Mehran Anvari
Professor, Surgery

Dr. Mehran Anvari is a Professor of Surgery at McMaster University and an Adjunct Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). He is the founder of the Centre for Minimal Access Surgery (CMAS) and currently serves as the Clinical Lead and Chair of the Ontario Bariatric Network (OBN). He is also the Scientific Director and CEO of the Centre for Surgical Invention and Innovation (CSii), which recently partnered with MDA to launch Insight Medbotics Incorporated—a startup focused on the commercialization of advanced robotic surgical systems.

A pioneer in surgical robotics, Dr. Anvari was among the first surgeons in Canada to incorporate robotics into surgical practice. He established the world’s first telerobotic surgical service and has successfully performed numerous remote telerobotic procedures. A recognized pioneer in remote telesurgery, he served as the Principal Investigator for the NEEMO 7 and NEEMO 9 missions—collaborative initiatives between NASA and the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC).

With over 15 years of experience teaching laparoscopic bariatric procedures both in Canada and internationally, Dr. Anvari is a respected educator and serves as a faculty member in multiple bariatric training programs, including the European Institute of Telesurgery (EITS) in Strasbourg, France.
Dr. Anvari remains deeply committed to research, education, mentorship, and innovation. He has authored more than 200 publications, holds multiple patents, and leads numerous studies in the areas of obesity, gastrointestinal diseases, and robotic surgical technologies.

Dr. Anvari's contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the ORION Award for Leadership (2009-2010), the Government of Ontario Diamond Award for Innovation in Technology, the Government of Canada Gold Medal of Distinction for Telerobotic Surgery, the McMaster Innovator of the Year Award (2009), the NASA-International Space Station (ISS) Research and Development Award for Biology and Medicine (2015), the Order of Ontario (2017), the Order of Canada (2022), the Lifetime Innovator Award from McMaster (2024), and the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025).