Researcher

    Anick Bérard , Ph.D.

    anick.berard@umontreal.ca
    Anick Bérard
    Research Axis
    Fetomaternal and Neonatal Pathologies Axis
    Research Theme
    High-risk pregnancies
    Address
    CHUSJ - Centre de Recherche

    Phone
    514 345-4931 #4363

    Fax
    514 345-4801

    Online

    Title

    • Full Professor (2010), Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal
    • Associate Professor (2018), Faculty of Medicine, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1

    Education

    • Graduate in Genetics, Stanford University, 2015
    • Postdoctorate in Pharmacoepidemiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, 2000
    • PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, 1999
    • MSc in Clinical Science, Université de Sherbrooke, 1993
    • BSc in Statistics, Université Laval, 1989

    Research Interests

    • Medications and pregnancy
    • Medications and pediatrics
    • Pharmacoepidemiology
    • Big Data
    • Learning models

    My research pertains to the study of risks and benefits associated with medications during pregnancy and lactation in the fields of mental health, particularly depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit disorders; infections during pregnancy; assisted procreation technologies; treatment of fever; use of opioids; and more recently, the impact of COVID-19 on mothers and children.

    The advent of real world evidence (RWE), larger cohorts such as CAMCCO, and artificial intelligence (AI) methods allow us to analyze the data exhaustively, which was not possible previously. This is important in pandemics such as COVID-19 to inform political decision-makers in a timely manner. 

    My research activities have had a direct impact on health policies and care for pregnant women.  More specifically :

    A) Antidepressants (i) guidelines on depression during pregnancy; ii) antidepressants and pulmonary hypertension in the newborn (Health Canada); iii) treatment of mental disorders during pregnancy (Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec);
    B) Antibiotics, antiretrovirals, corticosteroids (i) macrolides and malformations (Department of Health, Norway), ii) triamcinolone and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO), iii) antiretroviral drugs (Health Canada), iv) fluconazole (Health Canada)
    C) Dihydroergotamine, a migraine drug (FDA)
    D) Leflunomide, an antirheumatism drug (FDA)
    E) Isotretinoin, an acne drug (Health Canada)
    F) Nausea prevention drug – ondansetron (Health Canada)
    G) Assisted procreation technologies (Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec)

    At the provincial level, I participating in writing the Notice on Assisted Procreation Activities in Québec published in June 2014 by the Québec Health and Welfare Commissioner, and in writing the INESSS Notice on the Opioid Crisis in 2018.

    Career Summary

    Researcher Anick Bérard was trained in epidemiology and genetics at McGill University, Harvard Medical School and Stanford University. She is a Full Professor of Perinatal Epidemiology at the Université de Montréal for the Faculty of Pharmacy and at CHU Ste-Justine in Montréal, and an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Medicine at Université Claude Bernard in Lyon, France. Anick Bérard holds a Canada Research Chair on Medications and Pregnancy Tier 1 and the UdeM Louis-Boivin Family Pharmaceutical Chair on “Medications, Pregnancy and Lactation”. 

    Anick Bérard is also Director of the Research Unit on Medications and Pregnancy at CHU Ste-Justine; Director of the Réseau québécois de recherche sur les médicaments of FRQS; a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences; a Fellow of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology; and a voting member of the Teratology Society. Anick Bérard is the Principal Investigator of the studies of i) the Canadian Mother-Child Cohort (CAMCCO) Active Surveillance Initiative, ii) the Canadian Mother-Child Collaborative Training Platform (CAMCCO-L); iii) the cross-Canada CONCEPTION Study – COVID-19 and Pregnancy, iv) the Quebec Pregnancy/Children Cohort, v) the AMerican PREGNANcy/Child CohorT (AM-PREGNANT), and v) the French National Pregnancy Cohort, PregMed-France. The researcher Anick Bérard has published over 600 scientific articles, abstracts and patents, and has obtained over $33 million in funding from the CIHR, CFI and FRQS as Principal Investigator.  She recently received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for Birth Defects Prevention and Research for her work on antidepressants, maternal depression and pregnancy; she also recently received a Career Research Award from the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada.

    Laboratory

    Medications and pregnancy

    Website to consult

    Awards and Distinctions

    • Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Fellow. 2022, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
    • AFPC/Pfizer Research Career Award. 2022. St-John’s NF, Canada.
    • Canada Research Chair Tier 1 on Medications and Pregnancy. 2021-2028
    • Most Distinguished Scientist Award. Society for Birth Defects Prevention and Research. 2016
    • Society for Birth Defects Prevention and Research. Voting Member. 2014
    • International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology. Fellow. 2009

    Major financing 

    1. The CAnadian Mother-Child COLlaborative Training Platform (CAMCCO-L) – Supplement for the CAMCCO-L Summer School. Bérard A (PI), Deblois D, Leclerc G, and the CAMCCO-L team. 30,000$. Cercle du Doyen, Faculté de pharmacie, Université de Montréal. 2022-2024.
    2. Étude CONCEPTION Study. Bérard A and the CONCEPTION Team. Chaire Louis Boivin, Université de Montréal, Faculté de pharmacie. 148,000$, 2022-2023.
    3. CAMCCO Research Program. Bernatsky S (NPI), Bérard A (co-PI), Potvin L, Abrahamowicz M. CADTH PMDE Standing Offer Contract. 200,000$, 2022-2023.
    4. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during pregnancy on children’s cognitive function at 24-months. Bérard A and the CONCEPTION team. Fondation Ste-Justine, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. 42,500$, 2022-2023.
    5. The CAnadian Mother-Child COLlaborative Training Platform (CAMCCO-L) – SPOR supplement. Bérard A (PI), Eltonsy S, Walker M, Winquist B. 150,000$. CIHR 2022-2023.
    6. The CAnadian Mother-Child COLlaborative Training Platform (CAMCCO-L). Bérard A (NPA), and PAs: Kaul P, Hanley G, Carleton, Oberlander T, Winquist B, Eltonsy S, Winn L, Walker M, Hawken S, Mehrabadi A, Lanovaz M, Vinet E, Lacasse A, Hatem M, Boucoiran I, Pilote L, and co-Is: Saba T, Girier D, Chateau D, Gravel C, Bernatsky S, Deblois D, Malhamé I, Brockway M, Quach C, Corsi D, Auger N, Abrahamovicz M, Wiersma J, Norton M, Côté S. 2,400,000$. CIHR 2022-2028.
    7. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug safety surveillance: An analysis of spontaneous reporting databases in Canada and the United States. MITACS. Bérard A (PI), Paquet L. 20,000$, 2022-2023.
    8. Follow CONCEPTION Study and Mitigate Pandemic Effects on Families. CIHR. Lippé S (Nominated PI), Bérard A (co-PI), Nuyt AM, Côté S, King S, Reynolds J. 150,000$, 2022-2024.
    9. Medications and Pregnancy. Canada Research Chair Tier 1. Bérard A (PI). 1,200,000$. 2022-2019.
    10. Medications and Pregnancy – Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure for Real-World Evidence. CFI Leaders. Bérard A (PI). 353,000$. 2022-2024.
    11. Starting before birth: Preventing maternal mental health problems via a virtual and partner-inclusive intervention, CIHR and CMAF. Côté S (PI, UMontreal), Massé B, Dennis CL, Bérard A, Boucoiran I, St-André M, Amirali E, Booij L, Dr. I. Boucoiran, Haeck C, Herba C, Montreuil T, Morin L, Nguyen T, O'Donnell K, Tremblay R. 150,000, 2021-2023.
    12. COVID-19 and pregnancy. CIHR. Bérard A (PI), Bernatsky S, Vinet E, Walker M, Hawken S, Eltonsy S, Winquist B, Kaul P, and the CAMCCO Team. 200,000$, 2021-2023.
    13. The "Atrial FIBrillation in Pregnancy: assessing seveRe matErnal morbidity and anticoagulation strateGies" (AFIB-PREG) Study. CIHR, Malhamé (NPI, McGill), Bérard A (co-PI), Bernatsky, Pilote, et al. 360,000$, 2021-2024).
    14. Reducing Maternal Perinatal Mental Health Problems in Times of Severe Shortage: A web and telephone-based Intervention. Côté S (PI), Dennis CL, Masse B, Amirali L, Morin L, Samson V, St-André M, Bérard A, Booij L, Boucoiran I, Haeck C, Herba C, Montreil T, Nguyen TV, O’Donnell K, Tremblay RE. CIHR, 1,000,000$.

    Presentations

    1. Pregistry UK (pregistry.com). CONCEPTION Study – Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child mental and physical health. May 4th 2022, Virtual webinar.
    2. Observation pour l’Éducation et la Santé des Enfants (OPES). Étude CONCEPTION Study – Impact de la pandémie COVID-19 sur la santé mentale et physique des femmes enceintes, des mères et des enfants. February 11th 2022, Virtual and Facebook live.
    3. Colloque PL19 – Observatoire international sur les impacts sociétaux de l’intelligence artificielle et du numérique (OBVIA), 28 janvier 2022. Membre de la Table ronde sur le projet de loi sur l’accès aux données pour la recherche – PL19.
    4. Association de spina-bifida et d'hydrocéphalie du Québec. Prévention des malformations du tube neural et acide folique. Podcast, January 2022.
    5. Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA). ADHD medication use during pregnancy – impact on the mother and child. Virtual annual meeting, October 3-4 2021.

    Publications

    1. Bérard A, Lacasse A, Gomez YH, Gorgui J, Côté SM, King S,  Tchuente V, Muanda FT, Mufike Y, Boucoiran I, Nuyt AM, Quach C, Ferreira E, Kaul P, Winquist B, O’Donnell KJ, Eltonsy S, Chateau D, Zhao JP, Hanley GE, Oberlander TF, Kassai B, Mainbourg S, Bernatsky S, Vinet E, Brodeur-Doucet A, Demers J, P Richebé, V Zaphiratos, Wang C, Wang X. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health during pregnancy according to pregnancy status and trimester - The CONCEPTION Study – Phase I. IJERPH 2022;19:2926.
    2. Bérard A, Kaul P, Eltonsy S, Winquist B, Chateau D, Hawken S, Sprague A, Walker M, Bernatsky S, Abrahamowicz M, Soares de Moura C, Vinet E, Carleton B, Hanley G, Oberlander T, Sheehy O, Gomez YH, Gorgui J, Savu A. The Canadian Mother-Child Cohort Active Surveillance Initiative (CAMCCO):  Comparisons between Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. PlosOne, 2022 Sept 20 PONE.024355.
    3. Gorgui J, Atallah A, Boucoiran I, Gomez YH, Bérard A, and the CONCEPTION Study Group. COVID-19 vaccine uptake and reasons for hesitancy in Canadian pregnant individuals. CMAJ Open (accepted)
    4. Tchuente V, Sheehy O, Zhao JP, Gorgui J, Gomez YH, Bérard A. Is in-utero exposure to cannabis associated with the risk of attention deficit with or without hyperactivity disorder? A cohort study within the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort. BMJ Open. 2022 Aug 8;12(8):e052220. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052220. PMID: 35940828; PMCID: PMC9364390.
    5. Vigod SN, Ray JG, Cohen E, Wilton AS, Saunders NR, Barker LC, Bérard A, Dennis CL, Holloway AC, Morrison K, Oberlander TF, Hanley G, Tu K, Brown HK. Maternal Schizophrenia and the Risk of a Childhood Chronic Condition. Schizophr Bull. 2022 Jul 28:sbac091. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbac091. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35900007.
    6. Toufeili A, Cohen E, Ray JG, Wilton AS, Brown HK, Saunders NR, Dennis CL, Holloway AC, Morrison KM, Hanley GE, Oberlander TF, Bérard A, Tu K, Barker LC, Vigod SN. Complex chronic conditions among children born to women with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2022 Mar;241:24-35. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.12.018. Epub 2022 Jan 21. PMID: 35074529.
    7. Zhao JP, Berthod C, Sheehy O, Kassaï B, Gorgui J, Bérard A. Prevalence and duration of prescribed opioid use during pregnancy: a cohort study from the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021 Dec 1;21(1):800. doi: 10.1186/s12884-021-04270-x. PMID: 34847870; PMCID: PMC8638412.
    8. Bérard A, Strom S, Zhao JP, Kori S, Albrecht D. Dihydroergotamine and triptan use to treat migraine during pregnancy and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 29;11(1):19302. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-97092-y. PMID: 34588467; PMCID: PMC8481540.
    9. Bérard A, Sheehy O, Zhao JP, Vinet E, Quach C, Kassai B, Bernatsky S. Available medications used as potential therapeutics for COVID-19: What are the known safety profiles in pregnancy. PLoS One. 2021 May 19;16(5):e0251746. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251746. PMID: 34010282; PMCID: PMC8133446.
    10. Bérard A, Sheehy O, Zhao JP, Vinet E, Quach C, Bernatsky S. Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine Use During Pregnancy and the Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Using Real-World Evidence. Front Pharmacol. 2021 Aug 2;12:722511. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.722511. PMID: 34408654; PMCID: PMC8366774.
 

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