Dr. Patrick McDonald obtained his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1992.  Following medical school and a surgical internship at St. Michael’s Hospital, he completed his residency in neurosurgery at the University of Toronto in 2000.  During residency, Dr. McDonald spent 3 years studying the basic mechanisms of epilepsy in the Bloorview Epilepsy Research Laboratory at the Toronto Western Hospital Research Institute.  He completed a pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in 2002 and obtained a Master’s degree in bioethics from U of T in 2004.  Dr. McDonald joined the Department of Surgery at the University of Manitoba in 2002, to establish a program in pediatric neurosurgery at the Winnipeg Children's Hospital, where he worked until 2015. During this time, he served as Program Director in Neurosurgery (2004-2015) and a Research Associate in the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics. He also served as Director of Research (Neurosurgery) at the University of Manitoba (2009-2015) and Scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (2009-2015). In 2016, Dr. McDonald moved to Vancouver to assume the position of Division Head of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the B.C. Children’s Hospital, and Alcan Chair in Neurosciences at U.B.C. In 2021, he returned to Winnipeg to assume his current role of Section Head for Neurosurgery, within the Department of Surgery at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. McDonald's research reflects a broad range of clinical and basic science interests, from ethics and neurosurgical education to neurooncology, hydrocephalus, epilepsy, trauma and injury prevention, and Gamma Knife treatment of a range of conditions. He collaborates with colleagues at SickKids Hospital in Toronto and other centres. Dr. McDonald has been involved with the ThinkFirst Foundation of Canada, and has provided neurosurgical care in Kenya. He has an interest in the care of Canada’s indigenous peoples and those living in remote northern communities. He serves on the editorial boards of several well recognized journals, and has been involved in the RCPSC examinations in Neurosurgery and the Principles of Surgery. He is active in the leadership of several professional organizations.

Dr. McDonald's publications may be viewed on Pubmed.

Twitter handle: @Brainsurger.