Associate Scientist, Clinical Epidemiology Program
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Assistant Professor, Department of OB/GYN
University of Ottawa

Staff Physician, Maternal Fetal Medicine
The Ottawa Hospital

Clinical Research Chair, Perinatal Research and Epidemiology
University of Ottawa- Faculty of Medicine

Dr. Darine El-Chaâr is a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) physician at TOH, Associate Scientist at OHRI, and Assistant 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.

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.

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

COVID-19; Diabetes; Maternal and fetal health; Newborn and child health; Population health; Pregnancy; Women's health

Clinical research; Clinical trials; Cohort studies; Epidemiology; Health research methods; Health services research; Public health; Qualitative methods; Quality Improvement; Systematic reviews