Dr. Robert Brian Haynes is a distinguished Canadian physician and clinical epidemiologist who has made seminal contributions to the advancement of evidence-based medicine. As Professor Emeritus at McMaster University, he has maintained a distinguished academic career spanning over four decades since joining the Faculty of Health Sciences in 1977. Dr. Haynes earned his pre-medical studies from the University of Calgary in 1967, followed by his MD with gold medal honors from the University of Alberta in 1971. He completed his MSc and PhD in clinical epidemiology under the mentorship of David Sackett at McMaster University in 1973 and 1975 respectively, establishing the foundation for his pioneering work in clinical research methodology.
Dr. Haynes is widely recognized as one of the founding architects of the evidence-based medicine movement, having published more than 390 peer-reviewed articles and authored or edited 14 influential books including the seminal Clinical Epidemiology: A Basic Science for Clinical Medicine and Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach. His innovative research has focused on improving healthcare delivery through knowledge translation and the systematic application of high-quality research findings in clinical practice settings. He pioneered the development and implementation of structured abstracts for clinical journals and created groundbreaking information retrieval systems that enabled direct use of Medline by clinicians, significantly improving how medical professionals access and apply evidence. As founding editor of the ACP Journal Club and developer of evidence-based information services like BMJUpdates+, Dr. Haynes established worldwide systems for evaluating the usability and efficacy of treatments and diagnostic tests, transforming clinical decision-making processes globally.
Dr. Haynes' leadership extends beyond research as he founded the Health Information Research Unit at McMaster University in 1987 and served as director of the Canadian Cochrane Centre from 1993 to 1998, helping establish the Cochrane Collaboration as a global leader in evidence synthesis. His remarkable contributions have been recognized through prestigious honors including his appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2010 and election to the Institute of Medicine in 2009, alongside fellowships in the Royal Society of Canada and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. As a mentor and educator, he has shaped generations of clinicians and researchers in the principles and practice of evidence-based medicine, influencing healthcare systems worldwide through his work on knowledge translation and clinical informatics. Though now professor emeritus, Dr. Haynes continues to contribute to the field he helped create, maintaining his commitment to bridging the gap between medical research and clinical practice to improve patient outcomes globally.
