The medical director of Sunnybrook Hospital’s trauma centre, surgeon Colonel Homer Tien has been appointed the new Canadian Forces Major Sir Frederick Banting Term Chair in Military Trauma Research.

Col. Tien has served in Bosnia, Croatia, Africa, Burma and had many tours  in Kandahar.

“Under the leadership of Col. Tien we will have the ability to further combine our efforts with other institutions in order to broaden our research capacity and to ensure better care for our military members and veterans,” said CF Surgeon General Commodore Hans Jung.

The CF cites research into management of blood flow and multiple trauma as contributing to a 97-per-cent survival rate among injured troops who made it alive to the medical unit in Kandahar.  It is also keen on research into initiatives to improve health and reduce injury among serving personnel and is an active participant in the annual Canadian Military and Veterans Health Research forums.

Dr. Tien is an associate of the Sunnybrook Research Institute, an assistant professor on the faculty of medicine at the University of Toronto, the national practice leader in trauma for CF Health Services.  The focus of his research is improving care to injured soldiers on the battlefield. He is also a recipient of  the Order of Military Merit.