How SuPER Reimagines Surgery Through Robotics and AI Research

With critical support from the MGHF, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) unveils the SuPER Centre.

The Montreal General Hospital Foundation (MGHF) is proud to support The Institute’s Surgical Performance Enhancement and Robotics Centre (SuPER), and celebrate its inauguration at The Institute’s Dr. Phil Gold Pavilion, located within the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).

This futuristic research hub is bringing robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to many medical disciplines — from orthopedic, abdominal, head and neck, eye, maxillofacial, and spinal surgery to interventional cardiology and radiology — reimagining and redesigning medical procedures to make them less invasive, more personalized, safer, and more effective.

The only hospital-based centre of its kind in Canada, SuPER will drive homegrown innovation from the lab to the operating room.

“The Montreal General Hospital Foundation is proud to support SuPER, a unique research centre which aligns with the Foundation’s mission in many exciting ways. The collaborative nature of this project and its many partners from the Montreal community are the cornerstones of greater impact, and we firmly believe its applications will benefit patients throughout the province and beyond,” says Stephanie Riddell, President & CEO of the MGHF.

SuPER is Canada’s first and only hospital-based surgical robotics and artificial intelligence centre capable of conducting full-spectrum translational research from bench to clinic. Leveraging the expertise of McGill University and the MUHC Department of Surgery, it brings together leading clinicians, engineers, researchers, students, and trainees from diverse disciplines to collaborate on the design, development, testing, and refinement of innovative solutions that address true clinical needs.

Innovative Solutions to Shape the Future of Surgery

At the heart of SuPER is a fleet of intelligent surgical robotic platforms — most of them developed in-house at The Institute’s Clinical Innovation Platform (CLIP). These innovative and proprietary systems, which are empowered by AI using real clinical data, augment the surgeons’ skills and capabilities. SuPER is part of The Institute’s Surgical and Interventional Sciences Program, which brings together basic, translational, and clinical research experts working together with trainees and staff to expand knowledge in surgical procedures and trauma medicine.

“SuPER brings together world-class technology, research expertise and clinical collaboration under one roof — creating a truly unique environment for advancing innovation and precision medicine in surgical care. We are immensely grateful to the Montreal General Hospital Foundation for its unwavering support in making this vision a reality. Their commitment is accelerating discoveries that bring us closer to more personalized, data-driven care,” says Dr. Rhian Touyz, Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer, The Institute.

The MGH: A World Leader in Surgical Innovation

MUHC Surgeon-in-Chief sepeaks at the SuPER inauguration. — MUHC Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Liane Feldman speaks at the SuPER inauguration.

The creation of SuPER builds on a long legacy of cutting-edge surgical innovation at the MGH — a legacy that has become a central element of the MUHC’s broader philosophy for advancing patient care. It also forms the foundation of Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Liane Feldman’s vision, the Future of Surgery, an ambitious 10-year plan that focuses on the development of new technologies and innovative practices to deliver safer, more personalized care and improved recovery outcomes for patients.

“The inauguration of the SuPER Centre is a landmark achievement that reflects our Department’s commitment to shaping the future of surgery through innovation. We are investing in next-generation technologies and analytics enabling smarter operative planning, data-driven training, and augmented decision-making, helping to make surgery less invasive, safer and more personalized,” says Dr. Liane Feldman, Edward W Archibald Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery, McGill University and Surgeon-in-Chief, MUHC.

Indeed, thanks to ongoing philanthropic support from the MGHF and its generous community of donors, over the past three decades, the hospital surgical teams have been at the forefront of minimally invasive surgery (MIS, also commonly referred to as laparoscopic surgery), refining technologies, developing research and expertise, and providing a rich educational environment for residents and fellows. This work has set the stage for MIS to become routine for some of the most complex procedures, including cancer and transplantation — first at the MUHC, then nationally and internationally.

Under the leadership of Founding Director Amir Hooshiar, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Scientist at The Institute, SuPER is ready to propel this remarkable revolution in surgery even further by harnessing the combined power of robotic technology and AI. These innovations enable direct connections between disparate data sources — such as intraoperative processes and patient outcomes — driving the development of predictive models, personalized interventions and data-driven solutions aimed at reducing complications, improving surgical outcomes, and accelerating patient recovery.

SuPER Founding Director Amir Hooshiar, PhD, performs a demo. — SuPER’s Founding Director Amir Hooshiar, PhD, performs a demo.

“SuPER embodies our vision and commitment to shaping the future of surgery by developing innovative surgical robotics and artificial intelligence solutions that address pressing clinical needs. It is a unique centre in Canada — and one of only a few worldwide—with the infrastructure, tools and critical mass needed to conduct full-spectrum research, from fundamental scientific discovery to clinical validation,” says Amir Hooshiar, PhD, founding Director of the SuPER Centre, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Scientist, The Institute. “This integrated approach enables us to deliver certification-ready innovations, as demonstrated by our team’s success in securing FDA and Health Canada clearance for our first innovative technology. We are grateful for the continued support of federal and provincial research agencies, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, the Research Institute of the MUHC, the Department of Surgery at McGill, and our medtech partners, especially Intuitive Surgical Inc.”

“SuPER is a bold initiative that represents a shift in how we think about translational research in surgery. By physically and conceptually bringing together clinician-scientists, engineers, computer scientists, and medtech industry leaders, we are creating a unique ecosystem that supports the full innovation lifecycle — from discovery to deployment. The ability to work side-by-side within the clinical environment ensures that our research is immediately relevant, actionable, and focused on improving patient outcomes,” says Dr. Jake Barralet, Vice Chair (Research), Department of Surgery, McGill University.

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