Marie-France Savard

Dr. Marie-France Savard is a Medical Oncologist at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, a Clinician Investigator at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.

She is internationally recognized for her work in improving cancer care through patient-centred research. Dr. Savard co-leads the REthinking Clinical Trials (REaCT) Program, Canada's largest pragmatic oncology research program, where she develops innovative clinical trials designed to answer the questions that matter most to patients and improve cancer care . She also co-leads the Cardiac Oncology Program at The Ottawa Hospital, bringing together oncology and cardiology to improve the care of patients affected by cancer and heart disease.

Her research focuses on optimizing breast cancer treatment, reducing unnecessary treatment toxicity, and ensuring that patients receive care that not only improves survival but also preserves quality of life. She has led several multicentre clinical trials across Canada and recently secured a prestigious Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant to lead the national REaCT-70 trial, which is evaluating a more personalized approach to treating older women with breast cancer.

Dr. Savard's contributions have been recognized with numerous honours, including the CIHR Early Career Researcher Award in Cancer, the Department of Medicine Early Career Research Award at The Ottawa Hospital, and the Division of Medical Oncology Researcher of the Year Award.