Biography
Dr. Leanne Ward is the Director of the Pediatric Bone Health Clinical and Research Programs at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and an Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the Department of Paediatrics. Dr. Ward’s research focus is on the mechanisms and treatment of bone and muscle injury secondary to chronic systemic illness, particularly osteoporosis arising from childhood cancer, glucocorticoid therapy, inflammatory diseases, and impaired mobility. She is the Principal Investigator of the STOPP (STeroid-induced Osteoporosis in the Pediatric Population) research program, a CIHR- funded, pan-Canadian initiative involving 12 paediatric, tertiary care centres coast to coast. She has published extensively on the mechanisms and epidemiology of bone morbidity in children. Dr. Ward is actively involved in the conduct of drug trials for children with bone disorders including bisphosphononate and denosumab therapy for primary and secondary osteoporosis, and anti-FGF-23 antibody for the treatment of hypophosphatemic rickets. Dr. Ward is particularly interested in cross-talk between muscle and bone, and the effect of bone-targeted therapy on underlying diseases including disorders affecting muscle health.
