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Canadian Medical Hall of Fame
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2022 INDUCTEE Jonathan L. Meakins, MD Evidence-based Medicine & Clinical Trials, Patient Care, Infectious Disease, Allergy & Immunity

Born:

January 8, 1941

(Toronto, Ontario)

Education:

MD, University of Western Ontario (1966)

Awards & Honours:

2018 : Doctor of Science, Honoris causa, Western University

2015 : Doctor of Science, Honoris causa, McGill University

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Jonathan L Meakins

Demonstrated the relationship between weakened immune responses and poor surgical outcomes

Jonathan L Meakins

An international leader in surgical research and innovation

Dr. Meakins has transformed surgical thinking and practice, improving outcomes for patients worldwide. A pioneer in the immunology of surgical infections, his seminal work demonstrated the relationship between weakened immune responses and poor surgical outcomes leading to significant improvements in assessment and nutritional support for surgical patients. After a career spanning nearly 30 years as an outstanding academic surgical leader at McGill University, including Surgeon-in-Chief at the Royal Victoria Hospital and Chair of the Department of Surgery at McGill, Dr. Meakins was recruited to the University of Oxford in 2002 as Nuffield Professor of Surgery. The only Canadian to be honoured with this prestigious appointment, Dr. Meakins provided lasting contributions through his leadership of the Balliol Colloquium, an international consortium exploring basic principles and guidelines for the introduction of innovations in surgical practice, now a basic reference to guide the introduction of new techniques and technology in surgery. Member of numerous learned societies in executive leadership roles, Dr. Meakins influenced professional surgical practice and mentored many generations of surgical residents providing a powerful role-model for academic surgeons everywhere.

Key Facts

Pioneer and founder of the field of the immunology of surgical infections

Early advocate of clinical trials to study the efficacy of lithotripsy for gallstones and the benefit and of laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Promoted clinical and research collaborations, strong residency programs and the early development of the McGill Simulation Centre, now a mainstay of Canadian health professional education

Played key role in bringing the surgical groups from The Royal Victoria Hospital and Montreal General Hospital together prior to their merger into the McGill University Health Centre

Nuffield Professor of Surgery at Oxford, one of the most prestigious leadership positions in the field of surgery on an international basis and the only Canadian to have been so honoured

10 years Co-Editor of the Canadian Journal of Surgery and Senior Editor of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons

Professional timeline

Impact on lives today

Advances in surgery combined with universal health care delivery have made surgical interventions simultaneously more effective and more common. Recognition of the importance of accurate assessments and nutritional supports to promote positive surgical outcomes has been significantly furthered by the pioneering work of Dr. Meakins’ research into the immunology of infections. Through his own research and his leadership of the Balliol Colloquium, Dr. Meakins has profoundly improved modern surgical techniques and technologies.

Jonathan L Meakins

2025

  • Headshot of Dr. Jonathan L. Meakins

    Jonathan L. Meakins is inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

    Ottawa, Ontario

  • Oxford University

    Appointed fourth Nuffield Professor of Surgery at Oxford

    Health and Medical Education & Training

  • Senior Editor of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons

  • Panoramic view of MUHC

    Plays key role in bringing the surgical groups from The Royal Victoria Hospital and Montreal General Hospital together prior to their merger into the McGill University Health Centre

    Pioneers, Leaders, Scholars and Change Makers, Leadership in Organizational Development

    As the Edward W. Archibald Professor of Surgery at McGill, Dr. Jonathan L. Meakins promotes clinical and research collaborations, strong residency programs and the early development of the McGill Simulation Centre, now a mainstay of Canadian health professional education

  • Canadian Journal of Surgery

    Co-Editor of the Canadian Journal of Surgery

  • Dr. Meakins advocates for clinical trials to study the efficacy of lithotripsy for gallstones and the benefit of laparoscopic cholecystectomy

    Evidence-based Medicine & Clinical Trials

  • Surgeon-in-Chief of the Royal Victoria Hospital and the McGill University Health Centre

    Leadership in Organizational Development

  • Undertook three years research training in Cincinnati in surgical infections and immunobiology

    Infectious Disease, Allergy & Immunity

    A pioneer and founder of the field of the immunology of surgical infections, Dr. Meakins’ research on susceptibility to infections of surgical patients demonstrates a link between attenuated immune responses and poor surgical outcomes leading to improvement in nutritional and other support for surgical patients.

1969

Dr. Meakins is recognized throughout the world as a surgeon who advanced our knowledge of infectious diseases in surgery.

Additional Resources:

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