In 1924, Canadian-born Jonathan Meakins was recruited from Edinburgh to become the Physician-in-Chief at the Royal Victoria Hospital and the first full-time clinical professor at Âé¶čAV. Meakins recruited outstanding young clinician-scientists and laid the groundwork for Âé¶čAVâs commitment to combining research with excellence in clinical medicine.
Edward Archibald became Surgeon-in-Chief at the Royal Victoria Hospital and Chair of the Department at Âé¶čAV, and also recruited an unusual group of surgeon-scientists including Penfield, Bethune, Webster, future-Principal Rocke Robertson and Arthur Vineberg, who pioneered revascularization. Penfieldâs presence attracted the Rockefeller grant that built and staffed the Montreal Neurological Institute, which opened its doors in 1934.Âé¶čAV medical researchers have made numerous life-changing breakthroughs. Thirty-seven Âé¶čAV researchers have been appointed to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for such efforts, including Bernard Belleau for his discovery of the compound 3TC, an effective antiretroviral drug in the battle against AIDS, and Phil Gold who, with Sam Freedman, discovered the protein that is now the most frequently used cancer marker.