The Cy Frank Legacy Lectureship 2026
Join us on Friday, September 18, 2026 from 4:00-6:00 PM. The Cy Frank Legacy Lectureship honours and commemorates the late Dr. Cy Frank, an internationally acclaimed visionary who championed the application of research to create solutions for patients. The lectureship showcases individuals who reflect his passion and commitment to health innovation.
Cy Frank Legacy Lectureship 2026 Speakers
Dr. Marvin Fritzler, MD, PhD
Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary
Dr. Marvin Fritzler is Professor Emeritus at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and is the Founder and Medical Director of MitogenDx Laboratory. He received a BSc and PhD/MD from the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, respectively. He did postdoctoral training at the Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla CA) and the University of Colorado (Denver). He joined the Faculty of Medicine University of Calgary in 1978 where his clinical practice and research focused on biomarkers in autoimmune diseases. He has published more than 650 peer-reviewed manuscripts; cited more than 46,000 times.
Title: Adventures in Innovation: Death Valley and Beyond
Drawing on five decades of experience, Dr. Fritzler will offer a personal look at the challenges and opportunities of turning ideas into impact. He will share lessons from the worlds of research, entrepreneurship, and public policy, while reflecting on how innovation has evolved and where it may be headed next.
Dr. Catherine Hankins, CM, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Adjunct Professor, McGill University
Dr. Catherine (Cate) Hankins is an internationally recognized epidemiologist, public health leader, and advocate whose career has spanned five decades. A specialist in community medicine, she is best known for her leadership in the global response to HIV, serving as Chief Scientific Adviser to UNAIDS in Geneva from 2002 to 2011, and as Co-Chair of Canada’s COVID-19 Task Force. Senior Fellow at the University of Amsterdam, she has played key roles in advancing public health research, policy, and health system innovation in Canada and internationally. She was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2013 and Canada’s Medical Hall of Fame in 2024.
Title: Crisis as Catalyst for Health System Transformation
Dr. Hankins will explore how crises can propel health system adaptation, innovation, and transformation. Reflecting on lessons learned in recent history, she will highlight some current challenges in Canada, along with the risks and opportunities they present, in building more resilient, effective, and patient-centred learning health systems.
Cy Frank Legacy Lectureship Schedule
| 4:00 PM | Lectureship Introduction & Video | Emcee |
| 4:11 PM | Adventures in Innovation: Death Valley and Beyond | Dr. Marvin Fritzler, MD, PhD |
| 4:48 PM | Cy Frank Rising Innovator Awardee | TBA |
| 5:00 PM | Crisis as Catalyst for Health System Transformation | Dr. Catherine Hankins, CM, MD, PhD, FRCPC |
| 5:35 PM | Closing remarks | Emcee |
| 6:00 PM | Reception | Hippocrates Mall |
Introducing the Cy Frank Rising Innovator Award
Established to mark the 10th anniversary of Dr. Cy Frank’s passing, this award recognizes a trainee whose research reflects Dr. Frank’s enduring legacy in musculoskeletal health. The award celebrates innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and translational impact.
Eligibility: Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical residents/fellows conducting musculoskeletal research under the supervision of a McCaig Institute member.
Award:
- $500 prize
- Short presentation at the Cy Frank Legacy Lectureship on September 18, 2026
Application Deadline: July 31, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
View award details and apply HERE
Please send your full application to: mccaig@ucalgary.ca
Cy Frank Legacy Lectureship Endowment
The University of Calgary and the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health thanks the friends, family, and colleagues of Dr. Cy Frank who have contributed to the Cy Frank Legacy Lectureship endowment.
We continue to accept donations to ensure this lectureship can have national impact for years to come.
Past Cy Frank Legacy Lectures
Access recordings and summaries of the past Cy Frank Legacy Lectureships.
2025: Celebrating the 10th Anniversary
Keynote - “Return on investment in biomedical research: what you measure is what you get”, Dr. Hani El-Gabalawy
Cy Frank Rising Innovator Awardee - Emerging Voices in Research, Dr. Gareth Ryan
Panel - Building on Cy Frank's Legacy,
o Dr. Kristen Barton
o Dr. Nick Mohtadi
o Dr. Deborah Marshall
o Ms. Tracy Wasylak
Keynote - "Prescription Without Sustainable Action: Canada’s Healthcare Paradox", Dr. Verna Yiu
2023: Dr. Walter Herzog
Dr. Walter Herzog presents: "Harnessing innovative preclinical models to advance osteoarthritis research and treatment"
2022: Dr. Ewa Roos
Dr. Ewa Roos presents: "Osteoarthritis: Putting science into action – why not now?"
2021: Dr. William Ghali
Dr. William Ghali presents: ""The Impact of Science and the Science of Impact," for an online lecture.
2020: Dr. Gillian Hawker
Dr. Gillian Hawker presents: “Osteoarthritis: A Not-So-Silent Killer” for an online lecture.
2019: Dr. Stefan Lohmander
Dr. Stefan Lohmander presents: "Changing the narrative: Progress and challenges of improving osteoarthritis (OA) care"
2018: Dame Sally Davies
Dame Sally Davies presents: "Compression of Morbidity: The Role of Big Data. Are there lessons for Canada?"
2017: Dr. Tom Noseworthy
Dr. Tom Noseworthy presents: "Innovation in healthcare: Lines of sight to policy and practice"
2016: Dr. Alan Bernstein
Dr. Alan Bernstein presents: "The Promise of Health Sciences in the 21st Century – a Revisit"
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