In front of 700 guests he was presented the award from ASTech, the Alberta Science and Technology (ASTech) Foundation, celebrating innovation in science and technology. Cairncross made advances in the treatment of a kind of brain cancer that doubled the lifespan and improved the quality of life of patients.
Also honoured, this time in the team effort category, was Dr. Gino Fallone’s team, which has been creating new vistas for radiotherapy for cancer treatment. The team applied CT-based image guidance for radiotherapy, addressing the limitations of that system, by introducing MRI guidance for radiotherapy, managing to couple an MRI with a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) to produce optimal images and an effective radiation device – a world first.
ASTech is a not-for-profit organization funded in part by the Government of Alberta and supported by more than 20 major patrons. Since inception in 1989, the ASTech Foundation has provided more than $1.3 million in awards recognizing Alberta’s science and technology community. The theme of this year’s ASTech Awards show was “Everyday Heroes,” celebrating the heroes behind the homegrown discoveries, breakthroughs and advances that are changing our world for the better.
