As cancer care evolves, so, too, do the careers of Alberta’s dedicated health-care professionals.
By Nathan Kunz

Nothing stays static in cancer care. For most oncology professionals, each day looks a little different than the last. But, every once in a while, a transformation happens with life-altering effects, both for those providing care and those receiving it.
By investing in sector-leading facilities, supporting cutting-edge research and recruiting first-rate talent, Alberta is earning a reputation as the place to evolve cancer care careers. Here are four professionals in the midst of their own transformations in Calgary and Edmonton as they explore the next chapters of their careers.
Transforming teamwork: Dr. Andrea McNiven
Director of Medical Physics, Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre; Division Head of Medical Physics, Department of Oncology, University of Calgary
In 2023, Dr. Andrea McNiven made the move from Toronto to Calgary after being recruited as director of medical physics at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, and now, at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre (Arthur Child). Medical physicists often use x-rays, ultrasound, radioisotopes, magnetic and electric fields in diagnosis and therapy, as well as radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer.
An accomplished medical physicist, McNiven has worked with radiation oncologists and therapists to deliver tailored and precise treatment for countless patients, while also pushing the field forward through research and education. The cross-country move, she explains, offered an unprecedented chance to help transform how cancers are treated alongside a multifaceted team of learners and experts, all working under one roof.
“Like many people, cancer has touched my life. I’ve had grandparents, aunts and uncles lost to cancer. So, the concept of cancer research emerged pretty early on as a direction I might want to take. And, when I learned about the role of the medical physicist, it was just such a great way to take physics and apply it, in a real tangible way, to medicine.
“My move to Calgary was motivated by several things. It’s an incredibly unique opportunity to get in on the ground floor at the Arthur Child, and the many opportunities that come with it — new technology, new workflows, a new space in one building with all of the radiation oncology medicine team working together. It’s all really exciting.

“There’s also the fact that this is a large academic centre with training programs. We have graduate students associated with our medical physics department, and a large residency program. To be able to build the education and training along with this new technology, and to support innovative research from the medical physics team — there’s not many centres in Canada where those opportunities exist.
“To have every element of care in the same place will just enable that collaboration in ways we haven’t had before. That proximity, face-to-face collaboration and idea-generation are real things and will help us to better translate care from bench to bedside.
“Ultimately, I hope that we can really build a medical physics team that helps to contribute and maintain the highest quality of radiation therapy care for our patients.”
Transforming focus: Dr. Oliver Bathe
Surgical Oncologist, Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre; Professor in Surgical Oncology at the University of Calgary

From surgeries to research to his lab’s world-renowned tumour bank, Dr. Oliver Bathe has found ways to make a difference on several levels over his 27- year cancer care career. Three years ago, Bathe stepped away from his surgical oncology practice to dedicate full attention to research work and teaching at the University of Calgary, as well as developing precision oncology tools through his company, Qualisure Diagnostics. While his day-to-day work has changed drastically, Bathe’s ability to spark innovation has only grown. In 2023, he was awarded the first Wayne Foo Professorship in Surgical Oncology. This designation financially supports research conducted in Bathe’s lab for five years, all thanks to a generous gift from the Wayne Foo Foundation facilitated by the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
“To be honest, it really took me a while to wrap my head around this transformation stage because I really enjoy taking care of patients. I just can’t explain the personal impact it has to take care of people who are sick. But, with this new chapter [of research and teaching], I feel like I can actually impact more people. It’s not so much about a one-to-one benefit — if we’re successful in creating good products that help patients, it will help a larger number of people.
“Cancer care, when I started out, was very nonspecific. You gave a treatment because that’s what the guidelines told you to do, and sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. So, my ultimate goal is to be a part of making precision oncology a real thing. I want to create tools that help make clinical decisions more precise and that deliver the right treatment to the right patient.

“The Wayne Foo Professorship has been extremely beneficial in supporting not just me, but all the people in my lab, which includes PhD and master’s students as well as postdocs. One challenge with research is that you’re always looking for funding. These kinds of gifts free up researchers to put more effort into the actual research and ideation, rather than looking for money.
“I’ll continue to support the education of my students, of course. One of my most exciting current projects is working on a blood test for colorectal cancer, which is potentially a very powerful technology. The Wayne Foo Professorship is going to enable me to complete the work required to bring it back to the clinic.”
Transforming perspective: David Sinn
Medical Physicist, Cross Cancer Institute

David Sinn had his sights set on becoming a physician as a high schooler until the introduction of Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity led to a new fascination with physics and an unexpected pivot. After discovering medical physics as a path to meaningfully apply his passion, Sinn never looked back. A born-and-raised Edmontonian, Sinn served Albertans between 2014 to 2022, mostly at the Cross Cancer Institute, before moving to Hawaii, where he worked at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. Now, he’s returned home to Edmonton to further his work in cancer care and apply his newfound perspective.

“The move to Hawaii was motivated by wanting to give our kids the adventure of a lifetime. My wife and I thought, ’Let’s just give these kids the most amazing childhood ever and see how this goes.’
“There was a really big difference in the scope and breadth of my work when comparing Hawaii to Canada. In Hawaii, there were two linear accelerators and three physicists, as opposed to Edmonton, where there are 16 radiation therapy physicists and nine treatment units. When you have such a small group, as I did in Hawaii, you really had to be a jack of all trades.
“Hawaii was always meant to be temporary. And, after two years of being away from friends and family, we felt like the experience had happened. It just felt right to return.
“To be honest, I practically feel like I’m a different person since coming back to the Cross Cancer Institute. Before I left, I was kind of rigid and stubborn in my way of thinking — I thought there was always a certain way to do things and that’s exactly how it should be done. Working in Hawaii has shown me that I’m adaptable as a person, and I can conquer new challenges that I maybe didn’t have confidence to before. It’s made me a lot more open to trying new things.
“More than anything, I feel fortunate that I am being welcomed back, and I’m very thankful for the opportunity that’s been given to me to be able to return and help serve Albertans.”
Transforming care: Dr. Lisa Barbera
Section Chief of Radiation Oncology, Calgary Zone, Cancer Care Alberta; Division Head of Radiation Oncology, University of Calgary

Six years ago, Dr. Lisa Barbera was looking for her next challenge. The radiation oncologist had spent her career treating patients, leading research and teaching at the University of Toronto. And, while the work was fulfilling, Barbera was eager to step into a larger leadership role. An opportunity in Calgary offered just that, and, in 2018, drawn by a strong team and a new cancer centre on the horizon, Barbera made the move west. Ahead of the opening of the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre (Arthur Child), Barbera shared what’s most exciting to her about another transformation — this time, for Calgary cancer care as a whole.
“The Arthur Child site was a big hole when I moved here. So, it’s been fascinating to watch it go up and hear the stories of the construction. It’s been an epic journey to get that building to where it is now. I just can’t wait to move in.
“Specifically, for my department, there is new infrastructure that will immediately change how we’re able to deliver care for patients. We have access to all sorts of new technology that would be the envy of almost any radiotherapy department. And, from an imaging perspective, we’re beautifully poised to take advantage of future innovations to develop and grow within this space.

“Another exciting change is the intentional effort to co-locate research with the clinic. It’s fascinating to me how architecture can affect relationships. For example, we work really closely with our medical physics colleagues. At the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, they were located in the basement, but, in the new building, they’re located on the same floor as all the radiation oncologists. So we’ll be able to have a lot more informal interactions with them. Those relationships, when done properly, can be extraordinarily rich.
“And, to be honest, the beauty of this space is amazing and exciting. There are windows everywhere — even in the radiotherapy department, which is uncommon. We’re always sort of shuttered away. Now we have this beautiful floor with all sorts of huge windows and murals of wonderful landscapes. If you have to be there, it’s just an incredibly lovely place to be.”