October 2, 2025
It is with great sadness and profound respect that we inform the healthcare community of the passing of our esteemed colleague, Dr. Walter Montanera. As an Associate Professor of Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto, Dr. Montanera dedicated over 40 years to the field of medicine, leaving an indelible mark on the radiology community and all those fortunate enough to have known him.
His journey in the field of medical imaging began as a resident and fellow in neuroradiology at St. Michael’s Hospital in the 1980s. After a brief period in community practice at Toronto East General Hospital, he returned to the University of Toronto, first at Toronto Western Hospital/UHN, and then joined the staff at St. Michael’s Hospital in 1999. Over his 25 years at St. Michael’s, Dr. Montanera made a lasting impression on his colleagues and trainees as a diagnostic and therapeutic neuroradiologist. He was always helpful to those around him and became beloved by his neuroradiology colleagues, trainees, and the neurologists, neurosurgeons, and critical care physicians with whom he worked closely. He was one of the founding doctors of the highly successful interventional neuroradiology (neurovascular intervention) program at St. Michael’s Hospital.
Dr. Montanera served as the Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program Director for the University of Toronto (U of T) from 2001 to 2007. He was honoured with the prestigious E.L. Lansdown Teaching Award in Medical Imaging at U of T twice, in 1994 and 2007. He also received numerous teaching awards for residents and fellows and was recognized as an inaugural recipient of the prestigious U of T Medical Imaging “Master Teacher” award in 2022. His legacy as a distinguished teacher to countless practicing radiologists in Ontario, Canada, and internationally is only part of his impact.
He made significant clinical and research contributions across the entire spectrum of neuroradiology, particularly in neurovascular intervention. His tireless passion, clinical and procedural skill, and research collaborations advanced the field, especially in its early years. He was the site lead and co-author on the ESCAPE trial, published in NEJM in 2015, which changed medical practice in the treatment of stroke. In addition to caring for many appreciative patients, Dr. Montanera mentored and trained countless radiologists, neurosurgeons, and neurologists in both diagnostic and therapeutic neuroradiology.
Dr. Montanera was a passionate patient advocate who pursued access to the best imaging technologies to benefit patients and their referring physicians. He was among the first to volunteer to create the Ontario Association of Radiologists’ MRI Position Paper in the early 1990s, which led to the Ontario Ministry of Health approval of Canada’s first widespread dissemination of MRI scanners to Ontario’s academic and community hospitals. This groundwork led to the adoption of MRI in other provinces, benefiting millions of Ontario patients.
In recognition of his outstanding career, the Department of Medical Imaging at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, awarded the inaugural Exemplary Career in Radiology award in 2024 to Dr. Montanera, and this award is now named in his honour. In the same year, the U of T Department of Medical Imaging bestowed on Dr. Montanera their Lifetime Achievement Award as well.
Forever etched in our hearts, may our late colleague, Walter, rest in eternal peace.
