Charles Hayter is a physician and award-winning writer based in Toronto, Canada. Prior to entering medical school, he studied English and Drama at Queen’s University and obtained a Masters in Drama at the University of Calgary. He received his M.D. from Queen’s University and subsequently trained as a radiation oncologist. He is a former Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto.
            Throughout his medical career, Charles put his unconventional background in the humanities to good use. A skilled communicator, he has always taken satisfaction in explaining and demystifying the frightening and confusing world of cancer and radiation treatment to his patients and their families.  
            As a medical historian, his many writings and public presentations helped his colleagues and the public understand the origins and background of radiation oncology. His book An Element of Hope (McGill-Queen’s, 2005) received widespread recognition for its trailblazing exploration of radium and cancer treatment, and for providing context for current problems in cancer control.
            Throughout his medical career, Charles has continued to write for the theatre. His plays have probed complex human issues in medical practice. In Eldorado Town, early radiation workers struggle with ambivalence about the healing and destructive powers of radiation; in Radical, a female doctor fights against the mutilation of other women with breast cancer; in Lady-in-Waiting, a doctor with a secret life as a drag queen struggles to keep his personal and professional lives from colliding. Lady-in-Waiting won the award for best writing in a solo show at the 2008 Fresh Fruit Festival in New York City.
            In 2001 Charles was awarded the John B. Neilson Award by Associated Medical Services, Inc., in recognition of outstanding contributions to medical history. The citation summarizes Charles’ unique skills of combining “wisdom, enthusiasm, gentle wit, and highly skilled use of drama and literature in his various presentations.”
For more info, please visit www.charleshayter.com