Meet Our Team
Governance
Director, Maternal and Child Health Biobank
Chair of the Maternal and Child Health Biobank Access Committee
Daniel Dufort, PhD
Dr. Daniel Dufort is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Associate Member in the Department of Medicine at McGill University. He is a Scientist at the Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) within the Child Health and Human Development Program (CHHD) and the Centre for Translational Biology. He is also a member of the Réseau Québécois en Reproduction (RQR) and the Réseau de recherche sur les Origines Développementales et Intergénérationnelles de la santé des enfants (ODISÉ). Dr. Dufort’s research centers on translational medicine, bridging the gap between laboratory research and clinical application. His research strives to elucidate the embryo-uterine communication required for successful implantation of the embryo; using molecular, embryological, and genetic approaches to identify the signaling pathways and their roles in the implantation process. His research additionally focuses on understanding the role of maternal signals in the proper development and functioning of the placenta, as they are often linked to pregnancy complications (i.e., preeclampsia, preterm birth, etc.). Dr. Dufort has published extensively in high-impact journals, contributing to advancements in understanding disease mechanisms and treatment options. Through his work he has secured numerous grants from prestigious funding agencies, underscoring the impact and relevance of his research.
Richard Brown, MBBS DFSRH FRCOG
Director, Maternal and Child Health Biobank
Member of the Maternal and Child Health Biobank Access Committee
Dr. Richard Brown completed his medical degree and postgraduate training in London, England, including a fellowship in fetal medicine at the Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine with Professor Kypros Nicolaides. He practiced as a consultant in London before moving to McGill in 2006. He currently directs the divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) at the McGill University Health Center. He is director of ObGyn ultrasound and obstetric director of the Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Group, a multidisciplinary group focused on management of fetal malformations. He is an active member of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada being a member of both the Maternal Fetal Medicine and Genetics Committees. Since 2006 he has been an active member of the North American Fetal Therapy Network (NAFTNet) and has twice served on its board. He also serves as an advisory board member for the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ISUOG) and as associate Editor for TOG (Published by the Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, London) and Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing).
Tina Montreuil, PHD, PsyD, MEd
Co-Investigator, Maternal and Child Health Biobank
Member of the Maternal and Child Health Biobank Access Committee
Dr. Tina Montreuil is an Associate Professor in the department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and an Associate Member of the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at McGill University, as well as the director of Childhood Anxiety and Regulation of Emotions Laboratory C.A.R.E. Research Group. She is a Scientist at the Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, a Regular Investigator of the Research Unit of Children’s Psychosocial Maladjustment (GRIP), and a Full member of the McGill Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF). She has gained recognition as a child well-being (i.e., emotion regulation, stress and anxiety), and parenting expert for the work that she leads in prevention and child development. Montreuil's areas of expertise include the promotion of well-being, social determinants of mental health, prevention - early intervention and mental health literacy/advocacy. As a licensed member of the Quebec Order of Psychologists and a credentialed member of the Canadian Association of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies, she has held a private practice with children and family, focusing on cognitive-behavioural and mindfulness approaches.
Co-Investigator, Maternal and Child Health Biobank
Member of the Maternal and Child Health Biobank Access Committee
Marc Beltempo, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Dr. Marc Beltempo is a staff neonatologist and scientist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital – McGill University Health Centre (Montreal). His research focuses on evaluating how the organization of work affects outcomes of infants and identifying best care practices to improve care. Using clinical and administrative databases, he studies the effects of different healthcare delivery models (nursing ratios, physician staffing), resource allocation (unit occupancy, nursing overtime) and interventions on quality of care and efficiency in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. As the Associated Director of the Canadian Neonatal Network, he leads several studies that aim to improve quality of care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He holds funding from the CIHR, Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, FRQ-S and the Ministry of Health. The overarching goal is to improve quality of care and improve efficiency in the delivery of care.
Geneviève Genest, MD
Co-Investigator, Maternal and Child Health Biobank
Dr. Geneviève Genest is an immunologist and allergologist at the Montreal General Hospital. She is the founder of the first and only Reproductive Immunology Clinic in Canada. She also offers the only Canadian training in reproductive immunology available through her fellowship program. As an authority in her field, she sees patients from all over Canada and, although she currently works alone, she is on a mission to share her expertise by training other physicians. Her recent teaching session as a visiting expert at Harvard’s Grand Rounds presented her latest work in understanding the relationship between the immune system and recurrent miscarriages. Dr. Geneviève Genest acquired this confidence and knowledge under the leadership of her mentor, Dr. Phil Gold, former Chair of the Department of Medicine at McGill and former Physician-in-Chief at the Montreal General Hospital. Thanks in part to the guidance and wisdom of this highly regarded doctor, Dr. Genest specializes in a medical area that is still relatively unexplored and yet so vital.
Jacquetta Trasler, MD, PhD
Co-Investigator, Maternal and Child Health Biobank
Dr. Jacquetta Trasler is Director for Pediatric Research at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and a James McGill Professor in Pediatrics, Human Genetics and Pharmacology & Therapeutics at McGill University. She directs the Developmental Genetics Laboratory at the RI-MUHC at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Dr. Trasler has mentored a number of trainees and directed the McGill University M.D./Ph.D. Program from 1999-2007. Her research interests focus on epigenetics and the molecular and developmental regulation of gene expression in the germline and early embryo. More specifically she studies DNA methylation and genomic imprinting and the molecular and cellular targets for drug effects on germ cells and embryos. Ongoing studies include effects of drugs, diet (folate) and assisted reproductive technologies on the epigenome of germ cells and embryos and the implications for trangenerational passage of epigenetic defects.
Dr. Elin Grundberg completed her PhD (2006) in Molecular Medicine at Uppsala University, Sweden and following post-doctoral training at the McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre she joined Wellcome Trust Sanger institute in 2009 to lead the international MuTHER Consortium, which included developing a major resource of detailed genomics and epigenomics data from multiple disease-targeted tissues from twins. In 2012, she was appointed Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at the Department of Human Genetics at McGill University where her group was applying various next-generation sequencing approaches to understand genetic and epigenetic factors underlying complex disease susceptibility. Dr. Grundberg lead two CIHR team grants on this topic including the EpiTriO Consotium with partners in Canada and Europe. She held a Canada Research Chair (tier 2) in Disease Genomics and Epigenomics. Dr. Grundberg currently collaborates with a number of large international research consortia and is the author of over 75 scientific papers.
Elin Grundberg, PhD
Co-Investigator, Maternal and Child Health Biobank
Research Team
Shiva Shafiei, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Mégane Bouchard, MSc
Clinical Research Coordinator
Chloé Gratton, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator
Parinaz Kazemi, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Naiya Patel, BSc
MSc Candidate
Laura Girardet, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Co-Investigator, Maternal and Child Health Biobank
Karl Grenier, MD, PhD, FRCP(C)
Dr. Karl Grenier is an Assistant Professor of Pathology at McGill University and a pediatric and perinatal pathologist at the McGill University Health Center. He holds dual certifications in Anatomical Pathology from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Pathology. Dr. Grenier completed a PhD in neuroscience and cellular biology at the Montreal Neurological Institute before earning his MDCM at McGill University. He then trained in Anatomical Pathology at McGill and completed a fellowship in pediatric and perinatal pathology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His research focuses on placental pathology, neonatal gastrointestinal disorders, and renal disease subtyping using mass spectrometry and deep learning. He is also exploring new methods to identify cryptic causes of death in pediatric autopsies. Dr. Grenier’s work aims to improve diagnostics and therapeutic strategies in pediatric and perinatal medicine.