Goan Overseas Association Toronto - New Years Eve Party
See pics at: http://www.goatoronto.com/gallery/albums.php

Gilbert A. Lawrence, MBBS, MS (Bombay), DMRT (Engl.), FRCR (Lond.)

Dr. Gilbert Lawrence is from Aldona. His father was from Xantarxette and his mother from Guirdolim (near Chandor) in Salsette. Gilbert was born in Bombay, the last of eight children. He studied in St. Thomas High School in Aldona and graduated from Loyola High School in Margao at the age of thirteen. He studied at St. Xavier's College, Bombay, and Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Bombay. In 1968 he graduated from medical school at the young age of 23. He then studied to be a surgeon at KEM Hospital and Tata Memorial Hospital in Bombay in 1972.

On obtaining his Masters in Surgery Degree from Bombay University, Dr. Lawrence's interests in cancer took him to England to study Radiation Oncology -- the art of treating tumors with radiation. He was appointed registrar in Radiation Oncology at the Hammersmith Hospital in London, and later Senior Registrar at the London Hospital and Medical School. In 1976 Dr. Lawrence obtained his Diploma in Medical Radiation Therapy (DMRT) from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of England, and also the Fellowship from the Royal College of Radiologists (FRCR). At the FRCR examination he stood first and was awarded the Rohan Williams Medal. In doing so, Dr. Lawrence was the first Indian to be awarded the prestigious British award in a medical subspecialty examination coveted by physicians in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and all former British colonies.

Dr. Lawrence immigrated to the United States in 1977 and was appointed a research fellow at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, NY, and later as chief investigator of fast neutron treatment of cancer at the Fermi National Laboratory - America's highest energy research facility in Batavia, Illinois. Dr. Lawrence is also Board certified by the American College of Radiology in Radiation Oncology.

During his career, Dr. Lawrence has published over sixty papers and review articles in many cancer journals. His special interest is the treatment of breast and prostate cancers. He has held numerous academic appointments including Clinical Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Kansas Medical School. He is the recipient of numerous awards in the United States and has been the guest speaker at many medical meetings and international conferences.

Currently, Dr. Lawrence is Chairman of the Cancer Committee at the Regional Cancer Centre at Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare in Utica, NY. Dr. Lawrence is married to Philomena who is from Sangolda. She graduated from St. Anne's High School, Bombay, received the Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Xavier's College, Bombay and Bachelor of Education from St. Xavier's Institute of Education and taught at St. Xavier's Boys' Academy. She is now a writer. Philomena and Gilbert were married in 1973 and have one daughter. The Lawrences' hobbies are travel, history and amateur ballroom dancing.

Make babies, Singaporeans urged
(Editors comments - Many Goan parents in Toronto feel the same about their children)

SINGAPORE—If the government here had its way, Tang Li Fen, a 22-year-old single professional, would be married and making babies this Valentine's Day.

She and other young, unattached Singaporean women are the targets of a government campaign to promote having children in a bid to reverse a 14-year downward spiral in the birth rate.

This month the government launched its latest pro-family initiative, the Romancing Singapore campaign.

The brainchild of Family Matters! it is designed to get Singaporeans to "stop and smell the roses and to cherish the romance we have with our loved ones."

Built around Valentine's Day, the campaign's approach includes a theme song called Little Things, a raft of romance tips, and discounted candlelit dinners across the island country.

But Tang, a university graduate and an analyst for a consulting company, is unconvinced by the promotion. "Personally, I don't have an issue with having kids at 25, but it would damage my career," says Tang.

"It definitely hinders your prospects in the company if you take two years off to have kids."

Singapore's birth rate sank to a 14-year low last year with a total of 40,800 babies born in the city-state.

It marked a 3 per cent decrease from the previous year. In 1988, 52,000 babies were born.

Marriages are down too. The latest government figures show 22,000 couples in Singapore took the plunge in 2001, about 2 per cent less than the average throughout the 1980s or 1990s.

ASSOCIATED PRESS