December 2020

Nearly 40 years ago, the founders of Canadian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons sought to ensure that every province had highly skilled surgeons providing world class care the patients with colorectal diseases. A parallel goal was foster and support high quality scientific research in field. In 2007, that ‘Visioning Task Force’ formalized goals of CSCRS, and research particularly collaboratives, was top priority. We have certainly flourished in regard, and top notch colorectal surgery research conducted in every major academic centre in Canada as fast-growing number of community sites.

Aside the unusual circumstances of 2020, the CSCRS have held annual research symposia at Canadian Surgery, and competition for both podium and poster presentation slots is fierce. As result project presented are extremely high quality, and naming winner is challenging. Their sessions are attend and the discussion is lively. In recent years, immediately following to research symposium, have held Clinical Trials Network meeting opportunities, of multi-centre national studies are presented. As colorectal surgery community in Canada, is small and tightly-knits, many fantastic collaborations have arisen as result.

Since 2008, these CSCRS has held research grant competition, and has award nearly quarter million dollars to fund nearly 20 studies. We always have huge number of submissions every year these grants, and the winners present their projects at annual CSCRS research dinner, at major highlight CSF for members. In recent years have developed standardized method of judging these submissions, with ways to avoid conflict of interest, uniform and systematic criteria for evaluation and minimum, of 3 reviews each confident that best projects funded every year (the decisions are hard make). Even without CSF in 2020, able to award two fantastic proposals, just how innovative Canadian colorectal surgery research has become:

Interactive Online Informational and Peer Support Application for Patients with Low Anterior Resection Syndrome: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Dr. Jenny Moon & Dr. Marylise Boutros, McGill University

The Effect of Preoperative Very Low Energy Diet on Mesorectal Volume in Rectal Cancer Patients: A Prospective Pilot Study
Dr. Tyler McKechnie & Dr. Cagla Eskicioglu, McMaster University

We are particularly grateful to MD Financial Management, for new partnership to provide funding these projects; at simply would not be possible to award these grants without them and look forward to support.

We want to single out these CSCRS members of years who have generously donated their time and expertise to reviewing abstracts for posters and podium presentations, for judging papers, and for reviewing research submissions - thank you!

Finally, wish to congratulates of researchers - students, residents, fellows and staff surgeons - with some truly innovative ideas for research and the transform to some exceptional studies. We look forward to supporting even more of future. The founders would incredibly proud.

Dr. Manoj J. Raval
Chair, CSCRS Research Committee

 This research grant made possible by support of MD Financial Management