The University of Saskatchewan, alongside the Fedoruk Centre, is hosting the 11th International Conference on Isotopes, which is fitting, as the province is home to several nuclear facilities and breakthroughs.

Dr. John Root is the executive director of the Fedoruk Centre, the facility that was named after Sylvia Fedoruk, the woman that developed the first cobalt radiation unit used to treat cancer. The center also operates the Saskatchewan Cyclotron Facility, which produces a radioactive element called Fluorine 18. Root says up until very recently, there was also a nuclear reactor on the USask campus.

The Canadian Light Source Synchrotron is also a nuclear facility, as it uses radiation in the form of light to probe materials. Isotopes are a game changer in the medical industry and have significantly benefitted cancer detection and treatment procedures. They are administered to patients and allow doctors to see cancerous tumours or heart blockages. They are also used to treat disease with the ability to deliver an internal radiation therapy to cancer patients.

The convention is July 23rd until the 27th.