Natural selection

Dr. Stuart Foster, a senior scientist in Physical Sciences at Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI), was named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He was inducted into the organization at a ceremony on June 18, 2018 in Calgary, Alberta.

Foster pioneered micro-ultrasound, an imaging technique done at high frequencies to produce high-resolution images, in his lab at SRI. The technology visualizes minute structures within tissue and physiological details like blood flowing into a mouse tumour, noninvasively. He commercialized the technology, which is used for preclinical research in 1,500 organizations throughout the world. The technology has also received regulatory approval for clinical use in Canada and the U.S., and is being studied in neonatal imaging, neurosurgical guidance and prostate imaging, among other areas.

The award follows another prestigious recognition. In 2017, Foster was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering as a foreign member. At that time, he was one of only 21 engineers in Canada to receive this distinction from the 2,350-member-strong academy.