Dr. Robert Siemens
(MD, FRCSC)

Dr. Siemens is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Urology at Queen’s University and is cross-appointed to the Departments of Oncology and Biomedical and Molecular Sciences. He is a member of the Cancer Care and Epidemiology research unit and is Director of the Centre of Applied Urological Research. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed original manuscripts and book chapters. He has received numerous research, education and leadership awards and has served on the executive board of many research societies and national as well as international specialty associations. He is currently finishing his second term as Editor-in-chief of the Canadian Urological Association Journal. His research is focused on urological oncology and has initiated and directed a multi-faceted program including basic and translational investigations as well as health services and clinical trial studies. His basic and translational research has been supported by strong collaborations with other principal investigators in the Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, as well as Pathology and Molecular Medicine. These research endeavors have led to novel observations of the role of the tumour microenvironment and its interactions with the oncogenic drivers of malignant progression, with a specific interest in translating these findings to clinically effective cancer immunotherapy approaches. Dr. Siemens has helped form a research network including epidemiologists, radiation oncologists, nursing and cognitive psychologists focused on numerous GU cancer survivorship issues, including patient information and decision aids as well as indicators of quality of surgical care. Recently, he has supervised multiple students looking at quality of care indicators in prostate and bladder cancer surgery investigating the validity of several structure- and process-related indicators of good quality care at the population level. The results of these real-life outcome studies will hopefully inform local, regional and national administrative and regulatory bodies around policy initiatives involving collection and utilization of such quality indicators of care in our hospitals.