Darine El-Chaar
Scientist, Inflammation & Chronic Disease
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Associate Professor, Department of OB/GYN
University of Ottawa
Associate Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health
University of Ottawa
Staff Physician, Maternal Fetal Medicine
The Ottawa Hospital
Clinical Research Chair, Perinatal Research and Epidemiology
University of Ottawa- Faculty of Medicine
Research Interests
Dr. Darine El-Chaâr is a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) physician at TOH, Associate Scientist at OHRI, and Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa. Dr. El-Chaâr is the lead of the COPE Network, which was recently setup in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Darine El-Chaâr is actively involved in maternal fetal
medicine research to improve outcomes for fetus and mother in pregnancy. Current research focus areas include: (1) breastfeeding
and diabetes: initiation, success and maintenance; (2) Maternal morbidities and
prenatal care; and (3) COVID-19 in pregnancy (4) Cannabis use in pregnancy.
Brief Biography
Dr. El-Chaâr completed her Obstetrical and Gynecology
residency at The University of Ottawa in 2012. She was extensively involved in
research projects during her residency at the Ottawa hospital which gathered
several achievement awards, publications, national and international
presentations. Research initiatives included the risks of obesity on maternal
and neonatal obstetrical outcomes and interventions. Her research also explored
funding for this project which would help look at the postpartum outcomes in
this patient population.
In July of 2014, Dr. Darine El-Chaâr completed her
Maternal Fetal Medicine fellowship training at the University of Toronto, Mount
Sinai Hospital. Throughout her training, she maintained a keen interest in
obstetrical research and its impact on women's health.
She joined the Maternal Fetal Medicine Department at The Ottawa Hospital as of July 2014. She completed a Masters in clinical Epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2017. Current research initiatives include maternal health conditions and pregnancy outcomes, Caesarian Delivery by Maternal Request and Provincial outcomes, COVID-19 in pregnancy, Cannabis use in pregnancy, Breastfeeding and Diabetes: maternal and neonatal obstetrical outcomes and interventions. She has secured funding through CIHR and other grant funding agencies.
Dr. El-Chaâr is actively involved in resident and
fellow teaching, in addition to continuing development of the residency/fellowship research educational
curriculum. She has just completed a term of program director of Maternal Fetal Medicine. She continues to take
part in national and international conferences where she is invited to speak
out on maternal and fetal medicine initiatives. Through many platforms, Dr. Darine
El-Chaâr is dedicated to provide excellent
patient care, and that is what motivates her daily in her research and
educational activities. Making a positive
impact on a patient’s care experience is always the main priority in her
approach to care.
Selected Publications
Muldoon KA, Denize KM, Talarico R, Biosvert C, Frank O, Harvey A, Rennicks White R, Fell DB, O’Hare-Gordon MA, Guo Y, Murphy MS, Corsi D, Sampsel K, Wen SW, Walker MC, El-Chaâr Darine. COVID-19 and Perinatal Intimate Partner Violence: A cross-sectional survey of pregnant and post-partum individuals in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Open, 11(5), e049295
Pham-Huy A, Top KA, Constantinescu C, Seow CH, El-Chaâr Darine. The use of monoclonal antibody biologics during pregnancy: Impact on mother and baby. CMAJ – July 26, 2021
Guo Y, Murphy M, Erwin E, Fakhraei R, Corsi D, White-Rennicks R, Harvey A, Gaudet L, Walker MC, Wen SW & El-Chaâr Darine. Birth outcomes following cesarean delivery on maternal request: a population-based cohort study. Accepted for publication Apr 23, 2021 CMAJ. doi/10.1503/cmaj.202262
Foudil-Bey I, Murphy MS,
Keely EJ, El-Chaâr Darine. Maternal and newborn
outcomes of antenatal breastmilk expression: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open.
May 12,2020. 2020;10:e033101.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033101
Corsi D, Walsh L, Weiss D,
Hsu H, El-Chaâr Darine, Hawkeen S,
Fell D, Walker MC. Association Between
Self-Reported Prenatal Cannabis Use and Maternal, Perinatal, and Neonatal
Outcomes. Impact factor 40 JAMA. 2019 Jun 18. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.8734. [Epub ahead of print].
PMID: 31211826 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2019.8734
El-Chaâr Darine, Manley J, LeBouthillier F, Ryan G,
Windrim R. Development of a
High-Fidelity Simulator for Teaching Chorionic Villus Sampling. J Obstet
Gynaecol Can. 2018 Sep;40(9):1178-1181. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc. 2017.10.028. Epub
2018 Jul 18. PMID: 30030058
Berndl A, El-Chaâr
Darine, Murphy K, McDonald S. Does cervical ripening at term using a
high volume foley catheter result in a lower caesarean section rate than a low
volume foley catheter? A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Obstet Gynaecol Can.
2014 Aug; 36(8):678-87. Review. PMID:
25222162
El-Chaâr
Darine, Finkelstein SA, Tu X, Fell DB, Gaudet L, Sylvain J, Tawagi
G, Wen SW, Walker M. The impact of
increasing obesity class on obstetrical outcomes. J Obstet
Gynaecol Can. 2013 Mar; 35(3):224-33.
PMID: 23470110
El-Chaâr
Darine, Yang Q, Gao J, Bottomley J, Leader A, Wen SW, Walker
M. Risk of birth defects increased in
pregnancies conceived by assisted human reproduction. Fertil Steril. 2009
Nov; 92(5):1557-61. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.08.080. Epub 2008 Oct
29. PMID: 18973885
El-Chaâr Darine, Gagnon A, Sorisky A. Inhibition of insulin signaling and
adipogenesis by rapamycin: effect on phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase vs eIF4E-BP1. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord.
2004 Feb; 28(2):191-8. PMID: 14970836
Diseases, conditions and populations of interest
Research and clinical approaches
