Renowned Winnipeg neurosurgeon awarded the prestigious 2026 CNSS Charles Drake Medal
On May 27, 2026, Michael West, CM, OM, BSc (Med), MD, PhD, FRCSC, Professor Emeritus, received the Canadian Neurosurgical Society (CNSS) Lifetime Achievement Award (Charles Drake Medal). Pictured with Dr. Gwynedd Pickett MD, FRCSC, Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of Residency Training in the Division of Neurosurgery at Dalhousie University, and President of the CNSS. “I was honoured to receive the award from her, on behalf of the CNSS, at their annual meeting in Banff,” says Dr. West.
The Health Sciences Centre Foundation is proud to congratulate Michael West, CM, OM, BSc (Med), MD, PhD, FRCSC, Professor Emeritus, on receiving the 2026 Canadian Neurosurgical Society (CNSS) Lifetime Achievement Award (Charles Drake Medal). This prestigious national honour recognizes Dr. West’s decades of extraordinary leadership, innovation, and dedication to advancing neurosurgical care, research, and medical education in Manitoba and across Canada.
Born in England and raised in Winnipeg, Dr. West earned his medical degree and completed his neurosurgery residency at the University of Manitoba under the mentorship of renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Dwight Parkinson. Encouraged to pursue both clinical excellence and academic inquiry, Dr. West became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1979 and concluded his studies to earn a Ph.D. in Physiology in 1980. Following advanced fellowship training with internationally recognized leaders in pituitary, pediatric, and cerebrovascular neurosurgery, he returned and joined the Section of Neurosurgery in Winnipeg.
Throughout a distinguished career spanning more than four decades, Dr. West has played a transformative role in advancing neurosurgical care. After returning to Winnipeg in 1981, he quickly established himself as an exceptional clinician, educator, and innovator. He introduced computer-guided stereotactic biopsy techniques to Manitoba and demonstrated the technique to Dr. Mark G Torchia, PhD, a brilliant researcher sponsored by the Department of Surgery, working on robotic control projects. Dr. West and Dr. Torchia proposed the development of a robotic-controlled laser system for computer-guided stereotactic brain tumour resection and secured seed funding for the project. Dr. Torchia went on to develop what has become Neuroblate, a Laser Interstitial Thermotherapy device, a major contribution to the management of intracranial tumours, radiation necrosis, and certain epileptogenic lesions.
Michael West, CM, OM, BSc (Med), MD, PhD, FRCSC, Professor Emeritus, has many achievements, including past collaborations with colleagues in plastic surgery to establish a multidisciplinary Craniofacial Surgery Service, expanding access to specialized care for children and adults with complex craniofacial conditions.
Dr. West continued to broaden his expertise before relocating to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1994. There, he worked alongside pioneering Cleveland Clinic neuroradiologists, participating in advanced integrated approaches to neurovascular care that were a major influence on his career.
In 2000, Dr. West returned to Manitoba as Professor and Head of the Section of Neurosurgery at the University of Manitoba and the Health Sciences Centre (HSC). During his tenure, he led a major modernization and expansion of neurosurgical services, growing the section from four to ten neurosurgeons and introducing subspecialty programs in vascular, spine, pediatric, functional, and cranial nerve neurosurgery.
Among his most significant achievements was the establishment of Canada’s first Gamma Knife Surgery program, which treated its first patient in 2003 and has since provided care to more than 5,000 patients from across the country.
Michael West, CM, OM, BSc (Med), MD, PhD, FRCSC, Professor Emeritus (far right) with the Gamma Knife at HSC in 2003. Pictured at left is Dr. Anthony Kaufmann, MD, BSc (Med), MSc, FRCSC, FACS, co-founder and current Director of the Centre for Gamma Knife Surgery at HSC Winnipeg.
Dr. West’s contributions have been widely recognized through numerous honours, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Doctors Manitoba Distinguished Service Award, the Order of Manitoba, and appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada. In 2022, he was named Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba.
As a longtime donor to the HSC Foundation and a supporter of our mission, we are honoured to celebrate this well-deserved achievement with Dr. West. Dr. West’s legacy of innovation, leadership, mentorship, and compassionate care continues to inspire the next generation of neurosurgical professionals, and we are grateful. Congratulations, Dr. West!
To donate to the HSC Foundation in Dr. Michael West’s honour, please visit our donation page and make a gift to the HSC Foundation’s Neurosurgery Research, Education, and Innovation Fund, or call the Foundation at 204-515-5612 or 1-800-679-8493 (toll-free).
To learn more about the HSC Foundation, in partnership with the Province of Manitoba, unveiling a new Gamma Knife at HSC earlier this year, please click here.
