1995 INDUCTEE Henry J.M. Barnett, MD Evidence-based Medicine & Clinical Trials, Blood, Brain & Mind

Henry Barnett inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

London, Ontario

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

At the time, carotid artery by-pass surgery was a very common for stroke prevention. Barnett demonstrated, however, that the procedure was only effective in preventing stroke in patients whose carotid artery was more than 70 per cent blocked. His findings averted many unnecessary surgical interventions and informed new treatment strategies.

Served as the founding President and Scientific Director of the John P. Robarts Research Institute in London

He played a significant role in building an international reputation for the institution, which remains a leader in medical research today.

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

This ground-breaking work significantly improved the management of heart disease and the treatment of millions of stroke patients worldwide.

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

The results demonstrated that the surgery did not actually benefit patients. His findings contradicted standard practice at the time and was met with initial backlash from neurosurgeons. However, these operations were almost completely stopped by the mid-1980s.

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

He remained chair of the department as well as the division of neurology at University Hospital for 15 years.

A rising star in the field of neurology, Henry Barnett established the Department of Neuroscience at Sunnybrook Hospital

At Sunnybrook, his service occupied 70 beds.

Became a neurologist at the Toronto General Hospital

He built a large consulting practice where he treated patients as well as trained medical students and residents.

Henry Barnett described a new clinical syndrome: post-traumatic syringomyelia

In 1973, he published the first English-language monograph on the subject.

Obtained his medical degree from the University of Toronto

After obtaining specialty qualifications in neurology at the Toronto General Hospital, he moved to Oxford to further his research training.