PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Aaron Fenster

Aaron Fenster is a medical imaging researcher whose work connects three-dimensional ultrasound and deep learning with image-guided cancer care. He earned a PhD in medical biophysics at the University of Toronto in 1976 and moved to London in 1987 to establish the Imaging Research Laboratories at Robarts Research Institute. His team developed 3D ultrasound technology for cancer diagnosis and treatment, and his lab developed a deep learning method for real-time needle tracking; he received the COMP Gold Medal in 2010, became an IEEE Fellow in 2013, was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2020, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2022. He is a scientist at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, a professor at Western University, CEO of the Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization, and Co-Director of OICR's Imaging Program.

Now at
Western University, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization
Works
880
Citations
20,083
h-index
71
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1976

    Medical biophysics PhD

    He earns a PhD in medical biophysics at the University of Toronto in 1976.

  2. 1987

    Founding the Imaging Research Laboratories

    In 1987, he moves to London and becomes a scientist and founding director of the Imaging Research Laboratories at Robarts Research Institute.

  3. 2007

    A prostate ultrasound system

    In 2007, he leads an imaging lab at Western's Robarts Research Institute and co-founds OICR's Imaging Program. His team develops 3D-ultrasound technology for image-guided diagnosis and minimally invasive cancer therapies.

  4. 2010

    A medical physics gold medal

    He receives the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists Gold Medal in 2010.

  5. 2013

    An IEEE fellowship

    He becomes an IEEE Fellow in 2013.

  6. 2020

    Deep learning for needle tracking

    In March 2020, he is appointed to the Order of Ontario. In August 2020, his lab reports a deep learning method that tracks needles in ultrasound images in real time.

  7. 2022

    A Royal Society fellowship

    He is elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2022.

  8. As of October 2026

    OICR and Western roles

    He is a scientist at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, a professor at Western University, CEO of the Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization, and Co-Director of OICR's Imaging Program.

Career

  1. Since 2014Centre for Imaging Technology CommercializationCEO
  2. Since 1987Western UniversityScientist and founding director, Imaging lab lead
  3. NowOntario Institute for Cancer ResearchScientist and Co-Director of Imaging Program
  4. 2004–2005University of Toronto

Education

  1. 1976University of TorontoPhD

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Western University. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Western University. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Western University. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes University of Toronto. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Aaron Fenster, PhD, FCCPM | Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization cimtecimaging.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. 3D ultrasound pioneer transforming cancer imaging around the world | Ontario Institute for Cancer Research oicr.on.ca. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. A legacy of excellence in medical physics | Schulich Communications - Western University schulich.uwo.ca. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. Aaron Fenster | IEEE UFFC ieee-uffc.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Western community among Order of Ontario honourees | Western News | Western University news.westernu.ca. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. The tools behind the treatment: Building image-guided devices for more accurate and effective cancer procedures | Ontario Institute for Cancer Research oicr.on.ca. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Royal Society of Canada celebrates Western scholars | Western News | Western University news.westernu.ca. Checked 20 October 2026.