Researcher

Title

• Pediatrician, clinical epidemiologist and researcher, CHU Sainte-Justine
• Full Time Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal
• Affiliate Professor, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal

• Pediatric asthma
• Efficacy & safety profile of interventions for acute, viral-induced, and persistent childhood asthma
• Instrument development for preschool-aged asthmatic children
• Systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials
• Clinical epidemiology (Design and methods)
• Knowledge translation – implementation trials

Career Summary

Dr. Ducharme is a pediatrician and clinical epidemiologist who cares for children with asthma. She leads a productive career as a physician, professor and research mentor. She has trained numerous scientists and physicians, including many who hold academic positions in Australia, Canada, the USA, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Kuwait and the UK. Her research focuses on improving the treatment, management and morbidity of pediatric asthma. Dr. Ducharme has developed many research instruments specifically designed for use with children including a number that are now used in clinical work to assist healthcare professionals, researchers and children and their families in improving asthma management. Her studies focus on educational and drug interventions as well as those that are aimed at improved guideline compliance in healthcare professionals, patients and their families.

Dr. Ducharme has secured uninterrupted support through awards and research grants and won many prestigious prizes that underscore her contribution to research. Her research program has produced a number of publications and led to numerous invitations as a provincial, national and international guest speaker. Dr. Ducharme has been the Pediatric Co-Editor of the Cochrane Airways Review Group since its inception in 1995. She is also the Co-Chair of the Asthma Clinical Assembly of the Canadian Thoracic Society and been responsible for writing and publishing guidelines on asthma in Canada.

Awards and Distinctions

• 2012 - Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) Career Research Award that recognizes an outstanding and accomplished pediatric researcher working on an aspect of pediatric research in Canada ($1,000)
• April 2012 - IMS Brogan Award* for the article entitled: Ducharme FM, Zemek R, Chalut D, McGillivray D, Noya FJ, Resendes S, Khomenko L, Rouleau R, Zhang X. Written action plan in pediatric emergency room improves asthma prescribing, adherence and control. Am J Resp Crit Care Med. 2011 (183)195-203
• Feb. 2011 - Canadian Cochrane Review of the Year Award, for the Cochrane review entitled: Ducharme FM, Ni Chroinin M, Greenstone I, Lasserson TJ. Addition of long-acting beta2-agonists to inhaled corticosteroids versus same dose inhaled corticosteroids for chronic asthma in adults and children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010 (4). [CD005535].
• March 2010 - IMS Health Award* for the article: Ducharme FM, Lemire C, Noya FJ, Davis GM, Alos N, Leblond H, Savdie C, Dollet JP, Rivard G, Platt RW. Preemptive high-does fluticasone for viral-induced asthma in preschool-aged children: a randomized controlled trial. New Engl J Med 2009;360:339-53.
• May 2008 - William Dawson Scholar, McGill University
• May 2007 - Award of Excellence 2007 in Research, The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation
• March 2006 - IMS Health Award for the article: Greenstone I, Ni Chroinin M, Ducharme FM. Addition of long-acting ß2-agonists (LABA) to inhaled steroids or increasing the dose of ICS: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials In: The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005 (4). Oxford: Update Software. [CD005533]. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
• May 2004 - Certificate of Appreciation, Canadian Program of Pediatric Surveillance
• April 2004 - IMS Health Award* for the article: Ducharme FM. Inhaled glucocorticoids versus leukotriene receptor antagonists a single agent asthma treatment: systematic review of current evidence. BMJ 2003;326(7390):621-623.
• March 2003 - IMS Health Award* for the article: Patel H, Platt RW, Pekeles GS, Ducharme FM. Does it make a difference? A randomized, controlled trial of the effectiveness of nebulized therapy with epinephrine compared to salbutamol and saline in infants hospitalised for acute viral bronchiolitis. J Pediatr 2002;141(6):818-824.
• March 2003 - IMS Health Award for the article: Ducharme FM. Anti-leukotrienes as add-on therapy to inhaled glucocorticoids in patients with asthma: systematic review of current evidence. BMJ 2002; 324(7353):1545-1551.
• January 2003-December 2007 - William Dawson Scholar, McGill University
• October 2002 - Pediatric Research Excellence Award, Foundation of Stars.
• February 1999 - IMS Health Award for the article: Plotnick L, Ducharme FM. Should inhaled anticholinergics be added to b2-agonists in acute pediatric asthma? A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. BMJ 1998; 317(7164): 971-977.

* Prize awarded for one of the two best publications of the year on the effective use of drugs by a Canadian expert.