Dr. Leanne Ward is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Ottawa where she has held a Research Chair in Pediatric Bone Health since 2010. She is the Scientific Director of the Ottawa Pediatric Bone Health Research Group, the Medical Director of the Pediatric Bone Health and Rare Bone Disease Clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), a Senior Scientist at the CHEO Research Institute, and a Pediatric Endocrinologist in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at CHEO.
Dr. Ward’s research program is dedicated to the study of bone development, and the diagnosis and treatment of bone disorders, in children with osteogenesis imperfecta, hypophosphatemic rickets, and osteoporosis due to chronic illnesses (e.g. cancer, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and rheumatic disorders). She has served as an advisor to various international organizations including the Centres for Disease Control Clinical Care Guidelines for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, The International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group, and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. She is the Founder and Chair of the Canadian Consortium for
Children’s Bone Health, the Chair of the Scientific Planning Committee for the 2021 International Conference on Children’s Bone Health, and the Principal Investigator of the Canadian STeroid-induced Osteoporosis in the Pediatric Population (STOPP) study.
Leanne has published over 130 original peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, and has delivered more than 80 invited lectures at international scientific meetings. She works with a team of highly skilled research staff and physician collaborators from CHEO, across Canada, and internationally. She has received numerous awards for her work in pediatric bone health, including a Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Career Development Award, a Canadian Institutes for Health Research New Investigator Award, a Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Career Enhancement Award, and two, five-year Research Chairs in Pediatric Bone Health (University of Ottawa, 2010 and 2015).
In 2019, Dr. Ward was named a Fellow of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, a lifetime achievement award in recognition of significant contributions to bone and mineral science.
Related News
Research Projects
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Mitigating the Denosumab‑Induced Rebound Phenomenon with Alternating Short‑ and Long‑Acting Anti‑resorptive Therapy in a Young Boy with Severe OI Type V
03/03/2023
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From “ACAN” to “I CAN”: Restoring wellness in a boy with severe osteochondritis dissecans through diagnostic precision combined with optimal medical, surgical and rehabilitation management
18/02/2023
The optimal management of atypical osteochondritis dissecans with multi-joint involvement and other morphological atypia requires multidisciplinary care. The inclusion of comprehensive bone health and metabolism as well as genetic investigations provided important information to help guide treatment in this case.
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A randomized, cross-over trial comparing the effect of innovative robotic gait training and functional clinical therapy in children with cerebral palsy; a protocol to test feasibility
17/01/2023
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Vamorolone versus placebo and prednisone in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A randomized clinical trial
01/10/2022
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive neuromuscular disorder affecting 1 in 3600 to 9300 male newborns.1 Treatment with oral corticosteroids (prednisone, deflazacort) delays loss of ambulation,2 but long-term corticosteroid treatment causes weight gain, stunting of growth, osteoporosis, mood disturbances, adrenal insufficiency, and other safety concerns leading to poor adherence to practice guidelines.3,4
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Impact of a Prenatal Vitamin D Supplementation Program on Vitamin D Deficiency, Rickets and Early Childhood Caries in an Alaska Native Population
22/09/2022