Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology logoLink to Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology
. 2013 Jul;27(7):424–425.

Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Visiting Research Professorship and Visiting Clinical Professorship

André Buret, Craig Render
PMCID: PMC3956014

CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF GASTROENTEROLOGY VISITING RESEARCH PROFESSORSHIP

The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) Visiting Research Professorship is offered annually to a member of the CAG who is a proven teacher and an outstanding researcher. The Visiting Research Professor is asked to visit at least six sites (typically academic centers) across the country during the period of July 1 to June 30. The CAG supports the cost of the air travel for the Visiting Research Professor while the host sites are responsible for costs of local travel, accommodation, meals, and any honorarium.

Announcing the 2013–2014 CAG Visiting Research Professor – Dr Paul Beck

Dr Beck is a clinician-scientist in the Division of Gastroenterology at University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta) and is part of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Disease, the Gastrointestinal Research Group, and the Inflammation Research Network. After earning a PhD at Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario) with Dr Gerry Morris, where he was involved in developing the TNBS and DNBS models of Crohn’s disease, he completed medical school, internal medicine and gastroenterology training at University of Calgary. This was followed by a three post-doctoral fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston (USA) with Dr Dan Podolsky. He started on staff at University of Calgary in 1999. Presently he spends 80% of his time committed to research exploring pathways involved in intestinal injury and inflammation. He spends 20% of his time as a clinical gastroenterologist at the Foothills Hospital with a focus in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, solid organ and bone marrow transplant recipients and other states of altered immune function. He is the Director of the Leaders in Medicine (MD/PhD, MD/MSc, MD/MBA) Program at University of Calgary.

His research is funded by Alberta Heritage, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. His current areas of research include the role of the inflammasome in intestinal inflammation and how the innate immune system is involved in Clostridium difficile-associated infection (CDI). He has published more than 130 articles and, in the past five years, he has published more than 50 articles in top levels journals including Science, Nature Medicine, Gastroenterology, Blood, PNAS and others.

He has received numerous teaching awards at the divisional and departmental level. In 2010, he was the first clinician-scientist to be awarded the Outstanding Clinician at the Foothills Hospital. In 2011, he received the Watanabe Distinguished Achievement Award for overall excellence and, in 2012, he was awarded the International Research Mentor Award, American Gastroenterology Association Institute Council Immunology, Microbiology and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Section. In 2013, he was Awarded the Citation Classic Award, University of Calgary for a single article being cited more than 1000 times and also received the van de Sande Distinguished Achievement Award for Mentoring, Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, 2012.

He is comfortable talking on basic and translational aspects of intestinal inflammation, CDI, wound repair, innate immunity as well as clinical areas of IBD, celiac disease, refractory celiac disease, immune suppressive states, stem cell transplantation and CDI. He is also very involved in mentorship of basic, clinical and clinician-scientist trainees and junior staff.

Thanks to the 2012 – 2013 CAG Visiting Research Professor – Dr Nicola Jones, University of Toronto

The CAG would like to express its sincere appreciation to Dr Jones for being the 2012–2013 CAG Visiting Research Professor. Dr Jones was able to visit nine centres during her term (Vancouver, Edmonton, Alberta Digestive Disease Summit, Lake Louise, Winnipeg, three Toronto sites, Hamilton and the Atlantic Annual Gastroenterology Meeting, Summerside). This is a remarkable commitment and accomplishment. Our congratulations and thanks to Dr Jones.

CAG VISITING CLINICAL PROFESSORSHIP

The CAG Visiting Clinical Professorship, introduced in 2012, is offered annually to a member of the CAG who is a proven educator and an outstanding clinician with interest in clinical research. The Visiting Clinical Professor will focus his or her visits to that of regional meetings/events vs. academic sites. The recipient of the award is asked to visit at least six centres across Canada during the period of July 1 to June 30. The CAG supports the cost of the air travel for the Visiting Clinical Professor while the host sites are responsible for expenses related to local travel, accommodation, meals, and any honorarium.

Announcing the 2013–2014 CAG Visiting Clinical Professor – Dr Robert Enns

Dr Robert Enns graduated from University of British Columbia (Vancouver, British Columbia) with his MD in 1984 followed by a rotating internship at Royal Columbian Hospital. After two years as a family physician in rural British Columbia, he completed his internal medicine training at University of British Columbia followed by gastroenterology and therapeutic endoscopy training at Calgary and Duke University Medical Center (Durham, North Carolina, USA), respectively. He took up a faculty appointment at St Paul’s Hospital, University of British Columbia in 1998 and was appointed Clinical Professor of Medicine in 2010.

Robert Enns has been the Director of the Gastrointestinal Research Institute in British Columbia (nonprofit research centre) for the past eight years where clinical trials in all aspects of gastroenterology have been prioritized. He is involved in trials ranging from IBD to reflux to endoscopic equipment advances to capsules. His interests centre on technology assessment; however, he works with eight associated gastroenterologists who have specialized areas of interest spanning the spectrum of gastroenterology. He has been prolific with his academic pursuits as evidenced by more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and 250 peer-reviewed abstracts.

The CAG is proud to acknowledge its Benefactor Corporate Sponsors:

AbbVie Corporation

Olympus Canada Inc

Pentax Canada Inc

Janssen Inc

Takeda Canada Inc

He is presently Division Head for Gastroenterology at St Paul’s Hospital (2000–2007), Medical Lead for Colon Check Program for Vancouver Coastal, Director of the Annual GI Forum in Vancouver (entering its 12th year of education in GI), and VP Clinical Affairs for the CAG. He has served on the CAG Endoscopy and Operations Committees, and continues to work with the Quality Committee of CAG to launch quality improvement programs throughout Canada in regards to endoscopy.

He has participated in numerous consensus conferences and working groups on endoscopy, gastroesophageal reflux disease, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, colon cancer screening, endoscopy credentialing, colonoscopy standards and upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Dr Enns has given more than 500 invited presentations and has organized numerous workshops and meetings. He presently is an Associate Editor for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy where his key interests in endoscopy are demonstrated. He enjoys both academic and clinical work running a full-time clinical practice performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in all of its therapeutic modalities, capsule endoscopy as well as management of various complicated endoscopic procedures.

Thanks to the 2012–2013 CAG Visiting Clinical Professor – Dr David Armstrong, McMaster University

The CAG would like to express its sincere appreciation to Dr Armstrong for being the 2012–2013 CAG Visiting Clinical Professor. Dr Armstrong was able to visit eight centres during his term (Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Kingston, Montreal and Panama). This is a remarkable commitment and accomplishment. Our congratulations and thanks to Dr Armstrong.

If you are interested in having Dr Beck or Dr Enns visit your centre during their term please contact the CAG National Office at general@cag-acg.org.

Nominations for these awards can be made by any member of the CAG. To nominate a candidate please complete the nomination form for these awards found on the CAG website at www.cag-acg.org under ‘Recent Listings’. A curriculum vitae must be concurrently forwarded to the CAG National Office, preferably in electronic format. The CAG Research Committee will review the nominations for the Visiting Research Professor and the CAG Education Committee will review the nominations for the Visiting Clinical Professor; each will make recommendations to the CAG Board, who will make the final decision on the recipients. Nominations for these awards must be received by July 31, 2013.

Can J Gastroenterol. 2013 Jul;27(7):425.

Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Fellow

Christopher Andrews 1

With the recent 50-year anniversary of the CAG, it is clear that Gastroenterology practice and research is alive and well in Canada. What is also clear is the role that CAG has played in this progression, from nascent research specialty to the broad-based digestive diseases discipline that it is today.

To acknowledge continued service to the Association, as well as high standards of professionalism that it espouses, we announce a new professional designation: the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Fellow (CAGF). This designation will be awarded to physician or PhD members who have been regular members for 10 years and have served on a CAG committee or executive board for five years, which need not be consecutive. It is equally open to those in medical practice or research. The specific requirements are listed below, or can be found online at cag-acg.org.

The rationale for the CAGF is straightforward. The CAG is mostly a volunteer organization, with the executive and committee work being done by members. This effort and interest has played a tremendous role in making the CAG what it is today, and we felt it should be honoured and communicated to others through the CAGF distinction, which can be listed as a professional designation if desired. In addition, we are always looking to increase our membership and participation in the CAG, and we hope to further encourage it through this type of acknowledgement.

I would like to thank all members for participating in your Association, and especially those long-term members who have made a commitment to the CAG part of their professional career.

Sincerely,
Christopher Andrews MD MSc FRCPC
Chair, CAG Admissions Committee

Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Fellow – Terms of Reference

The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Fellow (CAGF) distinction is an esteemed honour for CAG members who have demonstrated long-term commitment to the Association and to furthering the goals of advancing GI practice and research in Canada. This honour will thus be bestowed on a small number of CAG members each year. This award is not meant to detract from the CAG Distinguished Service Award, which is aimed at a single person, typically with national or international recognition.

The designation allows the person to use the CAGF suffix professionally. All other rights and requirements are those of a regular member (including membership fees and CDDW registration).

Terms of the CAGF:

  1. Requires at least 10 years of continuous Regular membership in CAG, and with current membership in good standing. Membership history in other categories, such as Trainee or Affiliate, does not apply to the 10-year duration.

  2. Demonstration of significant contribution to CAG through committee or executive work – with at least five years holding CAG positions. These years need not be consecutive.

  3. Evidence of participation in (as participant and/or faculty) a minimum of three CME programs sponsored by the CAG (includes CDDW) within the past five years.

  4. If a physician, Candidate shall have a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in his/her respective province or territory, unless retired. Proof of licensure is required.

  5. If not a physician, Candidate will have graduated from an accredited academic institution, and reached the rank of Associate or Full Professor or its equivalent. Proof of graduation of applicant’s highest degree, and current position, is required.

  6. Applications will be accepted by candidates through submission by deadline. The Admissions Committee will confirm eligibility for all applications. In case of discrepancy or disagreement, applications will be judged by an ad hoc committee that includes the Admissions Chair, the Administrative Affairs Chair, and the CAG President. Members applying for CAGF designation are not eligible to assess CAGF designations for that year.

  7. Candidate shall provide a current CV, a copy of current license (for physicians) or institution letter (for researchers), plus one or more letters of recommendation from CAG regular members who have been CAG members for at least five years. Sponsoring letters should outline the candidate’s accomplishments.

  8. Honorees will be presented with a CAG lapel pin and a certificate at CDDW, and will be listed on the CAGF page on the CAG website.

  9. For members in Quebec or who desire it, the equivalent French designation of AACG (Associé de l’Association Canadienne de Gastroentérologie) may be used.

  10. Designation of the CAGF is by the sole discretion of the CAG and may be withdrawn, altered, or revoked as necessary.

Articles from Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology are provided here courtesy of Wiley

RESOURCES