Charles H. Tator (born August 24, 1936) is a Canadian physician. Born in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, he studied medicine at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

. He interned at the

Toronto General Hospital The Toronto General Hospital (TGH) is a major teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the flagship campus of University Health Network (UHN). It is located in the Discovery District of Downtown Toronto along University Avenue's Hospital ...

and returned to graduate studies in the

neuropathology Neuropathology is the study of disease of nervous system tissue, usually in the form of either small surgical biopsies or whole-body autopsies. Neuropathologists usually work in a department of anatomic pathology, but work closely with the clinic ...

division at the University of Toronto, completing an MA and

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

and continuing his training in

neurosurgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peri ...

. In 1969, Tator became a fellow in the

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (french: Collège royal des médecins et chirurgiens du Canada) is a regulatory college which acts as a national, nonprofit organization established in 1929 by a special Act of Parliament to o ...

in Neurosurgery. In the same year, he became an assistant professor at the university and he became a Professor in 1980. He was head of the neurosurgery division at

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC), commonly known as Sunnybrook Hospital or simply Sunnybrook, is an academic health science centre An academic medical centre (AMC), variously also known as academic health science centre, academic healt ...

and served as director of the Toronto Hospital Neurosciences Centre from 1983 to 1988. From 1990 to 1999, he was associate director of the Playfair Neuroscience Unit at the Toronto Hospital and he was chairman of the neurosurgery division at the University of Toronto from 1989 to 1999. Tator's primary area of research was

spinal cord injury A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cor ...

, including injury prevention, especially in sports and recreation, and treatment. In 1992 he founded Think First Canada/Penser d'Abord, an injury prevention foundation, and served as its president until 2007. In July 2012, Think First Canada/Penser d'Abord was amalgamated with three other organizations (Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada and SMARTRISK), to form Parachute, a national, charitable organization. Tator has been a member of Parachute's Board of Directors since its inception. 2013, he published ''Concussions and their consequences: current diagnosis, management and prevention''. Tator was awarded on October 21, 1999 and invested on April 26, 2000 as a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. He was awarded on November 18, 2016 and invested on November 17, 2017 with a promotion within the order, to Officer of the

. He was named to the

Canadian Medical Hall of Fame __NOTOC__ The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is a Canadian charitable organization, founded in 1994, that honours Canadians who have contributed to the understanding of disease and improving the health of people. It has an exhibit hall in London, O ...

in 2009. In 2003, he was inducted into the

Terry Fox Hall of Fame The Canadian Disability Hall of Fame (formerly the Terry Fox Hall of Fame), recognizes "outstanding Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life for people with physical disabilities". It is run by the Canadia ...

. On November 9, 2017, Tator was awarded the Order of Sport, marking his induction into

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canad ...

. He received the

Order of Hockey in Canada The Order of Hockey in Canada is an award given out annually by Hockey Canada. It honours Canadian ice hockey players, coaches and executives and recognizes their contributions to the game. The first group of honourees was announced on April 10 ...

in 2020.

References

1936 births Living people Canadian Disability Hall of Fame Canadian neurosurgeons Members of the Order of Canada Order of Hockey in Canada recipients Physicians from Toronto University of Toronto alumni Academic staff of the University of Toronto {{canada-med-bio-stub