country of Origin Supervisor(s) Arif, Seemazoya United Kingdom Waldron, J Bernard, Maryse Canada Tsang, R Bujold, Alexis Canada Dawson, L Banihashemi, Behzad Canada Thomas, G / Czarnota, G Baxi, Sid Australia Catton,C / Warde,P Campbell, Sorcha United Kingdom Poon, I / Wong, S Chung, Caroline Canada Ménard, C / Brade, A. Clarke, Amanda United Kingdom Gospodarowicz, M. Clarke, Katy United Kingdom Bezjak, A Foote, Matthew Australia Laperriere, N Houghton, Fionnuala Ireland O'Sullivan, B / Waldron, J Huang, Fleur Canada Milosevic, M / Fyles, A Iupati, Douglas New Zealand Ménard, C Kim, Su Woon United Kingdom Hope, A / Bezjak, A Kong, Iwa Canada Ratkovitch, E Kumar, Varadarajan United Kingdom Ménard, C. 32

33 Li, Audrey Canada Milosevic, M Lim, Karen Australia Milosevic, M. Mallick, Indranil India Waldron, J / Kim, J. McCarty, Heather Ireland Gospodarowicz, M / Chung, P Mohindra, Pranshu India O'Sullivan, B/ Waldron, J Pope, Kathy Australia Wong, R Quon, Harvey Canada Loblaw, A / Cheung, P Shorthouse, Amy Australia Wong, R Swaminath, Anand Canada Bezjak, A / Dawson, L Taremi, Mojgan Canada Bezjak, A Thoms, John Canada Bristow, R Tran, Philip Australia Kim, J Wang, Tim (Wei) Australia Fyles, A Wajstaub, Sandra Canada Catton, P. Structure of the Program Fellows spend one or two years in a Research Fellowship or a Clinical Research Fellowship at either the Princess Margaret Cancer Program or the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre - Odette Cancer Centre. The foundation of the Research Fellowship is formal graduate training at a masters or doctoral level and requires the fellow to be accepted into graduate school. The UT DRO has developed a RO stream within the Institute of Medical Science as well as associations with the Departments of Medical Biophysics and Health Policy Management and Evaluation and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education though UT DRO faculty cross appointments. The foundation of the Clinical Research Fellowship is practice-based experience and research supervision in the clinical and translational academic programs of the Department. This past year 30 Fellows were involved in the program at both sites, coming from Australia (7); Canada (12); India (2); Ireland (2); New Zealand (1); UK (6). Academic output The quality of their research work has been internationally recognized. Three Fellows won 4 travel awards to present their work. Four fellows won 6 merit awards; Drs Iwa Kong and Caroline Chung won Ontario Government Scholarships for IMS, and Dr Kong also won an ASCO merit award. Dr Harvey Quon won a CROF award to attend the FLIMS course and an ASCO-GU merit award. Dr Heather McCarty won a Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Young Investigator award. Quality measures Abstracts accepted: 21 Manuscripts published July April 2010: Peer reviewed: 30 Non-peer reviewed: 8 Grants: PI (n=6) $162.5K Awards: 2 Ontario Government scholarships (IMS) 1 MASCC young investigator award 33

34 1 FLIMS merit award 1 ASCO GU merit award 1 ASCO merit award 2 ASTRO travel awards 1 ECCO travel award 1 EORTC travel award Continuing Education Highlights This has been a very successful year for UT DRO CE activities. There has been a focus on improving collaborations and partnership to increase the reach of our programs. The utilization of the UofT CE services has increased to enhance the UT DRO CE infrastructure. The UT DRO CE office has worked closely with the radiation medicine programs at Princess Margaret and Odette Cancer Centre to provide monthly joint rounds. The CE office has increased collaborative work with Cancer Care Ontario to collaboratively host the Target Insight meeting, focused on the delivery of IMRT. In addition, the RTI3 committee continues to build strong collaborative relationships with Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) in the UK. These collaborative partnerships have contributed to the success of our programs and lay an exciting foundation for continued growth and expansion. Leadership The Departmental CE activities were led by individual course directors, with oversight provided by David Wiljer. In addition, the CE Committee provided strategic direction throughout the 2009/10 year. CE Committee CE Committee Members David Wiljer, Chair Ida Ackerman Amanda Bolderston Annemarie Butler Nicole Harnett Mary Hooey Doug Moseley Michael Sharpe Effie Slapnicar The CE committee has met regularly this year and includes all of the Course Directors as well as representatives from each of the core radiation medicine disciplines. The CE Committee convened 3 times this academic year: 1) July 22, 2009; 2) November 30, 2009; 3) April 27,

35 The focus of the committee work was to identify common infrastructure required for CE, set strategic directions and foster productive and active partnerships. CEI³ Core Curriculum The UT DRO CEI³ is made up of a curriculum comprised of a fixed core of annual elements including UT DRO Rounds, Target Insight and the Radiation Therapy Conference, Inspire, Inquire and Innovate (RTI3), in addition to a variable program hosted by UT DRO faculty. Each program element has a Course Director, an interprofessional program and planning committee, is based on educational needs, is eligible for CE credits, intends to achieve an international profile and innovative elements, and is evaluated by standard educational criteria. UTDRO Rounds in collaboration with RMP and OCC Coordinator: David Wiljer This year we moved to a new UTDRO Rounds format that included joint Rounds with the radiation programs at PMH and Odette. This new format allowed us to expand the opportunities to share work and meet on a monthly basis. The new format includes video conferencing at both locations to promote collaboration and improve access to the events. The UTDRO Rounds included: Michael B. Sharpe. IMRT Anthropology, November 26 th, Tim Whelan. Personalized Medicine Implications for Radiation Therapy in Breast Cancer, December 8 th, Pamela Catton, David Wiljer, Jennifer M. Jones. Three Phases of Survivorship: A Focus on Transition. January 28 th, Soren Bentzen. Challenges and Opportunities in Clinical Radiation Research, February 18 th, John Cho. Managing Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Current Practice and Future Directions. February 25 th, Jean-Philippe Pignol. Partial Breast Irradiation Using Permanent Seeds Implant and Beyond. March 23 rd, Lawrence Paszat. The Influence of Hospital of First Excision on Population Based Long Term Outcomes of Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremities, May 25 th, Arjun Saghal. The Management of Brain Metastases in June 24 th,

36 7th Annual Toronto Radiation Therapy Conference: RTi3 March 4-5, 2010, Chestnut Conference Centre, Toronto, Ontario Course Directors: Amanda Bolderston and Tara Rosewall Planning Committee: Amanda Bolderston, Tara Rosewall, Cathryne Palmer, Lisa DiProspero, Terri Flood, Nicole Harnett, Ruth Barker, Angela Cashell, David Wiljer, Effie Slapnicar and Kathleen Conway. 114 people were present this year, including attendees and speakers from all over Canada, as well as the United Kingdom. This year, the conference featured a new name and logo (RTi3) to reflect the ongoing conference themes Inspire, Inquire, Innovate signifying the importance of using up-to-date evidence to inform and stimulate current clinical practice. Friday s workshops, focusing on Reflection and Portfolios and Starting Research, were presented in trans-atlantic collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) in the UK. SHU has a strong reputation for excellence in radiation therapy education and research. RTi3 will have a presence at the SHU conference in October, where conference organizers will be presenting a workshop to help generate greater international interest in RTi This year s RTi3 scientific program included the results of research performed by radiation therapists into organ motion management, professional practice and clinical outcomes, as well as student and interprofessional education. Keynote Speakers Interprofessional keynote speakers this year were from the UK, Toronto and the US. Dr. Heidi Probst (radiation therapist) Radiation Therapist Research: Our time is now Beth Kapusta (patient perspective) Late Effects: The Silver Lining Dr. Darryl Nazareth (medical physicist) The Future of Radiation Therapy: Inquire, Inspire, Innovate Best Podium Presentation: Jo Treeby, Addenbrooke's Hospital, UK Title: Radiographer Role Expansion in the UK: Right person, right role Best Poster Presentation: Lynda Jackson, Kingston General Hospital Cancer Centre, Ontario Title: Multi-site C.S.R.T. Collaboration: Increasing aboriginal people s access to cancer care Highlights of Evaluations Approximately 80% of conference attendees completed the online evaluation survey. Of those respondents, 98% stated that they would recommend the conference to their colleagues and 92% of the respondents agreed that they would rate the conference as excellent. Comments included: This was a great conference with a wide range of relevant topics. It was well organized, ran smoothly and met or exceeded all of my expectations 36

37 This kind of event showcases radiation therapist's endeavors to an audience for whom it has the most relevance IMRT Insights: Transforming Practice Through Collaboration June 8-9, 2010, The Old Mill Inn & Spa, Toronto, Ontario Program Chairs: Michael Milosevic and Michael Sharpe Planning Committee: Ida Ackerman, Patrick Cheung, Eric Gutierrez, Nicole Harnett, Jean-Philippe Pignol, David Wiljer, Alicia Barker, Mary Hooey, Elizabeth Murray, Effie Slapnicar. This year Target Insight graduated to an annual event from a bi-annual event. This transition was marked by a new collaboration with Cancer Care Ontario to hold a joint meeting that would address the needs of radiation medicine professionals across the province. The goal of this year s meeting was to explore the role of IMRT in the practice of radiation medicine in order to enhance the adoption of best practices and advance the science of IMRT. The program was designed to address the practical needs of the radiation medicine community in the implementation and adoption of IMRT and other new technologies, engage attendees in the inter-professional and practice issues, examine the state of evidence with respect to IMRT, and explore ongoing and future research studies to advance the science of radiation therapy. The program addressed practical issues related to the implementation of IMRT as well as current research and future directions. This 2 day program was anchored by 3 distinguished keynote speakers: Zvi Fuks, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Eli Glatstein, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Ivo Olivotto, Provincial Radiation Therapy Program Leader, British Columbia Cancer Agency. Highlights of Evaluations Conference attendance totaled 186 individuals including 57 physicians, 33 physicists, 52 radiation therapists, 28 trainees, 13 industry participants, and 3 others. Approximately 30% of conference attendees completed the evaluation survey. Of those respondents, 81% rated the program as excellent or above average while rating speakers at an average score of 4.33 out of 5. Other Continuing Education Activities CE Publications Gillan C, Wiljer D, Harnett N, Briggs K, Catton P. Changing stress while stressing change: the role of inter-professional education (IPE) in mediating stress in the introduction of a transformative technology. Journal of Inter-professional Care. (Online, 2010). 37

38 UT DRO Faculty in Continuing Education Leadership The UT DRO Director is playing an active role in the University of Toronto CE Office, attending the monthly CE Leadership Meeting as well as the Research in Continuing Education (RICE) quarterly meetings. Leadership Positions Pamela Catton, Member, Scientific Committee, PMH Conference Lee Manchul, Chair, UT Faculty Council Continuing Education and Professional Development Committee Lee Manchul, Chair, CME Section, Northeast Group on Educational Affairs, Association of American Medical Colleges David Wiljer, Treasurer, American Association of Cancer Education Medical Radiation Sciences Program Academic Director: Dr. Pamela Catton Academic Coordinator: Cathryne Palmer Introduction The undergraduate Medical Radiation Sciences (MRS) Program is a second-entry joint BSc/Diploma of health professional education program offered by UT DRO and the Michener Institute. This four year interprofessional degree is offered in three calendar years and is comprised of didactic, simulated and clinical courses. Three discipline specific streams are offered: Radiation Therapy, Radiological Technology, and Nuclear Medicine Technology. There were 376 students registered in The MRS Program prepares students for tomorrow's professional practice, for future leadership roles and to pursue advanced graduate degrees. Participants MRS Students Adam, Abdirahim Adams, Alexander L.A. Adem, Finte Ahmed, Sabreena Ajodha, Shannon Aleksi, Gentiana Allanigue, Gayle A. Allen, Kevin Alsaffar, Nael Andani, Salmaan Anderson, Charlene Arrosa, Sebastian Au, Calvin Ka Kwan Auciello, Danielle Aulakh, Mehma Avansi, Artin Awad El-Karim, Lima Bach, Tam Barrette, Justin Bhatia, Aditya Bhatti, Michael Biernaski, Heather Bilal, Ahmad Blair, Leslie Marie Bodnar, Calli Bodnarchuk, Kevin Bonnar, Carolyn E. Bourque,Jennifer Ruth Bowen, Andre Boyer, Jessica Bracken, Allison Breeze, Carole Brooks, Sarah Bryant, Kirsten Bukhari, Sidra Burgess, Amy Marie Butt, Faria Cai, Yong Liang Campbell, Marie E. Carriere, Chantal Chai, Yun Ho Chan, Angie Ting Chi 38

39 Chan, Crystal Bing Ying Chan, Edward Y-C Chan, Elena Chan, Matthew Chan, Queenie K. M. Chan, Selig Chan, Tammy Chandrarajan, Shaline Chang, Wing Hei Janet Chau, Jessica Chau, Joanna Chaudhry, Hamza Chaudry, Shafa Anwar Chee Hing, Stefanie K Chen, Chun-Lin Chen, Feng Chen, Susan Cheung, Rebecca Chiu, Mondi Choi, Chonguk Choi, Chongyoun Choi, Yenjeung Choo, Enoch Wei-En Chow, Anna Chow, Herman Chow, Raymond S. J. Chow, Steven Aung Myo Choy, Fiona Chui, Derek Chung, Grace Chung, Jae Min Chung, Lawrence Siu Fai Chung, Sheena Crystal Ciecwierz, Claudia Coelho, Ruvette Delia Cole, Colin Cometa, Yvette Cooke, Anne Courtland, Daniel Cox, Kimberly Crowe, Brandon Croy, Charles Alexander Culhane, Julia Cumal, Aaron Angelo Daly, Stephanie DeGiobbi, Jennifer Divadalage, Nisal C. Do, Hong-Duc Doyle, Ashley Doyle, Erica Kristen Dunaevsky, Alexander Duong, Sandra-Mac El-Khazen, Sandra M. Elliott, Elizabeth Espinoza, Frank Etwaroo, Davana Ezati, Parissa Fernandes, Anthony Fong, Stephen Yim- Hang Forster, Alison Fragale, Matthew Fung, Lydia Galapin, Madette Ravi J. Galeano, Angelica Gandhi, Riddhi Gandhi, Shalmali Ganesh, Tameshwar Gareri, Sara Gebiso, Surafale Ghazi, Sana M. A. Gheorghita, Albert R. Giannotti, Michelle Gohil, Neekita Gopee-Ramanan, Prasaanthan Goyal, Rachita Grewal, Kirandeep Haden, Kristin Hall, Gillian Hamed, Eman Hanna, Mena Hartwick, Michael Hassan Gendil, Heba Hawes, Jennifer Brianne Hazell, Ryan Heal, Alison Joyce Heywood, Aishah M. Hill, Carrie Ho, Chun Hang Peter Hoang, Thao Holland, Jennifer Hospattankar, Roshan Hsiung, Li Wen Hsu, Kenneth Huang, Lily Yi Ying Hui, Angela Hui, Michael Hum, Stephanie Hussain, Faiza Mohammad, Javaid Hussain, Syed Abid Ibrahim, Nevin Irwin, Kaitlyn Islam, Ummekawsar Iyer, Kartik Jackson, Scott Jama, Ali Jamal, Meher Javed, Samina Jong, Anthony K Joutsiniemi, Tara Kabatoff, Amanda Kam, Melissa Kangas, Jessica Kapoor, Dhreeti Kaushal, Rishika Kawamoto, Erena Keddle, Louise Kelly, Sara Lynn Holly Kerstens, Taya Khalfan, Fatima Zahra Khalid, Yasir Khan, Abdul-Hameed Kilpatrick, Marlene Kim, Anna Kim, Jung Eun Kim, Sara Kim, Suyeon Kong, Franco Kung, Tommy Kwan, Derrick Lee Ho Kwong, Christopher C- N Kwong, Grace Ming Yan 39

40 Ladouceur, Benoit Lam, Angie Lam, Kimberly Lam, Max Lao, Helen Laviola, Michael Le, Ken Lee, Emily Wai Lam Lee, Ivy Lee, Ka Yee Karen Lee, Victoria J Lee, William Lei, Virginia Leung, Alice Chung Kei Leung, Sandra Li, Carol Li, Frances Shuk Han Li, Karla Li, Veny Yunn Li, Yan Li, Ying Liao, Kevin Lin, Chin-Hsu Lin, Qi Linay, Jarred Ling, Kuok Yi Liu, Chloe Liu, Pingzi Liu, Xun Liu, Yan Mei Lui, Alvin Luo, Wen Min Rita Lusty, Amy Luu, Kim Phung Luy, Winnie Wan Yu Ly, Jennifer Ly, Nguyet Nga Lynch, Briana Ma, Kai Mac, Sandra May Macaulay, Robyn Lucy Maclaughlin, Jamie Lynn MacPherson, Karen M. Maiwand, Iqbal Man, Shei-Yee Mansfield, Caitlin Brooke Marchand, Joshua Marson, Steven Martis, Julian Cedric Matthew, Natalia Mattonen, Sarah Ashley Mazhar, Komal Mccart, Jessica McDougall, Kerri Mcquillan, Richard Medeiros, Kevin Mellor, Catherine Messner, Erica Ainslie Michalak, Adam Matthew Mills, Hayley Mirza, Sana Mistry, Dipan Mistry, Rakeshbhai Moaveni, Parisa Mohamed, Sabena Mohamed Ibrahim, Shukri Mohla, Rahul Mok, Lillian Man-Lai Morrison, Christine Morrison, Felicia Mottershead, Megan Moy, Jenny Muca, Denisa Muhammad, Autif Muneeb, Hira Murphy, Kristina Robyn Nagulan, Nilany Nelli, Stephen A. G. Ng, Christopher Ng, Jennifer Kar-Yee Nowak, Daniella Omar, Sara Omarkhail, Muhammad Oteiza, Nicolas Ouellette, Amanda W. Owens, Lesley Padiachy, Melanie Pai, Anushka Park, Yoon Kyung Patel, Dhara Patel, Hiral Kantibhai Pau, Alexander Paul, Jaysree Pawson, Ashley Peden, Lisa Peters, Lisa Pham-Chau, Amy Pineda, Danilo Suarez Poon, Debbie Kit Ying Price, Shannon Prisciak, Erin Qadir, Saira Anam Quaasalmy, Mikhael Quinn, Patrick Rahman, Zahida Rajathurai, Janani Rankin, Zena Alexandra Raveendran, Sinduja Reinhart, Rebecca Rodrigo, Savani S. Ross, Laura Ruddy, Christopher Rudra, Viraj Kanishka Ryan, Lynsay Sadikali, Zahir Salonga, Rose-Anne Samim, Manija Sarju, Linda Chandra Savelberg, Mary L. K. Schwietz, Matthew Shaikh, Shaima Sharma, Ankur Shi, Jimmy Shin, Jee Hae Rebekah Sidhu, Raajan Singh, Jaspreet Sinnesael, Kendra Sirisegaram, Abby Smith, Graham Smith, Kevin Kenneth Soulliere, Amie Steeves, Katrina Stephenson, Kelly P. Strilchuk, Briana 40

41 Su, Helen Sulistijo, Andrew Taher, Mohammad Tam, Michael Ka Chun Tan, Josephine Tan, Stephanie K Tariq, Mehwish Taylor, Leanne Teixeira, Elizabeth Thompson, Dina Tom, Katherine May Yee Tompkins, Nathan Tran, Cindy Tran, Jimmy Tran, John Viet Quoc Tran, Sandy Tse, Melanie Tse, Tiffany Tung, Anita Ugulini, Brooklynn Uppal, Ashley Uy, Anne Marie Vanasse, Magdalin Vanderwater, Catherine Vane, Marco Venkatraman, Mansa Vig, Ramandeep Visscher, Scott Visvanathan, Tharshini Vuong, Chelios Phi Lon Wahab, Lamees Waite, Anna Marie Wang, Lu Ning Wang, Ni Wang, Yanyi Ward, Emma Ward, Isobel K Wilson, Laura Wlasenko, Larysa Wong, Danny Wong, Jason Wong, Venus C. K. Woo, Amy Wood, Boyce Woodbeck, Kiersten Woolnough, Laurie Wu, Vicky Nga Kuen Xi, Jie Xie, Pan Xin, Ye Xing, Jia Yam, Benjamin Yao, Gongcheng Yap, Rachel Tien Tsui Yeung, Man Yuk Yeung, Marco Man Kei Yip, Kathy Wan Ting Yip, Tony Ho Tung Younas, Aisha Yu, Ambrose Chi Fung Yu, Ling Yue, Wen Wendy Yuen, Alexander Zammit, Sara Zhang, Raymond Zhang, Xuan Zhao, Yue Zhou, Yi Xin Zu, Young 41

42 Student Statistics Enrollment Radiological Nuclear Radiation Total Technology Medicine Therapy Class Class Graduation Numbers: (eligible to graduate June 2010) Enrollment Radiological Nuclear Radiation Total Technology Medicine Therapy Class Structure of the Program This joint program combines the strengths of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Toronto and The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences (Michener) and makes full use of their complementary resources and expertise. The integrated three-year curriculum aims to provide students with a broad-based theoretical and analytical foundation for their discipline-specific professional responsibilities. Graduates receive a B.Sc. in Medical Radiation Sciences from the University of Toronto and an Advanced Diploma of Health Sciences from Michener. Students receive instruction at both institutions. Teaching faculties are drawn from both the University of Toronto and Michener. The program is designed to accommodate 130 students per year. The three-year curriculum provides students in each of the three disciplines a core curriculum of broadly based content along with discipline-specific courses and clinical practice activities. The program provides breadth and depth of knowledge and develops analytical, critical and evaluative skills. Professional values, responsibility, accountability, sensitivity and ethical attitudes towards both the consumer and health care community are emphasized. Students learn to evaluate and consider the implications of their professional actions. The clinical practicum components integrate and apply the material taught in lectures and labs, leading to the development of clinical competence. Each student is required to complete 38 weeks of full-time clinical practice. Courses delivering knowledge and imparting skills required in common by all three disciplines comprise the core curriculum and include instruction in anatomy, clinical behavioral sciences, inter-professional collaboration, patient care, physiology, relational anatomy and research methods. Students in each discipline undertake, in addition, a set of courses focused on discipline specific material. Clinical practice and experiences at the affiliated hospital sites are specific to the discipline. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, evidence-based practice and problem solving in the belief that these attributes play a crucial role in the optimal delivery of health care in today s evolving health care environment. Evaluation - National Certification Pass Rates Radiological Technology Nuclear Medicine Radiation Therapy (92.5) 78.9 (93.8) 96.9 (97.0) (95.0) 89.3 (87.1) 87.5 (87.0) (88.1) 90.6 (89.5) 97.1 (90.4) (94.2) 83.9 (82.8) 98.2 (89.2) (94.9) 81.8 (79.2) 71.7 (75.0) 42

43 (91.3) 97.0 (91.4) 94.5 (90.5) Percent of students successful on the first write of the exam. National averages in brackets. Academic output Overall Highest Academic Standing: Gold, Silver and Bronze awards are given to the graduates attaining the highest overall cgpa at the November 2009 Convocation Ceremony Gold Medalist: Silver Medalist: Bronze Medalists: Christopher Cruz - Nuclear Medicine Amy Lau - Radiological Technology Michael Wan Ho Wong - Nuclear Medicine Research Awards University of Toronto/Michener Institute Award for Excellence in Research by a Final Year Medical Radiation Sciences Student. Winner: Title: Shirley Wai Shan Tsang - Radiation Therapy "Evaluation and Standardization of Midline Sparing in Head and Neck Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy" Co-Supervisors: Honourable Mention (TIE): Supervisors: Supervisors: John Kim, MD, FRCPC & Lyndon Morley, MRT(T), BSc Carey Tsz Yan Chan - Radiation Therapy Caitlin Gillan, MRT(T) & Padraig Warde, MD Crystal Ho Radiation Therapy Amy Parent, MRT(T) & Richard Tsang, MD Clinical Project Awards In each discipline the students who have the highest combined marks for Clinical Project I & II are recognized for their achievements. Radiological Technology Outstanding achievement in clinical project: Honourable mention: Nuclear Medicine Outstanding achievement in clinical project: Honourable mention: Radiation Therapy Outstanding achievement in clinical project: Honourable mention: Linda Tang Ho Man Irene Law Trisha Hannah San Diego Wen Christine Zhan Meghan Lewis Jacqueline Whillans Special Activity this Year 43

44 Following the renewal of the Joint Program Agreement with the Michener in November 2009, the MRS Program leadership undertook and developed a collaborative strategic agenda for the Program moving forward. The Program also continues to build, consolidate and develop long term relationships with its clinical partners, providing professional development opportunities and exploring new clinical education models. As a consequence of the curriculum renewal the University assumed academic responsibility for the clinical courses allowing the MRS Program to strategically align its clinical sites with FoM fully and community-affiliated partner hospitals as much as possible. A solid relationship has developed with the Department of Physiology and the Division of Teaching Laboratories at U of T, with the delivery of foundational physiology content through an online learning platform. Plans are underway, in collaboration with the Division of Anatomy in the Department of Surgery, to design and implement a similar course for Anatomy for the MRS students, to be delivered in September April 2010 saw the first cohort of students graduate from the renewed curriculum. The major goals of the enhanced curriculum are to better prepare the student for the modern workplace by increasing interprofessional learning opportunities and introducing simulated and actual clinical experiences early in the Program. The introduction of a foundational collaborative course for all three disciplines covering the theory and practice of Computed Tomography (CT) is innovative and unique, ensuring our graduates are prepared for the rapid technological changes occurring in professional practice. Moreover, there has been a shift to more practical courses necessitating the development and implementation of new or significantly modified assessment tools to evaluate student progress both in specific courses and overall in the Program. For the past year the Program leadership has been gathering quantitative and qualitative program evaluation data from all stakeholders including the students, to guide curricular decisions moving forward. As the first cohort of the new curriculum graduate, data analysis can begin. 44

45 Equity Report Program Director: Fei-Fei Liu Since the initial appointment of the Equity Officer within UT DRO in 2007, a website has been established, hosted on the UT DRO webpage, informing the community of the existence of this position, and accessibility to the Equity Officer to discuss any issues of concern. Important information is provided on this webpage, including relevant dates for religious observances, the University of Toronto Human Resources and Equity Annual Report, the newly-established Standards of Professional Behaviour for Medical Clinical Faculty, the University of Toronto Employment Equity Report, and the Ontario Human Rights Code. There has also been co-ordination with counterparts within the Faculty of Medicine to ensure streamlining and harmonization of Equity and Professionalism activities. To that end, the UT DRO Equity Officer has been collaborating with Dr. David McKnight, the Associate Dean of Equity and Professionalism in the Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Toronto on developing programmatic activities promoting Diversity and Professionalism within UT DRO. This activity was operationalized by presenting the first set of rounds at the Odette Cancer Cancer in January 2010 with Drs. David McKnight, Pam Catton, and F-F Liu. This set of information rounds was very well received. This presentation will be repeated at the Princess Margaret Hospital Site later in

46 Research Report Dr. David Jaffray The UT DRO faculty lead strong and diverse research programs that continue to grow in their productivity. This breadth and depth gives the department a profile as one of the pre-eminent multidisciplinary radiation medicine research programs in the world. Research in UT DRO is conducted in all domains of radiation medicine; including radiation therapy, biology, physics, oncology, and nursing. The scope includes clinical research, quality of life and health services and outcomes research, basic and translational studies related to radiation response, and advanced high-precision radiation and imaging. The highly translational nature of the research is a reflection of the integration of scientifically-minded faculty that have a desire to impact clinical care. While recognizing the research drive and productivity is easy, assembling an accurate accounting is challenging since the research is performed in collaboration with a number of clinical and basic science departments, extra-departmental units including hospital research institutes, both within and outside of the University of Toronto. Research Highlights Dr. Greg Czarnota led (including DRO faculty Dr. Kristy Brock) was successful in leading a Terry Fox program project in ultrasound therapy. Dr. David Jaffray, in collaboration with investigators at the OCC (K. Mah, C. Caldwell) and across the province, led the Ontario Consortium for Adaptive Interventions in Radiation Oncology in the latest ORF-RE funding round. A total of $7M of matching funds from the province brings the total budget to $21M for translational research in adaptive radiation therapy. The ELLICSR Centre for Cancer Survivorship was launched under the leadership of Dr. Pam Catton. A globallyunique facility focused on research to support cancer survivors. The Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funded $10M toward the creation of a dedicated MR-guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) facility (external beam and brachytherapy) at the Princess Margaret Hospital (Drs. Jaffray, Menard, Milosevic, Dawson, Breen, Carlone). Indicators of Success Yearly Research Funding Yearly Research Funding* Measures of research funding are made more complex by the distribution of fund administration across UofT, OCC, and UHN. We continue to refine our assessment measures and this year s number include our most accurate estimate to date by drawing on the Research Support Services at UHN and the OCC. The successes in landing large program (CCS), network (ORF-RE) and infrastructure (CFI) grants will introduce large variations in the totals. This will both mask interesting trends in investigatordriven operating grants, as well as, interfere in forecasting program growth. In the future, funding should be reported with finer granularity. Overall, UTDRO is maintaining a healthy level of funding per faculty with many more grants to be included in next year s tally. *2010 Research Report corresponds to the 2009/2010 academic year. However, funding statistics for 2009/2010 are not available at time of report generation, therefore, reported funding stats correspond to 2008/2009 academic year. 46

47 Active Protocols New Ongoing Summary Review of Faculty Funding and Awards revealed a decrease in funding, primarily due to the conclusion of a large CFI infrastructure grant for the STTARR program. Industry-sponsored funding grew significantly from 2006/7. Awards per funded investigator approximated $1.4M for the review period. The jump in new protocols approved in 2008 is reflected in the rise in number of ongoing and total number of active protocols in New protocols approved averaged 77 per year. Comparison of Publication Record with Peers (3 Full Year Period 06-09) UTDRO High-impact Publications: Institution (n investigators) Papers Citations (July 2010) Papers per PI per year Cites per Paper median Proportion cited 4 year h-index 15.8% 19.0% 13.5% 15.9% Highlycited UT Core (n=103) % 37 UT All (n=130) % 37 MDA (42) % 36 UBC (51) % % 7.9% 6.4% 4.9% In Top Journals Publications Total Publications ( ) Publications per Investigator ( ) 47