David F. Hardwick

Dr. David F. Hardwick MD, FRCPC, FCAP has given a lifetime of service to the field of paediatric pathology. His contributions, through research, teaching and service to the community, have been, and remain, outstanding. Now a Professor Emeritus of The University of British Columbia (UBC), Dr. Hardwick has been involved with the University for more than sixty years. Two cornerstones of David Hardwick's career are his commitment to the principles and practices of academic freedom, and his abilities as a consensus builder.

In 2001 UBC awarded Dr. Hardwick an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his commitment to the principles of academic freedom. In his acceptance speech ^[1] he spoke of " ...the opportunity to chase one's own rainbow's end...", noting that such opportunity does not exist widely outside the university environment, and exhorting new graduates to do what they can to preserve academic freedom.

Dr. Hardwick's significant achievements have resulted largely from his ability to build connections with multiple institutional entities, and to strengthen connections among different generations of medical practitioners. He spoke publicly of the importance of collegial activity in an article "Our Academy as an Exciting Academic Forum" ^[2]:

"Indeed, for me, collegiality in our Academy has extended far beyond my early dreams. The chance to work with many colleagues... directly and through most Academy committees, as well as on Council Executive and with Academy staff, has been one of the truly exhilarating experiences of my career. The opportunity to work with Academy members to maintain balance among the legitimate competing interests of our Academy and to enhance our collegial forum has been an enormously valued personal gift."

As Associate Dean, Research and Planning, in the UBC Faculty of Medicine from 1990 to 1996, Dr. Hardwick was central to building government relationships that advance the academic and scientific missions of UBC and its teaching hospitals. In addition, Dr. Hardwick can claim much credit for optimizing relationships between UBC and its teaching hospitals and for establishing teaching and research facilities at these sites. Among those achievements are:

• establishment of the first British Columbia Children's Hospital;
• establishment of the UBC Medical Student and Alumni Centre (MSAC); opened March 17, 1990,^[3] dedicated and renamed
• the William A. Webber Medical Student and Alumni Centre May 5, 2007.

Hardwick has served the University and the wider community in many capacities, including

• Head, Vancouver General Hospital, Division of Pædiatric Pathology, 1962–1980
• Chair, Medical Advisory Committee, Vancouver Children's Hospital, 1970–1987
• Chair, UBC Senate Curriculum Committee, 1974–1975
• Head, UBC, VGH, Children’s Department of Pathology, 1974–1990
• Head, Department of Pathology, UBC, 1976–1990
• Head, Children’s Hospital, Department of Pathology, 1980–1990
• Director of Inter-institutional Planning and Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Medicine, UBC, 1990–1996
• Associate Dean, Research and Planning, 1990–1999
• President, International Academy of Pathology (IAP), 1993–1994
• Special Advisor on Planning, Faculty of Medicine, UBC, 1999–Present
• Chair, Board of Directors, BC Transplant Foundation, 2000–2001
• Chair, Capital Expansion Committee, Medical School Expansion, 2003–2005
• Chair, Finance Committee, United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), 2003–2004
• Member, Organizing Committee, Asia Pacific International Academy of Pathology (IAP) Congress, 2004–2005
• International Secretary, International Academy of Pathology, 2006–present

Awards

Dr. Hardwick's outstanding achievements and service have been recognized in many ways:

• 1974 Certificate of Merit, Master Teacher Awards, UBC
• 1994 The University of British Columbia Teaching Excellence Award and Prize
• 1996 Senior Research Investigator, BC Research Institute for Child and Family Health
• 1978 Canadian Silver Jubilee Medal, Government of Canada
• 1987 Faculty Citation Award, The University of British Columbia Alumni Association
• 1990 Wallace Wilson Leadership Award (1990) UBC
• 1991 Service Award, President - United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology
• 1996 Sydney Israels Founders Award, BC Research Institute for Child & Family Health
• 1997 President’s Award for service to The University of British Columbia
• 2001 Doctor of Laws – Honorary Degree, The University of British Columbia
• 2001 Honorary Member, International Academy of Pathology, Hong Kong Division
• 2002 Just Desserts Award, Alma Mater Society, The University of BC
• 2002 Gold Medal of the International Academy of Pathology (IAP), Washington, D.C.
• 2003 Senior Member, BC Medical Association
• 2004 President’s Award, US and Canadian Academy of Pathology
• 2005 Founders of Pædiatric Pathology – Society for Pædiatric Pathology
• 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, UBC Alumni Association
• 1997 Sydney Farber Award, Society for Pædiatric Pathology
• 2004 The Bartholomew Mosse Centenary Lecture, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
• 2008 Award of Excellence, The College of Physician & Surgeons, British Columbia

Early Years and Education

David F. Hardwick was born in 1934 in Vancouver, British Columbia, to a family of educators. He received his education, including his medical education, at The University of British Columbia graduating in 1957. Dr. Hardwick pursued post graduate training in Montreal, PQ; Charlotte, NC; Vancouver, BC, and Los Angeles, CA, first in Pædiatrics and then in Pathology, Medical Biochemistry and Developmental Physiology. He began his teaching, research and administrative career at The University of British Columbia in 1963 in the Department of Pathology.

Researcher

Dr. Hardwick's research training in Physiology and Pathology have led to numerous publications including an early conclusion that the histological appearance of Wilms' tumours had an impact on clinical outcome—at that time a new observation—and in 1971 to an elucidation of the pathogenesis of Methionine toxicity. His work in the area of pædiatric pathology includes a study of metabolic diseases of childhood. His research into methods for screening inborn errors of metabolism has led to the investigation and reporting, with co-workers, of numerous cases. In the field of pathophysiology his research focused on the effect of vasomotion or lack of vasomotion on tissue pathology and viability in normal tissues and in tumours. Hardwick's ongoing interest in governance led to his research on inter-dependent relationships in inter-institutional systems, and in the area of clinical pathology his research into physician behaviour has led to practical hypotheses of laboratory test ordering patterns with testable interventions.

Later studies have focused on economic impacts of clinical laboratory testing. His second book, Directing the Clinical Laboratory, is a summation of 27 years' experience in this aspect of his research.

Educator

Dr. Hardwick is a popular lecturer. He received the Certificate of Excellence Master Teaching Award in 1974, and the University Teaching Excellence Award and Prize in 1994. Students' fondness for him is illustrated by the number of nominations he has received for teaching awards determined by the student body, which has elected him as Faculty Advisor to the Medical Advisory Undergraduate Society for 20 consecutive two-year terms.^[4] In 1994 the Committee for Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) review of the UBC Faculty of Medicine congratulated the Department of Pathology for the design of the undergraduate pathology course that Dr. Hardwick directed, and noted that it was the students' "recognized best course in the School of Medicine" and one that "all other Departments should emulate".

Administrator and Innovator

Since the 1960s, Dr. Hardwick has been a major influence in the Faculty’s decision-making. He was Head of Pathology for 14 years from 1976, attracting and producing many talented educators, researchers, and practitioners during his tenure. He then became Associate Dean of Research and Planning and on retiring was invited to stay on as Special Advisor on Planning. He has been heavily involved in the expansion of the undergraduate medical program since 2003; a provincial government supported initiative to address the shortage of medical practitioners, especially prevalent in rural areas.^[5]

Dr. Hardwick has been quick to grasp the potential of information technology, and serves on UBC's E-Strategy Committee, examining how new technologies can best be employed in learning and research. He implemented training changes early on at UBC, creating a University administration system to switch from hospital to university administrated Residency Programs (1971), followed by the creation of an administrative structure to support the combined Women’s and Children’s Hospital as Chief of Medical Staff (1982). He conceptualized, and Fred Silva of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) worked to implement the Knowledge Hub for Pathology.^[6] This is an interactive repository of current knowledge that provides knowledge to pathologists worldwide (76 million hits in 2010), free, until its “best before” date at which time it is replaced by more up-to-date information.

International career

Dr. Hardwick's workplace spans the globe. From China to Ireland, from Australia to Spain, from Cairo to Kuwait, he has taught, lectured, and presented at conferences. In recognition of his international work he was awarded the Gold Medal of the International Academy of Pathology (IAP) in 2003. Awarded only every second year, this honour recognizes individuals who have contributed international service to the Academy and to the field of pathology in the areas of education, research and service. He is currently responsible for hospital campus facility creation and AV/IT provision for UBC's distributed Medical School expansion throughout BC, and is the International Secretary for the International Academy of Pathology (IAP), the world’s largest and oldest pathology society.

Dr. Hardwick served as IAP President in 1994 at the Hong Kong Congress and remained engaged as a Vice-President, North America to enhance international education. He was instrumental in putting the Inter-congress Education Committee in place and began to re-structure the IAP. In 2005, he was asked by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) to work with them and others to determine a strategy for preserving the AFIP in an era of drastic budget cuts. Ultimately, the medical function was transferred to "Joint Services", and the museum repository, unique in the world, was maintained. Here's how Dr. Hardwick describes his involvement in developing pathology education in Asia:

"In the 1980’s, it became apparent that significant pathology education was needed in the People’s Republic of China. While many academics had been well educated in Europe and North America up to about 1950, there had been only modest re-building after the time of Mao’s Red Guards.

Fortunately, I knew Joseph Lee — a Toronto graduate and Pathologist Head at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He also wanted to undertake a re-education program so he set up (with the assistance of HK Ng) the summer school and I provided funding and professors from UBC as speakers. The summer school proceeded for a number of years and then HK Ng and others set up the “Association of Directors of Pathology” of China supported by the CUHK, the Hong Kong IAP Division and the University of B.C. It now represents the major academic annual meeting in China. I will be the introductory speaker there in Shanghai in late October.

In addition to this, with my support Bob Osamura and HK Ng have set up biannual Asia Pacific IAP Congress that is wonderfully successful. It was held in Kochin, Kerala India in 2009, and in 2011 in Taiwan. These programs have seemed to animate and stimulate the Asia Pacific IAP from Australasia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, the People's Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan and Japan!!"'

Current Activities

To David Hardwick, "retirement" is just another word. In spite of his extraordinary service and achievements, he continues to "chase his own rainbow's end"—the advancement of paediatric education. Presently, he works with the BC Government Ministries of Health Services and Education Advancement to create new academic facilities at hospitals and clinics throughout British Columbia. This process began in early 2002 in response to the BC Government’s decision to more than double the enrolment of undergraduate students, from 128 per year to 285 per year, and postgraduate residency trainees by a small number. In addition to overseeing the planning and implementation of approximately $50,000,000 of structural facilities, Dr. Hardwick advises on creation of the advanced video conference, lecture and seminar facilities for the program.

These facilities (structural and AV/IT) are also used extensively for interdisciplinary education at all the sites, with special implementation at partner university campuses (University of Victoria, University of Northern British Columbia, University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus (UBCO)) and at the major clinical academic campuses of the Vancouver Fraser Program, Island Medical Program, Northern Medical Program, and Southern Medical Program.

He serves as the Secretary to the International Academy of Pathology, and is currently working to monitor and support web information, divisional programs worldwide and to administer the international office with special emphasis on biennial congresses in underserved countries: Sao Paulo in 2010, Cape Town in 2012, and Bangkok in 2014. He is Chair of the US Canadian IAP Division Long-term Planning Initiative.

Legacy

David Hardwick makes things happen. The first British Columbia Children’s Hospital owes its existence in part to his efforts. As Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee of the original Children’s Hospital Dr. Hardwick brought his considerable negotiating and consensus building skills to bear, bringing various medical and lay community groups together in achieving the new Children’s Hospital. After the Children’s Hospital amalgamated with Women’s Hospital, forming the new Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Hardwick served on the Board of Directors from 1998 to 2001. The Centre for Molecular and Medical Therapeutics on the campus of the new Children’s and Women’s Hospital is a further example of Dr. Hardwick’s success in securing support from government and private sources. The UBC Medical Student Alumni Centre, too, owes its existence in part to the tireless efforts of Dr. Hardwick, who saw the need for a centre where medical students and resident trainees could congregate and exchange ideas, and decided to do something about it. The UBC David F. Hardwick Pathology Learning Centre (DHPLC) in the Diamond Health Care Centre , which houses the pathology medical museum specimens,is a unique educational resource for learning about the causes and mechanisms of human disease, and for studying clinicopathologic correlations.

It is impossible to measure the human impact of Dr. Hardwick’s career. It is, however, revealing to consider some of the populations he has affected. First, there are the countless children whose medical conditions have been successfully treated as a result of his research, his teaching, and his work in establishing the British Columbia Children’s Hospital. There can be no greater achievement than to make it possible for children to reach their human potential. Second, his students who have been inspired by him to reach their potential as doctors committed to children’s health. Third, The University of British Columbia—his academic home—has been blessed with his wisdom, caring nature, and apparently unlimited energy. His extensive international work has opened new horizons to medical professionals wherever he has addressed conferences or lectured, raising standards of paediatric care in those communities, touching the lives of countless children.

Bibliography

• Hardwick, D.F. and Stowens, D. "Wilms' Tumors", J. Urol. 85:903 (1961).
• Hardwick, D.F., Misrahy, G.A., Garwood, V.P. and Strauss, J. "Kidney Oxygen Availability", Am. J. Physiol. 205:322 (1963).
• Hardwick, D.F., Applegarth, D.A., Cockcroft, D.W., Calder, R.J. and Ross, P.M. "Pathogenesis of Methionine-Induced Toxicity", Metabolism, 19:381 (1970).
• Hardwick, D.F., Morrison, J.I., Tydeman, J., Cassidy, P.A. and Chase, W.H. "Laboratory Costs and Utilization: A Framework for Analysis and Policy Design", J. Med. Educ., 56:307-315 (1981).
• Hardwick, D.F., diZerega, A., and Hardwick, W.G. “Directing change: a contemporary administrative challenge”. Modern Pathology 10:380-383 (1997).
• Hardwick, D.F. "“Directoring" and Managing in a Professional System” Modern Pathology 11: 585-592, 1998.
• Karkan, D.M., Hardwick, D. "Lack of vasomotion and its effect on tissue oxygen tension in diabetic and hypertensive rats" Archives. Experimental Pathology, 1:322-30. (1999).
• Hardwick, D.F., “THE KNOWLEDGE HUB FOR PATHOLOGY©” – the USCAP’s “Pathology Commons” – wide open - fully stocked and free to all who wish to visit the Website!, Human Pathology, 2007.
• Hardwick, D.F., "Medical Science is a Self Organizing Social Environment", Emergent Orders, October 2007. website: http.//emergentorders.pbwiki.com

References

1. ^ www.library.ubc.ca/archives/speeches/hardwick.html
2. ^ THE ACADEMY—The Newsletter of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology Volume l No. 2 Fall 2000
3. ^ www.med.ubc.ca/alum/msac/MSAC
4. ^ www.alumni.ubc.ca/awards/2007/recipients/hardwick.php
5. ^ www.alumni.ubc.ca/awards/2007/recipients/hardwick.php
6. ^ www.uscap.org