Research and innovation

Multidisciplinary Research
Advancing Perinatal Health

With a family-centered approach, our mission is to improve the health of PREGNANT WOMEN and their CHILDREN through close collaboration among experts from diverse scientific disciplines using innovative approaches

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Ongoing studies

Thanks to the ongoing commitment of the participants and their families, these projects are helping to advance knowledge and improve Mother-and-Child Care.

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Cannabis & mother-child brain health

CAN-B Cohort

The CAN-B cohort (Cannabis and Infant Neurodevelopment) follows mothers and their children from early pregnancy through the child’s second year of life. It aims to better understand the effects of prenatal cannabis exposure on child development, maternal health, and the parent–child relationship. By combining neurodevelopmental assessments, neuroimaging, monitoring of consumption patterns, and biological sample collection, the study explores the underlying mechanisms of these effects and develops approaches to better characterize exposure to cannabis and its metabolites in both mother and child.

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Clinical trial & prematurity

Étude SNACS

The SNACS study is a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at 24 Canadian hospitals. It compares two approaches to steroids treatment administered before birth to promote lung development in fetuses at risk of preterm birth. The study evaluates whether a lower dose could be as effective as the standard treatment, while giving babies the best chance at good health by minimizing long-term effects.

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Neuroimaging & pregnancy

ICF-PP Study

The ICF-PP study (Cerebrovascular Imaging in Peripartum Women) uses brain MRI to better understand how the brain’s blood vessels adapt during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and how these changes may affect maternal health.

Essential partnership with clients
Trust • Commitment • Loyalty

Research Chair
Valérie Véronneau

The Valérie Véronneau Research Chair in Maternal-Fetal Medicine is dedicated to advancing perinatal research to better understand the factors that influence the health of women, children, and families. Pregnancy and the perinatal period represent a unique window of opportunity for early intervention, providing an opportunity to positively influence lifestyle habits and health trajectories, with lasting effects. Under the direction of Dr. Annie Ouellet, an obstetrician-gynecologist specializing in maternal-fetal medicine, the Chair relies on a multidisciplinary approach integrated into clinical practice, using state-of-the-art tools, and, above all, meaningful partnership with the community that are essential to advancing clinical and scientific knowledge. In addition to serving as a key driver for the development of the next generation of clinical researchers, the Chair aims to better address real-world needs and questions of pregnant women regarding their own health and the health of their children and families.

  • A research infrastructure integrated into clinical practice
  • An approach centered on maternal, child, and family health
  • A commitment to training the next generation of researchers
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Supporting MFM Research

By supporting our research, you are directly contributing to the advancement of knowledge andhelping improve care for women, children, and families.

Donate to the MFM Research Chair Donate to the CHUS Foundation
Phone
819-821-8000
Extension 71993

Our Areas of Expertise

An internationally recognized research environment, supported by prestigious funding (NIH, CIHR), and strengthened by collaborations with leading researchers and institutions in Canada and the United States, including Columbia University, Duke University, and New York University. Our work benefits from a unique integrated environment that brings clinical care and academic research into close proximity, as well as privileged access to patient-partners in the Eastern Townships who are followed over the long term. This strength is further supported by more than 15 years of experience in cohorts and biobanks focused on the health of pregnant women, children, and families.

We conduct perinatal cohorts studies from pregnancy through early childhood, enabling long-term follow-up of families. These research infrastructures integrate clinical, biological, and environmental data to examine the impact of medical conditions (e.g., obesity, pregnancy complications), lifestyle habits (e.g., cannabis use), parental mental health, and the psychosocial environment shape health trajectories. Grounded in clinical practice and supported by the sustained engagement of participants, this approach brings together multidisciplinary teams and enables large-scale analyses.

We use advanced neuroimaging approaches to study women’s brain health and child development across a range of exposures and clinical conditions. By combining brain imaging and biomarkers, this research helps us better understand the brain’s adaptive mechanisms throughout major reproductive life transition, from pregnancy to menopause. This work is made possible by the imaging facilities at the CHUS, collaborations with recognized experts, and innovative neuroscience approaches at the Université de Sherbrooke UdS.

Training the next generation of researchers is at the heart of our mission. We actively contribute to the training of graduate students, interns, and residents in an academic hospital setting fostering of clinician-researcher careers and strengthening the connections between clinical and basic research. Our rich, collaborative environment, gives trainees opportunities to contribute to innovative and impactful research projects while helping advance clinical practice.

The Research Team

The research team brings together clinicians, researchers, research and healthcare professionals, students and trainees, who actively contribute to project development and the training of the next generation of researchers.The team relies on strong provincial, national, and international collaborations, with most projects co-led by clinicians and researchers. This partnership enables research grounded in clinical pratice while integrating expertise from numerous disciplines, including medical imaging, neuroscience, epidemiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and genetics.
Learn more about our team