Dr. Michelle Ghert, MD, FRCSC: Hi, my name is Michelle Gert and I'm a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, with affiliations at McMaster University and the University of Maryland. I'm also the Principal Investigator for the PARITY trial. The significance of this award is that it acknowledges and celebrates the collaboration of myself and my colleagues and my friends internationally to perform the first ever large perspective international randomized controlled trial in orthopaedic oncology. This trial will have impact through its findings and that we may be able to prevent serious antibiotic related complications in our patient population post operatively. In addition, this trial has shown that we can work together in a specialty that treats rare diseases to actually do large randomized trials and to improve the evidence available to direct our patient care. I would like to acknowledge the fact that this award is not only for me, it is for all my colleagues internationally who have worked with me over the past 10 years to overcome challenges and to complete this trial with a common goal. In the future, we are all hoping that this is not the only randomized trial in Orthopaedic Oncology but going forward, we will do more studies together prospectively evaluating the outcomes of our patients so that we can move our field forward. Again, I would like to acknowledge and thank my dear friends and my colleagues from around the world who have worked with me and now are accepting this award with me today
