Astronaut Dave Williams to run medical robotics program at McMaster

Canadian astronaut Dave Williams has a new career managing a medical robotics program based at McMaster University in Hamilton.The Montreal native flew on two space shuttle missions, in 1998 and 2007, as a medical specialist. Williams took part in three space walks at the International Space Station last year, logging a Canadian record of almost 18 hours.

Canadian astronaut Dave Williams has a new career managing a medical robotics program based at McMaster University in Hamilton.The Montreal native flew on two space shuttle missions, in 1998 and 2007, as a medical specialist. Williams took part in three space walks at the International Space Station last year, logging a Canadian record of almost 18 hours.

As head of the new McMaster Centre for Medical Robotics, Williams will lead a team exploring surgical advancements in local and remote care. He is currently a professor in the Department of Surgery of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster and holds a physician executive position at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton.

Williams worked as an emergency physician in Toronto and Kitchener before joining the Canadian Space Agency in 1992 to become an astronaut.

-with a report from CP