McMaster University’s brand of academic excellence parallels the vision for our department — to be committed leaders, tireless educators and strong advocators for the promotion of evidence-based surgery, locally and abroad. We have much to celebrate across 11 divisions. Our faculty, fellows, residents, medical students and research staff are involved in research that impacts the lives of millions of individuals and transforms surgical care. The challenge for us is not in our productivity but in our communication and translation of the evidence we are creating, which services as but one of a number of important department initiatives to improve connectedness in our research successes and milestones. Let’s all share in the pride of our collective successes!

This has been a time of change in the department’s research strategy, creating new focus and refining our support for our researchers, improving our communication and raising our standard of excellence in research. Our publications continue to rise both in number and impact. Over the last few years, Department of Surgery researchers have initiated and are leading large multinational clinical trials, bringing our researchers to the attention of the world, providing benefit for patients and opening many opportunities for collaboration at the highest levels. Our basic scientists are trailblazing new pathways towards understanding the mechanisms of disease. Research into quality improvement and standardization is improving care both in our Local Health Integrated Network (LHIN) and nationwide. Surgeon educators are transforming our approaches to educating learners using novel methodologies. Foremost, we are developing deep talent through our surgeon scientist and surgical research methodology programs. By a renewed focus on the rich history of McMaster University’s legacy in evidence-based medicine, we are moving our surgeons to a collective action because ‘saying isn’t doing, doing is doing!’