The Aitken Memorial Lecture Series

The Aitken Memorial Lecture series was established in 1991 through an endowment from Drs. Ron and Elizabeth Aitken, anesthesiologists operating out of London, Ontario. It is held annualy by the Departments of Clinical Neurological Sciences and Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine. Traditionally, the invited speaker gives a talk at both Anesthesia Grand Rounds and CNS Grand Rounds.

The Aitken name is closely associated with the development of anesthesia as a specialty in London. Dr. Ron Aitken’s father, Dr. George W.A. Aitken, was a general practitioner and one of the first physicians in London to limit his practice to anesthesia (1924-58). Ron Aitken graduated from Western in 1943. His junior internship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto was devoted to anesthesia, and after he was commissioned to the RCAMC (May 1944), he had various postings in Canada as an Anesthetist. On discharge, he became the first official resident in Anesthesia at Victoria Hospital (1947-48).

In 1949, after a final year’s residency in Vancouver under Dr. Digby Leigh, he was appointed to the teaching staff at Victoria Hospital. In 1950, Dr. Aitken married his fellow resident, Dr. Elizabeth Johnson of Winnipeg. Both served as exemplary models to the medical community in London until retirement in 1983. Dr. Ron Aitken worked closely with Dr. Charles Drake while Dr. Drake was developing his revolutionary surgical approaches to difficult intracranial aneurysms. Dr. Aitken provided the neuro- anesthetic techniques, especially induced hypotension, that made this difficult surgery possible and that established neuro- anesthesia as a specialty at Western.

During his 30 years of practice in London, Dr. Ron Aitken was highly esteemed as a superb clinician and clinical teacher and as a pioneer of clinical neuroanesthesia. The Aitken Lecture was established to highlight developments in the science and practice of neuroanesthesia.

2026 Guest Lecturer

This year, we have cordially invited Dr. Adrian Gelb, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Adrian W Gelb is a Distinguished Professor (Emeritus), Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He served as Professor & Chair of Anesthesia at Western University, Canada, before coming to UCSF as Vice Chair (2004 -2011). Dr Gelb has served as President of 4 international organizations and other leadership roles in multiple national and international Anaesthesia Societies. He is the Past President of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) and a patient safety leader. WFSA is an umbrella organization for 142 national anesthesia societies.

Working with WHO and other global groups, he is a strong advocate for the expansion of access to safe anesthesia. He is an active academic with > 300 publications (h-Index 70, citations >18,000) with a focus on clinical neurosciences and patient safety and has served on many international editorial boards. He is an accomplished communicator and has given over 400 invited lectures around the world, including 18 named lectureships. He has won awards for research, teaching, and mentorship.

CNS Grand Rounds

The Next Frontier in Patient Safety
Dr. Adrian Gelb
Date: Tuesday, October 6th, 2026 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Location: University Hospital, Auditorium A

Objectives:

Know some of the recent history of patient safety
Learn about the enormous cost in lives and money lost
Understand how guidelines have failed us
Learn that patient safety is a systems problem needing system restructuring
Know about some tools you can use to improve patient safety

Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine City-Wide Grand Rounds

“This patient’s stroke was caused by the anesthesiologist tolerating hypotension” wrote the neurologist. Is this really how it happens?
Dr. Adrian Gelb
Date: Wednesday, October 7th, 2026, 7:15 to 8:15 a.m.
Location: University Hospital, Auditorium B

Objectives: