It is with profound sorrow that we share the passing of Dr. Marcel Dvorak, an internationally renowned spine surgeon, pioneering medical researcher, visionary leader, cherished educator, and distinguished professor of orthopaedics at the University of British Columbia. He died peacefully at home with his beloved family on May 9, 2025.
Dr. Dvorak was a towering figure in the field of spine surgery locally, nationally, and internationally. He directly helped thousands of patients with his surgical expertise and influenced many more as an educator and mentor to his trainees. He also touched the lives of millions through ground-breaking research and visionary thinking. As the head of the VGH Spine Program and a proud member of the UBC Department of Orthopaedics, he initiated and led the creation of the VGH Blusson Spinal Cord Center. This innovative and integrated hub brings together state-of-the-art patient care and world-class research under one roof.
Nationally, he educated thousands and established a multicenter research network and registry to advance spinal cord injury research. Internationally, his greatest impact unfolded; Dr. Dvorak led global key opinion leaders in spine trauma, spearheading research and education that fulfilled his life’s mission- to improve patient care around the world.
Dr. Dvorak completed his residency and a clinical fellowship in the Division of Reconstructive Surgery at the UBC Department of Orthopaedics in 1990. He then pursued four additional fellowships in spine surgery across Canada, Switzerland, and France. In 1992, he joined the UBC Department of Orthopaedics as a clinical instructor and achieved the rank of professor in 2008. He served as the Director of the Spine Postgraduate Fellowship Training Program at UBC Orthopaedics from 1995 to 2000 and was the Acting Head of the Division of Spine from 1997 to 2002. He continued to serve as the head of the division until 2013.
Throughout his career, he dedicated himself to advancing the understanding and treatment of spinal injuries. Dr. Dvorak’s clinical practice focused on adult spine surgery, with a particular emphasis on major deformities such as scoliosis and kyphosis, as well as traumatic spinal injuries and spinal cord injuries. Since 2005, Dr. Dvorak has held the Cordula & Günter Paetzold Chair of Clinical Spinal Cord Injury Research at ICORD, the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries at UBC.
Beyond his extraordinary professional legacy, Dr. Dvorak lived life with fullness and joy. He was a devoted and loving husband to Sue and a proud father of six. He was a man of deep passion and vibrant presence- he loved playing the piano, driving fast cars and boats, and embarking on adventurous motorcycle rides with his sons. He cherished the simple, enduring joys of the family cabin. There, surrounded by nature, lake projects and loved ones, he found his peace.
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