A globally renowned clinical surgeon, teacher, and investigator Robin S. McLeod, MD, FACS, FRCSC, passed away February 6, at the age of 73.
Dr. McLeod was a leader in colorectal cancer surgery and most recently served as vice president of clinical programs and quality initiatives at Cancer Care Ontario, a professor and vice chair of quality and best performance in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto (U of T) in Canada, and a professor for the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation at U of T.
“Dr. Robin McLeod was one of the most accomplished colorectal surgeons during recent decades,” said Steven D. Wexner, MD, FACS, from the Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston, and Chair of the ACS National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer. “Her work in inflammatory bowel disease, familial adenomatous polyposis, and many other areas have made important indelible changes which were implemented and have become standard around the globe. She was tremendously insightful and had a unique ability to pose and solve cutting-edge problems.”
An ACS Fellow for more than 30 years, Dr. McLeod was a member of the Board of Governors (1998–2003) and an ACS Regent (2002–2011). She held several senior leadership positions in other organizations, as well. Dr. McLeod was a past president of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS), Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, and American Surgical Association.
Dr. McLeod’s professional affiliations—each a testament to her unwavering focus on providing optimal care to the surgical patient—also included her fellowship in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and fellowship ad hominem in the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. In addition, she was an honorary member of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland and Canadian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Dr. McLeod served as a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery.
“Her superlative communication and inspirational leadership skills were recognized by her election to the presidency of many societies and organizations and her conferral of myriad honorary fellowships. We mourn and grieve her tragic death, which came at a very young age and leaves not only the world of surgery, but the entire world with a huge void,” said Dr. Wexner.
An icon of Canadian surgery, Dr. McLeod received her bachelor of science and medical doctor degrees from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She completed her general surgery training at the U of T, followed by a colorectal surgery fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and training in clinical epidemiology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, before joining the faculty at the U of T in 1985.
In addition to colorectal cancer, Dr. McLeod’s clinical focus included inflammatory bowel disease, evidence-based medicine, and quality and knowledge translation. She published more than 350 peer-reviewed articles and 50 book chapters on these and other research topics, while also leading several multicenter clinical trials and quality initiatives. Additionally, she received several honors, including the Order of Canada from the Governor General of Canada in 2019.
With an interest in training practicing surgeons on how to critically evaluate research articles, Dr. McLeod became founding chair of the Evidence-Based Reviews in Surgery—an online journal club jointly sponsored by the ACS and CAGS. In this role, she helped guide the collaborative effort with the goal of enhancing surgeons’ acquisition of current, evidence-based knowledge.
Among her colleagues, Dr. McLeod was known to be an inspiring role model with a clear-eyed vision for quality improvement that had enormous impact on the practice of surgery in Canada. Her legacy is marked by her dedication to compassionate patient care and her commitment to excellence and evidence-based research.
Dr. McLeod is survived by her husband John Fauquier and two daughters, Stephanie and Claire.
