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
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10/03/2026
Clear guidance to keep kids with Duchenne safe while using new steroid treatments
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06/12/2024
CHEO Research Institute and Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada Collaborate to Launch First-of-its-kind Joint Pediatric Metabolic and Genetic Bone Disorders Fellowship
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31/08/2020
Bone Fragility and Morbidity in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy live webinar.
Research Projects
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Impacting the physical activity confidence of children with medical conditions or disabilities: A randomized controlled trial
27/03/2025
Youth with medical conditions or disabilities (MCD) seldom achieve healthy physical activity recommendations. Barriers include a perceived lack of competence, fear of pain/symptom exacerbation, or physical function changes. A 12-week intervention targeting physical activity confidence was evaluated among youth with MCD. The study found that youth who were confident were more likely to engage in physical activity. The in-person intervention increased participants’ activity confidence. The limited impact of the virtual format suggests that implementing new skills with peers is critically important for enhancing activity confidence. Further research is required to evaluate whether confidence gains could be sustained beyond the study intervention, would longitudinally increase activity participation over time, or would transfer to other activity settings.
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Risk Factors Associated with Incident Vertebral Fractures in Steroid-treated Males with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
18/01/2024
This prospective study examined clinical and skeletal factors associated with new vertebral fractures over 12 months in glucocorticoid‑treated children and young adults with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The findings showed that having one or more existing vertebral or non‑vertebral fractures—and greater bone age delay—were the strongest predictors of incident vertebral fractures. These results highlight the importance of preventing first fractures and suggest that markers of glucocorticoid exposure may help identify patients who should be prioritized for early fracture‑prevention strategies.
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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
13/03/2023
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a disease of the joints characterized by idiopathic focal subchondral lesions. Aggrecan, a proteoglycan encoded by the ACAN gene, is important for cartilage structure and function. We describe the clinical evolution of a patient with short stature, multi-focal OCD, and subchondral osteopenia that appeared linked to a novel pathogenic ACAN variant. A multi-disciplinary approach including medical (bisphosphonate) therapy, surgical intervention and rehabilitation were successful in restoring wellness and physical function.
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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.