We aim to offer educational medical imaging resources to developing and underserved areas of the world, while serving as a hub for exchanging information about outreach opportunities and maintaining partnerships with other global health organizations, sharing resources and facilitating on-site projects where appropriate.
Terms of Reference
Mission
Technology and internet have made our world smaller. News is shared within seconds, and disasters impacting human health, frequently unknown in the past, have become an everyday reality. Due to technologic advances, the global medical community is consistently growing, and the need for global cooperation is urgent.
The University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Radiology strives to strengthen global medical community by providing training and improving access to Diagnostic Imaging. While UBC has an established role of bringing in radiologists across the globe for fellowship training, there is a growing need for outreach initiatives in the low-resource communities both domestically and internationally.
Goals
Collaboration
- Create a hub for exchange of outreach experiences and opportunities among UBC radiologists, trainees and supporting personnel
- Seek and maintain collaboration with other Radiology outreach programs in Canada
- Maintain collaboration with medical and Radiology global health organizations, such as Medicine sans Frontiers (MSF), RAD AID, Radiology across Borders (RAB), etc.
- Establish and maintain a collaborative relationship with clinical outreach programs within UBC Faculty of Medicine.
Education
- Provide lectures and other education resources in medical imaging to radiologists and technologists in the low-resource communities in Canada and internationally
- Participate in conferences aimed to improve global health
- Involve and foster passion for teaching in medical students, residents and fellows.
On-site projects
- Seek and share opportunities for the on-site domestic and international Radiology projects, including diagnostic/skills workshops and clinical work.
- Navigate funding options and grants for participation in the on-site projects.
Dr. Tanya (Tetyana) Martin, Director
Dr. Martin is a radiologist at BC Cancer Vancouver with fellowship training in Breast Imaging and ER/Trauma. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UBC department of Radiology and a breast imaging education lead at BC Cancer Vancouver. Dr Martin has been collaborating with Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF), Radiology Across Borders (RAB) and Blue Heron Foundation, and is thrilled to be part of the growing radiology community with interest in global health.
Dr. Petter Tonseth
Dr. Tonseth is a Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine physician who currently has a full time appointment in the Functional Imaging Department at BC Cancer.
Global medicine has been a long-standing interest and he has had the opportunity to teach in South Africa, Kenya, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Most recently, he has been involved in the development of the International Certificate in Radiology Fundamentals in collaboration with Radiology Across Borders.
He currently holds clinical academic appointments at UBC and Memorial University in Newfoundland.
Dr. Kieran Lacey
I was born and raised primarily in St. John’s, NL, and thus far, have completed all of my post-secondary education at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Beginning with a Bachelor of Science in cell and molecular biology and a Minor in psychology, I then completed a Doctor of Medicine. Currently, I am a second-year resident in Diagnostic Radiology.
Throughout medical school, I had the opportunity to avail myself of additional educational experiences in global health. The first was via the InSIGHT program, a summer-long elective in Kathmandu, Nepal, focusing on public health and disparities in care. This inspired me to obtain a Certificate in Local and Global Health Equity, which aimed to bridge the social determinants of health to professional practice.
My prior involvement in global outreach started with the MUN Mentors, a program for helping incoming international students adjust to their new home and academic setting. I soon joined the Gateway Clinic to conduct initial medical visits for refugees and help pair them with a local family doctor. As my interest in radiology increased, I worked with the Canadian Association of Radiologists Global Outreach in Radiology Network to promote interest in medical students and residents.
Currently, I am working steadily with Radiology Across Borders (RAB) to provide online access to an International Certificate in Radiology Fundamentals. This certificate educates those in developing nations to improve local healthcare outcomes.
As for the future, I am eager to engage in more projects with the RAB, and to begin this new endeavour with the UBC Radiology Global Outreach Committee. I am in the early stages of my radiology training and career, although I plan to continue with global outreach initiatives for many years to come.
Dr. Corree Laule
Dr. Laule is an MR physicist, a Professor in the Departments of Radiology and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Vice-Chair of Research in Radiology, and an Associate Director of the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) at the University of British Columbia. She is also an associate member of the Department of Physics & Astronomy, where she is actively involved in the Medical Physics program. Dr. Laule heads an interdisciplinary research program in multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury spanning technical innovations to clinical translation. Her research on human brain and spinal cord MRI and histology is funded by NSERC, the MS Society of Canada, the Craig Nielsen Foundation and ICORD. With an h-index of 35, 98 publications and 250+ conference presentations, she has been cited more than 5000 times. She is an elected Senior Fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and serves on many UBC and international committees each year, including the Radiology Awards Committee (co-chair) and the Radiology EDI committee. Dr. Laule is passionate about science communication and leads initiatives to increase diversity in Science-Technology-Engineering-Math including the ICORD Summer Research Program for Indigenous Youth.
Dr. Bruce Forster
Dr. Bruce Forster is Professor at the University of British Columbia, Department of Radiology, recently finishing his 11.5 year term as Department Head on Dec 31, 2021. Previously he was Director of Diagnostic Imaging for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics/Paralympics Games and is currently the lead Radiologist for the International Olympic Commission Medical and Scientific Games Group. As an Associate Member of the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre, he has been involved in the clinical, education, and research aspects of sports imaging for 25 years, and is Associate Editor of the “British Journal of Sports Medicine” and Senior Deputy Editor of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Radiologists. Dr. Forster has delivered over 500 invited lectures, many internationally, and has served as a Visiting Professor in Canada, the United States, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Russia and the Middle East. He is the author of over 150 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and 140 educational exhibits, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Radiologists and as President of the Canadian Radiologic Foundation. He has led outreach work in UBC Radiology, and serves on the Executive Steering Committee for the International Certificate for Radiology Fundamentals with Radiologists Across Borders. In 2019 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Canadian Association of Radiologists, and in 2022, the Haughton Medal from the Faculty of Radiologists in Ireland, to which he was elected an Honorary Member.
Dr. William W.Y. Siu
Dr. William Siu is a Staff Radiologist at Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge Hospitals and at a community imaging clinic in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia.
William received his Medical Degree from the University of British Columbia. He completed an internship year at Royal Columbian Hospital, then performed his Radiology Residency at UBC. After his residency training, he obtained fellowship training in Neuroradiology at Vancouver General Hospital.
In his current practice, William is active in a variety of imaging modalities, including CT, MRI, ultrasound, mammography, fluoroscopy and radiography. In addition, he provides subspecialty services in Neuroradiology and Interventional Radiology. He is a Clinical Associate Professor with UBC and is active in teaching and research with University of British Columbia, University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University.
William has keen interests in participating in global outreach activities. He has been involved with the UBC International Outreach program since 2017. In 2019, as a representative of the UBC International Outreach program and in collaboration with Radiology Across Borders, William and Dr. Pete Tonseth visited Hanoi University. William delivered several lectures on Interventional Oncology to the Hanoi faculty and reviewed clinical cases with the Hanoi Radiology residents.
William has continued communications with Radiology Across Borders and is scheduled to make a presentation on Acute Stroke Imaging in 2023 as part of the RAB program. He is seeking future global outreach opportunities and is open to providing lectures, in-class teaching, hands-on demonstrations, clinical services in the field of diagnostic and interventional radiology.
Opportunities
- RAB/UBC International Certificate in Radiology Fundamentals
- UBC Branch of Global Surgical Care
- RAD Academy – e-Institute for CPD
Collaborators
MSF Radiology organizes and provides diagnostic imaging services and on the job training according to MSF policies and international standards to improve global health care in collaboration with local communities.
Canadian Radiologists can get involved with the MSF Canada Telemedicine Program.
Radiologists Without Borders is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in the USA., focusing on work with communities in underdeveloped countries to improve health and livelihood by supplying diagnostic imaging equipment, services, training, and support.
Radiology Across Borders is a global charity organization based in Australia with a focus on teaching key clinical skills to radiologists, doctors, and imaging staff around the world. Extensive list of past and current projects can be found on their website. Strong collaborative relationship with UBC Radiology.
In 2022, USA-based Blue Heron Foundation, led by Dr. Horia Vulpe, launched its most complex project to date, helping displaced Ukrainian cancer patients to access cancer care abroad. Dr. Vulpe has assembled a team of experts from across multiple countries to deliver potentially life-saving treatment to these patients in Moldova and Romania at no cost to the patient. Frequently complex oncologic imaging can be reviewed by a radiologist remotely via a Medicai platform, adding an invaluable contribution to the multidisciplinary management effort.
Past Events
Pacific Symposium, Fiji 2023
The Pacific Symposium 2023, a joint venture between Radiology Across Borders (RAB) and UBC RGOP, held at Lautoka Hospital in Fiji, was a resounding success. Over 25 medical experts from Fiji and other Pacific Island Nations participated in the two-day event, which included lectures and ultrasound workshops.
RAB/UBC Vietnam site visit, 2019
The symposium was led by Drs. Tanya Martin and Pete Tonseth from UBC, as well as Dr. Greg Briggs, Dr. Nick Trost, and sonographer Jackie Spurway from Australia. The symposium provided a comprehensive overview of radiology in an interactive format.
The visit took place in September 2019, in Hanoi and was conducted by Dr. Siu and Dr. Tonseth as a collaboration between Radiology Across Borders (RAB) and UBC Radiology.
RAB/UBC Cambodia site visit
The visit was conducted by Dr. Bruce Forster as a collaboration between Radiology Across Borders (RAB) and UBC Radiology.
Content coming soon