Improving health and patient outcomes Brain & Mind

The brain is the central processing unit of the body and plays a key role in translating the content of the mind (your thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, memories and imagination) into complex patterns of nerve cell firing and chemical release. It is responsible for movements of all parts of our bodies, from our first steps to the fine movements of our hands to the smiles on our faces.

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  1. 1942

    After receiving his master’s degree in physiology at McGill University, William Feindel made a contribution to Canada’s war effort

  2. 1950

  3. 1953

    Dr. Heinz Lehmann initiated the first North American trial of a drug that would forever change the treatment for mental illness around the world

  4. 1955

    Dr. Feindel became the first Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Saskatoon

  5. 1957

    Following the success of chlorpromazine, Dr. Lehmann made another ground-breaking discovery

  6. 1958

    Charles Drake perfected a surgical treatment for basilar aneurysms

  7. 1960

  8. 1961

    Dr. Drake published the first results of his successful treatment of basilar aneurysms

  9. 1965

    Along with Dr. Patrick Wall, Dr. Ronald Melzack proposed the Gate Control Theory of Pain

  10. 1969

    With his close friend Dr. Charles Drake, Henry Barnett was the founding Chief of the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences at University Hospital (London) and The University of Western Ontario

  11. 1970

  12. 1970s

    Dr. Barnett began to study the effectiveness of extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery

  13. 1973

    The Montreal Neurological Institute installed Canada’s first CT scanner

  14. 1973

    Throughout Dr. Lehmann's career, he worked to remove the stigma around mental illness by humanizing the person behind the illness

  15. 1975

    While at McGill, Dr. Albert Aguayo began to demonstrate that it was possible to restore severed neural pathways and connections in the central nervous system of mammals

  16. 1976

    Henry Barnett conducted the first randomized trial to show that aspirin prevents stroke

  17. 1979

    The Douglas Hospital Research Centre was established and Dr. Lehmann served as the first chairman of the Centre’s board

  18. 1980

  19. 1990

  20. 1990s

    Dr. Barnett began work with the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET)

  21. 2000

  22. 2006

    Along with colleagues, Dr. Tony Hakim published the first “Canadian Best Practice Recommendation for Stroke Care.” It was updated in 2008, 2010, and again in 2012.

  23. 2010

  24. 2020

About the CMHF

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) celebrates Canadian heroes whose work advances health in Canada and the world, fostering future generations of health professionals through the delivery of local and national youth education programs and awards.

This enduring tribute to our country’s rich medical history is showcased here and in our physical exhibit hall in London, ON.