In 1945, Dr. Alan C Burton was recruited to the University of Western Ontario where he founded and led the first Department of Biophysics in a Canadian medical school from 1948-1970. He repeatedly turned down numerous positions in the United States, and his department is now one of Canada's largest biophysics departments, known for its innovative graduate program. In his later years, Dr. Burton turned his energies towards the problem of cancer, including protection against cancer by altitude, once again showing how simple physics can help to more clearly understand medical problems.

In April 2010, Dr. Burton was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for his enormous contributions to science and medicine.

CAMPEP Accreditation (Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs) Pending: In June 2009 an application from our Department of Medical Biophysics was submitted to the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs. A site visit is planned for June 2010, and subject to approval by the CAMPEP Board, our graduate program could be accredited as early as September 2010.