Charles Tator – CAN2016 Public lecture speaker
Dr. Charles Tator, CM, MD, PhD, FRCS
Lecture title:
Why Concussions are a Significant Public Health Concern.
Date and Time: Saturday, May 28th from 5pm
Location: Auditorium of the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning at SickKids (directions below)
Dr. Charles Tator is a recognized expert and researcher on the prevention and treatment of concussion and spinal cord injury. He performs clinical research on the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of concussion and acute spinal cord injury and basic science research on brain and spinal cord injury. He leads a team of 15 neuroscientists and clinicians who are finding ways to improve the diagnosis and treatment of concussion disorders. Dr. Tator is a Professor at the University of Toronto, a Neurosurgeon at the Toronto Western Hospital, and a Senior Scientist at the Krembil Research Institute.
His current laboratory focus is on the use of stem cells for brain and spinal cord injury. His clinical research focuses on the management and treatment of the concussion spectrum of disorders. He is founder and Director of the Canadian Concussion Centre at the Toronto Western Hospital.
In 1992, Dr. Tator founded ThinkFirst, Canada, a national brain and spinal cord injury prevention foundation aimed at reducing the incidence of catastrophic injuries to the brain and spinal cord, and in 2000 he received the Order of Canada for this work. ThinkFirst became a leader in the promotion of safety for Canada’s children and youth, and provided injury prevention messages to hundreds of thousands of children and youths annually. In 2012, ThinkFirst merged with three other national injury prevention Foundations to form Parachute Canada, the country’s largest injury prevention agency/charity of which Charles Tator is a founding Board Member.
Awards
- Order of Canada (2000)
- Inductee, Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (2009)
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Canadian Neurosurgical Society (2010)
- Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Spinal Injury Association for contributions to the field of research and patient management in spinal cord injury (2011)
- USA Hockey Excellence in Safety Award for his work in preventing brain and spinal cord injuries in hockey (2012)
- Recipient of The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) Council Award (2012)
- Recipient of the Reeve-Irvine Research Medal, Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California (2012)
- Charles Tator Annual Lecture, AANS/CNS Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care (2014)
- Won the 2014 Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) Health Research Foundation Medal of Honour. Since its inception in 1945, the Medal of Honour has been awarded to remarkable individuals whose research or contributions to public policies supportive of research and development in Canada have achieved international recognition.
- Dr. Tator’s was honoured for his lifetime commitment to both injury prevention and treatment of brain and spinal cord injuries at the Parachute Gala held on May 20, 2015 in Toronto. $1.1 million was raised for injury prevention.
- Dr. Tator received the first Omotayo Canadian Medical Champions award at the inaugural Gala and Fundraiser for Omotayo HeadMatters Organization held on November 28, 2015.
- Dr. Tator and co-recipient, Dr. Albert Aguayo were recently awarded the Wings for Life Lifetime Achievement Award, to be received in April 2016.
Learn more about Dr. Charles Tator on his
Profile on the University Health Network website
