Dr. Aaron Fenster

Fenster is a Scientist at the Robarts Research Institute, founder and past Director of the Imaging Research Laboratories at the Robarts Research Institute. He is a Professor and Chair of the Division of Imaging Sciences of the Department of Medical Imaging at Western University. He is the founder and past Director of the Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering and past Director for the Biomedical Imaging Research Centre at Western University. In 2007 he became the Director of the Imaging Program at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR). In 2010 he became the Founder and Director of the Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization– a federally funded Centre of Excellence in Commercialization and Research.

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Fenster is a Fellow of seven societies. He held a Canada Research Chair-Tier 1 in Biomedical Engineering from 2000 to 2014. He is the first recipient of the Premier’s (Ontario) Discovery Award for Innovation and Leadership (2007), the Hellmuth Prize for Achievement in Research at Western University (2008), and the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists Gold Medal Award (2010). In 2011 he was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. In 2013, the International Organization for Medical Physics at its annual meeting named Fenster as one of the 50 international Medical Physicists who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of Medical Physics over the past 50 years. In 2020, he received the Order of Ontario for his contribution to the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer and in 2022 he was elected to the Royal Society of Canada.

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Fenster’s laboratory has been pioneering the development of 3D ultrasound imaging and image-guided interventional systems in radiology, oncology, urology, neonatology, and vascular imaging with some successfully translated into clinical use and to companies (13 licenses to companies). Most recently, his lab has developed 3DUS image-guided interventional systems for prostate biopsy and brachytherapy, breast brachytherapy, and focal liver tumor ablation system. As well, Fenster has developed point of care 3DUS- based diagnostic systems for Successfully translated applications include: 3D transrectal US/MR prostate biopsy, cryosurgery, brachytherapy and breast biopsy; MR-guided focal prostate laser ablation; 3DUS applications for carotid imaging for sensitive monitoring of carotid atherosclerosis and quantification of disease burden; and 3DUS imaging of preterm infants’ brains to assess post hemorrhagic ventricle dilation.