Dr. William Foulkes has made seminal contributions to cancer genetics in Canada. As a clinician, he has offered counselling and advice to thousands of individuals at increased risk for cancer. In the laboratory, he has identified the cause of some forms cancer and has studied their clinical-pathological correlates. His work has been highly cited and its excellence has been recognized both nationally and internationally. He is the scientific director of the biennial hereditary breast and ovarian cancer symposium which in 2016 attracted over 500 attendees from 28 countries.