Gordon Guyatt

Early life

Guyatt was born and raised in Hamilton, home to the McMaster University campus. On his father’s side, he was the son of a well-heeled and deeply-rooted Protestant Hamilton family; his grandfather was a Hamilton physician and his father, a well-known local lawyer. From his mother’s side, his roots were in Europe; his mother was a Czechoslovakian Jewish women who immigrated to Hamilton. Guyatt’s concerns with the role of the medical system, social justice, political activism and medical reform remain central issues that he promoted in tandem with his medical work.

Education and training

Guyatt attended the University of Toronto where he obtained a Bachelor of Science. He then obtained his medical degree at McMaster University Medical School and certified as a general internist. Later, Guyatt received a Master of Science in Design, Management, and Evaluation (now known as Health Research Methodology) from McMaster University.

Career

Guyatt has published almost 900 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, including in leading medical journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association, and The BMJ. His work has been cited more than 130,000 times. He has also written extensively on health care policy in the popular press. His contribution to quality of life research, randomized trials and meta-analysis have been considered groundbreaking. In 2007, The BMJ launched an international election for the most important contributions to healthcare. Evidence-based medicine came 7th in the line-up, beating the computer and medical imaging. Guyatt is the co-editor of the Users' Guides to the Medical Literature, a comprehensive set of journal articles and textbook for clinicians that wish to incorporate evidence-based medicine into their practices.

Guyatt directed the residency program at McMaster University that trains physicians to be specialists in internal medicine. He previously published a regular health column on the editorial pages of the Winnipeg Free Press, and prior to that in The Hamilton Spectator, and continues to contribute to health care debates in the popular press, including an online news service, Straight Goods.

In 1979, Guyatt co-founded the Medical Reform Group, a Canadian organization of physicians, medical students and others that supports universal public health care. Guyatt continues to serve as a member of the steering committee and leading spokesperson for this group.

Guyatt ran as the New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate in the 2004, 2006 and 2008 Canadian federal elections in the riding of Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale. He also previously ran for the NDP in the 2000 federal election in the former riding of Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot.

Notable awards and honours

In 1996, Guyatt received the McMaster University President's Award for Excellence in Teaching (Course or Resource Design).

He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

In 2010, he was conferred the title, "Distinguished University Professor," the highest and rarest academic rank held by a full-time faculty member at McMaster University.

In 2010, he was one of 10 candidates short-listed (from a list of 117 nominees) for the BMJ Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2011, he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada "for his contributions to the advancement of evidence-based medicine and its teaching."

In 2012, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

In 2015, he was made a member of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.

Selected textbooks