Mohit Bhandari becomes chair of the Department of Surgery

Mohit Bhandari, a McMaster professor who has pioneered evidence-based research in surgery, is taking the chair of the Department of Surgery at McMaster University on
Feb. 1. Pending final approvals by the university, he will also hold the John A. Bauer Chair in Surgery.

A professor of surgery, he has been the department’s associate chair of research since 2011 and director of its Centre for Evidence-Based Orthopedics since 2010. He is also an associate faculty member for the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact.

“Dr. Bhandari has proven leadership experience as a researcher, clinician, scholar and administrator, and I am delighted that he is taking on this role,” said Paul O’Byrne, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences in making the announcement.

Bhandari holds the Canada Research Chair in Evidence-Based Orthopedics, and previously held the Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Trauma.  He is the president of the Canadian Orthopedic Association.

He is a McMaster alumnus, having started his undergraduate education in biology at McMaster and returning for his orthopedic surgery residency after his medical education at the University of Toronto. Among other academic achievements, he has a MSc in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics from McMaster and a PhD from Goteburg University, Sweden.

He has been a faculty member in the Department of Surgery since 2004, and he has been a mentor to more than 200 graduate students.

Bhandari has led the creation of an innovative research program in the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, and grown the reputation of McMaster for the breadth and impact of its evidence-based focus.

Currently, his personal research program currently includes international studies of fracture care funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. He has also been a leader in promoting the role of surgeons in recognizing and responding to injury caused by domestic violence.

Among other honours Bhandari has been a McMaster University Scholar, been cited as a McMaster Distinguished Alumnus in Science, and he  is a member of both the Order of Ontario and Order of Canada. 

“Using an innovation-driven strategy and a culture of inclusivity, professionalism, and collaboration, I am focused on working to assist surgeons, scientists and students in making better decisions for the care of patients,” said Bhandari.

“I am grateful to those who have shaped our department’s excellence in care, dedication to education and steadfast commitment to scholarship. Let us not only re-imagine a brighter future for surgery, let us work together to create it.“