Every year, young people in Canada face a cancer diagnosis that can take away more than their health — it can take away their chance to become a parent. Dr. Reitan Ribeiro at the MUHC is changing that.
What We're Solving
Every year, thousands of young Canadians are diagnosed with cancer at an age when starting a family is still ahead of them. Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery — while life-saving — can permanently eliminate the possibility of pregnancy. For far too many patients, this conversation never happens before treatment begins.
At the McGill University Health Centre, Dr. Reitan Ribeiro is leading a dedicated fertility preservation program to change that reality. His research and surgical innovations — including the world's first uterine transposition — are giving young patients choices they didn't have before.
Your donation through the MUHC Foundation funds the research that makes these breakthroughs possible.
Aussi dans les médias
Le travail du Dr Ribeiro au Centre universitaire de santé McGill attire l'attention des médias nationaux. Cette couverture de TVA Nouvelles raconte l'histoire d'une patiente dont l'utérus a été temporairement déplacé avant une radiothérapie pelvienne — lui permettant de préserver sa fertilité tout en recevant le traitement qui lui a sauvé la vie.
La transposition utérine est la seule procédure au Canada offerte au CUSM qui permet aux jeunes femmes de porter une grossesse après une radiothérapie pelvienne. C'est votre soutien philanthropique qui rend cette recherche possible.
How Your Donation Helps
Dr. Ribeiro performed the world's first uterine transposition — a procedure that temporarily moves the uterus out of the radiation field so a young woman can still carry a pregnancy after cancer treatment. Donations fund the research, training, and patient follow-up that makes this program sustainable at MUHC — the first and only centre in Canada offering this procedure.
Which patients benefit most? What are the long-term pregnancy outcomes? Are there risks to cancer control? These questions require rigorous research. Your gift directly supports the clinical studies, data collection, and international collaborations that answer them — and shape the standard of care across Canada.
A breakthrough surgical technique only benefits patients when it can be safely and effectively performed around the world. Dr. Ribeiro has helped train surgeons across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, sharing knowledge that expands access to fertility-preserving cancer care far beyond a single institution. Philanthropic support enables him to develop educational programs and hands-on surgical workshops at the MUHC, ensuring that innovative techniques reach more physicians—and ultimately more patients. By supporting surgical education, every donation has the potential to multiply its impact across generations of cancer survivors worldwide.
Many young cancer patients still begin treatment without ever being told that fertility preservation is an option. Donation-funded patient education initiatives, care pathway tools, and multidisciplinary clinic resources ensure that every eligible patient at MUHC is offered this conversation — before treatment begins.
"Philanthropy makes the impossible possible. Public funding keeps the lights on. It is private generosity that funds the next question — the one that changes everything."
The Researcher
Dr. Reitan Ribeiro, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at McGill University and practices at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montréal. He joined McGill in 2024, bringing a career distinguished by surgical innovation, clinical research leadership, and a commitment to preserving fertility and quality of life for young cancer patients.
Prior to joining McGill, Dr. Ribeiro served as Senior Staff Physician and Research Director at Erasto Gaertner Hospital, one of South America's largest cancer centres, where he led major international clinical trials as principal investigator. During this time, he performed the world's first uterine transposition, a fertility-preserving procedure that has since gained international recognition and been adopted by centres around the world.
Since joining the MUHC, Dr. Ribeiro has established Canada's first uterine transposition program and is developing a research portfolio focused on fertility preservation, surgical education, and survivorship outcomes in gynecologic oncology. Beyond his clinical and academic activities, he serves as a Council Member of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) and is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, contributing to the advancement of the specialty at an international level.
His contributions to gynecologic oncology, surgical innovation, and reproductive health have been recognized through numerous national and international honors. Among these distinctions are the 2025 Carole Epstein Foundation Award in Gynecologic Cancer (Canada), the 2024 Honorable Mention from the Chamber of Deputies of the State of Paraná (Brazil), awarded annually to physicians who have made significant contributions to medicine, and honorary memberships in the Peruvian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, the Argentine Society of Gynecologic Oncology, and the Indian Association of Gynecologic Endoscopic Surgeons (IAGES). In 2022, he was named an Honorary Citizen of Curitiba, Brazil—the highest distinction that can be granted by the city to a non-native resident in recognition of exceptional contributions to the community and its development. That same year, he received the Medical Treatment Innovation Award from Veja Magazine for his pioneering work in advancing cancer care. Earlier in his career, in 2017, he received the Best Surgical Video Award from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), recognizing excellence in surgical innovation and education. Collectively, these recognitions reflect his sustained impact on patient care, research, education, surgical innovation, and the advancement of gynecologic oncology on an international scale.
Support Dr. Ribeiro's ResearchNews & Impact
Dr. Ribeiro brings the world-first procedure to Montréal, making the MUHC the only centre in Canada offering uterine transposition as a fertility preservation option before pelvic radiation.
Dr. Ribeiro has been awarded the 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Gynecologic Oncology Surgery Award by the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), reflecting his global impact on surgical innovation, clinical research, and education in the field of gynecologic oncology.
Recognizing his contributions to the Montréal scientific and medical community, Dr. Ribeiro received the Carole Epstein Foundation Award — one of a handful of non-native Montrealers to be so honoured.
At the International Gynecology Cancer Society Annual Meeting, in New York, Dr. Ribeiro presented follow-up data confirming safety and reporting successful pregnancies after uterine transposition.
Dr. Ribeiro has published in leading fertility journals, including reports on the world's first uterine transposition procedure, the feasibility study of the technique, and the first live birth following uterine transposition surgery.
In addition, he has contributed to publications in some of the world's most prestigious medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), The Lancet, Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), and Fertility and Sterility, among others.
Dr. Reitan Ribeiro's work was recognized during this webinar of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), where he shared his experience with uterine transposition surgery in 2021, helping to disseminate the technique across Europe.
Help Create Futures
Your gift to the MUHC Foundation supports Dr. Ribeiro's fertility preservation research — the studies, the training, and the patient care that make it possible for young cancer survivors to build their families. No matter the amount, your generosity matters.
The MUHC Foundation will help direct your donation to fertility preservation research.
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