AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear company with offices around the world, welcomes Dr. Ur Metser, Site Director of Medical Imaging at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Division Head of Molecular Imaging at University Health Network, as a new ambassador in support of the Canadians for CANDU campaign.
The Canadians for CANDU campaign was launched on February 28, 2024, and is proudly supported by organizations including organized labour, supply chain, nuclear medicine, education, and Indigenous Canadian organizations. Spearheaded by Co-Chairs the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien and former Ontario Premier Mike Harris, the campaign promotes the deployment of CANDU® nuclear technology at home and abroad in support of Canadian and global efforts to reach net-zero emissions.
CANDU technology remains the only nuclear power technology that co-produces the medical isotopes that are used in cancer-fighting treatments and the sterilization of medical devices. The current CANDU fleet in Ontario produces 50% of the world’s supply of Cobalt-60, which is used for medical device sterilization1. It is also the only nuclear reactor with the capacity to mass produce the cancer-fighting medical isotope lutetium-177, which is used as a targeted therapy, including for prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours.
“I would like to thank Dr. Metser for his leadership in Canada’s development of medical and molecular imaging, and his support for CANDU technology,” said Joe St. Julian, President, Nuclear, AtkinsRéalis. “It is well known in the medical community that Canada will need to boost its production and processing capacity of medical isotopes to adequately meet the rise in demand. CANDU is the only technology that can address both our energy and public health needs at the same time.”
“The development of the next generation of CANDU reactor is crucial for ensuring a steady, reliable supply of medical isotopes that are vital in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases, offering hope and life-saving therapies to thousands of patients,” said Dr. Metser. “By investing in the CANDU reactor, Canada not only strengthens its position in the international healthcare community, but also demonstrates its commitment to advancing medical innovation at home.”
