News Releases

UWI Medical Faculty Investing in Colorectal Cancer Training and Research

For Release Upon Receipt - February 13, 2012

Cave Hill


The Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies (UWI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and the Pelican Cancer Foundation is hosting Barbados’ first ‘International Colorectal Cancer Conference at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa from February 21-24.

Chairman of the organising committee, Professor R. David Rosin said “the conference was designed to educate the medical fraternity on new developments in colorectal cancer research with emphasis on early diagnosis, screening and advancements in new treatments.” Apart from local and regional practitioners, it has been able to attract delegates and Faculty from the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Canada, Scandinavia, Europe and South American countries. Among the distinguished Faculty is the innovator of 'Open Total Mesenteric Excision for Rectal Carcinoma', Professor R.J ‘Bill’ Heald from the UK.

Professor Heald boasts an outstanding list of credentials and accomplishments. He is currently the Director of Surgery at the Pelican Cancer Foundation, former Vice-President and currently a member of the Council at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, past-President of the Section of Coloproctology at the Royal Society of Medicine and of the Association of Coloproctology. Heald has also recently received honorary degrees and professorships in Sweden, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Israel, Germany, Poland, France, China and Serbia.

The conference will be preceded by a public lecture on Monday February 20, at 5:30pm at the Accra Beach Hotel & Spa featuring Professor Heald with a lecture entitled ‘Skeletons in the Cupboard’.   Dr. John Marks, Director of the Colorectal Cancer Surgery Centre in Pennsylvania USA, will also give a presentation entitled: ‘Shaking the Tree of Tradition: Advances in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer’.

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