BA, BSc, MSc, MDCM, CSCN(EEG), PhD
I completed my undergraduate medical studies (MDCM) and training in adult neurology (residency) at McGill University. I subsequently completed a Master’s degree in epidemiology at McGill University, supported by a scholarship from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé, under the supervision of Professor Christina Wolfson. With this background, I completed a mixed research and clinical fellowship in epilepsy at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, under the supervision of Professor Josemir Sander, and under the auspices of the International Sponsorship Scheme of the Royal College of Physicians of London. This immediately led to my PhD in translational neuroscience from Leiden University (The Netherlands), under the supervision of Professor Michel Ferrari as well as Professor Sander.
I accepted my first academic appointment in 2016 as Assistant (clinical) Professor in the Department of neurosciences at the Université de Montréal. I am an Associate Member of the Department of Social and Preventative Medicine at the Université de Montréal School of Public Health (ESPUM) as well as an Adjunct Member of the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University.
I am an Honorary Researcher at Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), Heemstede, The Netherlands. I am an active member of the epilepsy group at the Université de Montréal Hospital Centre (CHUM) as well as the director of the CHUM Tuberous Sclerosis Complex clinic, what is likely the largest clinic for adults with TSC in Canada.
My research group is particularly focused on the study of somatic comorbidity in epilepsy, with a growing interest in cardiovascular disease in people with epilepsy. I supervise a number of projects examining multimorbidity and frailty in the general population, while also applying these concepts to my interest in epilepsy. Many of my studies rely on large population-based databases but I lead multicentre studies, recruiting participants for various cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Finally, I have considerable experience in systematic review and related knowledge synthesis methods.
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2020 – Present
Editorial board member
One 2-year term served and a second begun, for 2015-2017 Epilepsia – the most highly-cited speciality journal in epilepsy, IF = 6.040
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2020 – Present
Committee member, The Lancet (IF = 59.102)
Commission on epilepsy, participating in the drafting of a special edition issue, a group of approximately 30 international investigators.
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2019 – Present
Guideline subcommittee member, American Academy of Neurology
34,000 members; the largest professional neurology organization in the world, participating in the background research and development of AAN clinical practice guidelines (approximately 100 hours per annum, including 4 annual in-person meetings at AAN headquarters).
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2018 – Present
Publications committee member, Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
A 20-year longitudinal cohort involving 50,000 study participants, responsible for reviewing publications based on CLSA data to ensure that they conform to CLSA guidelines.
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2017 – Present
Epilepsy surgery outcomes task force member, of the Commission on Surgical Therapy, International League Against Epilepsy
14,000 members; the foremost international organization in epilepsy, 100 hours per annum, reviewing evidence and producing an ILAE position statement on the use of neuromodulation in epilepsy.
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2017 – 2019
Director of education, Canadian League Against Epilepsy
The foremost Canadian organization in epilepsy, approximately 175 members, responsible for scientific content of the CLAE meeting and all other educational activities (approximately 50 hours per annum, as well as 2 1-hour teleconferences per month).
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20/01-20/04
Lecturer, PPHS 501 Population Health and Epidemiology
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3-Credit Senior Undergraduate Course
McGill University, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health. I was responsible for 15 hours of in-person lectures, lectures to 30 students.
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19/02-19/03
Small group leader, MMD1232 The Nervous System Course
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18/02-18/03
2-credit 1st year undergraduate medicine, Université of Montréal
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17/02-17/03
Faculty of Medicine. I was responsible for 18 hours per year of small group
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11/01-11/02
Instruction, small groups of 10 students.
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19/04/17
Guest lecturer, NEU8007 Neurology resident course
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17/01/04
Title: “The prognosis and mortality in epilepsy” and the “Somatic comorbidities of epilepsy”, Université de Montréal, Dept of Neurosciences.
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14/11/06
Guest lecturer, Title: “Epilepsy: prognosis and mortality”
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1 hr Lecture
Part of accredited MSc course in Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK.
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Active
18/09-present – Dr Laurence Boulanger, PhD
Project title: The Development and Validation of a Multimorbidity Index
Co-supervisor (with Marie-Pierre Sylvestre) to Dr Boulanger (post-doc in biostatistics at the Université de Montréal). Dr Boulanger is developing and validating a new multimorbidity index using the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Aging (NuAge) cohort.
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Completed
17/09-18/08 – Dr Zhuo-Yu Wang, PhD
Co-supervisor (with Marie-Pierre Sylvestre) to Dr Wang (post-doc in biostatistics at the Université de Montréal). Dr Wang developed and validated a new multimorbidity index using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.
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Active
20/01-21/01 – Dr Guillaume Martin, MD
Co-supervisor during 12-month clinical fellowship in epilepsy and electroencephalography
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Completed
18/07-19/06 – Dr Véronique Martel, MD
Co-supervisor during 12-month clinical fellowship in epilepsy and electroencephalography.
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18/07-19/06 – Dr Raluca Pana, MD
Co-supervisor during 12-month clinical fellowship in epilepsy and electroencephalography.
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17/07-18/06 – Dr Laurence Martineau, MD
Co-supervisor during 12-month clinical fellowship in epilepsy and electroencephalography.
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Active
18/09 – present Christian Wilfried Mendo, MSc
Co-supervisor (with Marie-Pierre Sylvetre) to Mr Mendo (PhD in Epidemiology at the Université de Montréal). Mr Mendo’s thesis will centre on the relationship between frailty and cardiovascular disease, with a focus on grip strength but also considering other aspects of Fried’s frailty phenotype. Recipient of student bursaries from the CRCHUM ($1000; 2019-2020), the Office of International Affairs of the Université de Montreal ($4,334; 2020-2021), and the School of Public Health of the Université de Montréal ($10,000; 2020-2021).
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Active
19/09 – present – Arielle Vary O’Neil, BSc
Principal Supervisor to Ms Vary O’Neil (MSc in neurosciences at the Université de Montréal). Ms Vary O’Neil’s thesis will centre on the investigation of frailty as a determinant of treatment efficacy and tolerability in older adults with epilepsy.
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18/09 – present – Nafisa Husein, BSc
Principal Supervisor to Ms Husein (MSc in public health at the Université de Montréal). Ms Husein’s thesis will centre on the relationship between cardiovascular disease and epilepsy. Recipient of a Bursary of excellence from the Faculté des Études Supérieures, Université de Montréal ($4,000).
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18/09 – present – Dr Bastien Rioux, MD
Co-supervisor (with Laura Gioia) to Dr Rioux (MSc in biomedical sciences at the Université de Montréal). Dr Rioux’s thesis will centre on the comorbidity of stroke and epilepsy, using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging as a study platform.
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18/09 – present – Dr Yen Tran Phuoc, MD
Co-supervisor (with Dang Nguyen) to Dr Phuoc (MSc in neurosciences at the Université de Montréal). Dr Phuoc’s thesis will centre on the relationship between the insula and cardiac electrophysiology, using the CHUM epilepsy database.
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Active
19/09 – present – Dr Bénédicte Dansereau, MD
Principal Supervisor to Dr Dansereau (resident in adult neurology at Université de Montréal). Dr Dansereau is carrying out a systematic review of studies examining neuromodulation therapy in epilepsy.
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19/04 – present – Dr Lahoud Touma, MD
Principal Supervisor to Dr Touma (resident in adult neurology at Université de Montréal). Dr Touma is carrying out a systematic review of studies examining neuromodulation therapy in epilepsy.
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18/09 – present – Dr Joel Neves Briard, MD
Principal Supervisor to Dr Neves Briard (resident in adult neurology at Université de Montréal). Dr Neves Briard is carrying out a Cochrane review of studies examining for differences in efficacy and tolerability of generic versus branded antiepileptic drugs.
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16/09 -present – Dr Bushra Sultana, MD
Principal Supervisor to Dr Bushra (resident in adult neurology at Université de Montréal). Dr Bushra is carrying out a systematic review of observational studies focused on the risk, burden and predictors of drug resistant epilepsy.
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Completed
16/12-19/02 – Dr Nastasija Lezaic, MD
Principal Supervisor to Dr Lezaic (resident in adult neurology at Université de Montréal). Dr Lezaic carried out a systematic review of observational studies focused on the comorbid relationship between epilepsy and neoplasia.
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17/04-18/06 – Dr Alexandra Muccilli, MD
Principal Supervisor to Dr Muccilli (resident in adult neurology at Université de Montréal). Dr Muccilli carried out a rigorous evaluation of the quality of search strategies used by systematic reviews of neurological conditions published over the last 3 years.
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13/07-14/01 – Dr Hanni Bouma, MD
Co-supervisor (with Dr Christina Wolfson) to Dr Bouma (neurology resident at McGill University) during her 6-month Neuroscience rotation while she carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of routine EEG for epilepsy after a first unprovoked seizure.
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Active
20/05 -present – Isabel Kalaycioglu, DEC
Principal Supervisor to Ms Kalaycioglu (undergraduate medical student at Université de Montréal) during a 3-month summer research elective and beyond. Ms Kalaycioglu is carrying out a methodological study on systematic reviews, comparing different methods to assess risk of bias in primary studies.
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20/05 -present – Sarah Bouhadoun, DEC
Principal Supervisor to Ms Bouhadoun (undergraduate medical student at McGill University) during a 3-month summer research elective and beyond. Ms Bouhadoun is carrying out a methodological study on systematic reviews, comparing different methods to screen titles and abstracts.
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19/05 -present – Kenan Bachour, DEC
Principal Supervisor to Mr Bachour (undergraduate medical student at Université de Sherbrooke) during a 3-month summer research elective and beyond. Mr Bachour is carrying out at a national audit of the description and care received by adults with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex in Canada.
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Completed
17/06-18/12 – David Lasry, DEC
Principal Supervisor to Mr Lasry (undergraduate medical student at McGill University) during a 3-month summer research elective and beyond. Mr Lasry carried out a case report on a malignantly transformed epidermoid cyst.
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16/06-17/12 – Andrew Bui, DEC
Principal Supervisor to Mr Bui (undergraduate medical student at Université de Montréal) during a 3-month summer research elective and beyond. Mr Bui carried out a nationwide retrospective survey, the National Epilepsy Surgery Survey 2016, to examine the use of epilepsy surgery in Canada.
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16/06-17/12 – Jacob Abdaem, DEC
Principal Supervisor to Mr Abdaem (undergraduate medical student at McGill University) during a 3-month summer research elective and beyond. Mr Abdaem carried out a diagnostic validation study, comparing the criterion validity of different electronic database hedges meant to screen for six enumerated neurological conditions.
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Active
20/05 – present – Joudy Kabouji, DEC
Principal Supervisor to Ms Kabouji (undergraduate students in biomedical sciences at Université de Montréal) during a 3-month research elective (15 course credits) and beyond. Ms Kabouji is carrying out a methodological study on systematic reviews, comparing different methods to screen titles and abstracts.
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Completed
17/09-19/07 – David Berger, MSc
Co-supervisor (with Marie-Pierre Sylvestre) to Mr Berger (1-year sabbatical prior to his starting his PhD in mathematics) as a research associate. Mr Berger estimated graphical models, based upon machine learning algorithms, to illustrate undirected associations between chronic diseases in the general population.