Dr. Lajos Kovacs

Neonatologist and Pediatrician
Division Director and Chief of Pediatrics

  • Dr. Lajos Kovacs completed both his pediatric residency training and neonatal fellowship at McGill University. He has been an active member of the Department of Neonatology at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) since 1993 and has served as JGH Chief of Neonatology and Pediatrics since 2022. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at McGill University and has been a longstanding member of various committees relating to medical education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels His specific research interest lies in neonatal pulmonary and infectious diseases, and he has been involved in numerous clinical research projects and collaborations over the years.

    In the early 1990s, Dr. Kovacs was instrumental in the development and management of a computerized database of all very low birth weight infants admitted to the Jewish General Hospital, collecting a large volume of data from both the initial hospitalization and follow-up visits over several decades. This dataset was the basis of many abstracts presented at the annual meetings of the Pediatric Academic Societies. In 2002, he played a key role in the successful implementation of additional data collection on a national level within the Canadian Neonatal Network. This endeavour has allowed for the benchmarking of various key outcome parameters in our center versus those of other Level III Canadian perinatal centers, thus generating numerous quality improvement initiatives which are now being locally coordinated by Dr. Victoria Bizgu.

    Current Research Activities

    Dr. Kovacs is currently collaborating with Dr. Guilherme Sant’anna of the McGill University Health Center in determining whether measurements of heart rate and respiratory rate variability could help to predict the success of extubation in ventilated very low birth weight infants.

    He is also collaborating with Dr. Amaryllis Ferrand of the JGH in examining the evolution of parental expectations regarding the antenatal consultation process over time.

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    Recent publications:

    1) Barton M, Shen A, O’Brien K, Robinson JL, Davies HD, Simpson K, Asztalos E, Langley J, Le Saux N, Sauve R, Synnes A, Tan B, de Repentigny L, Rubin E, Hui C, Kovacs L, Yau YCW, Richardson SE. Early onset invasive candidiasis in extremely low birth weight infants: perinatal acquisition predicts poor outcome. Clin Infect Dis 2017 Apr 1; 64(7):921-7.

    2) Shalish W, Kanbar LJ, Rao S, Robles-Rubio C, Kovacs L, Chawla S, Keszler M, Precup D, Brown K, Kearney RE, Sant’Anna GM. Prediction of extubation readiness in extremely preterm infants by the automated analysis of cardiorespiratory behavior: study protocol. BMC Pediatr 2017; 17:167-81.

    3) Shalish W, Kanbar L, Keszler M, Chawla S, Kovacs L, Rao S, Panaitescu BA, Laliberte A, Precup D, Brown K, Kearney RE, Sant’Anna GM. Patterns of reintubation in extremely preterm infants: a longitudinal cohort study. Pediatr Res 2018 May; 83(5):969-75.

    4) Shalish W, Kanbar L, Kovacs L, Chawla S, Keszler M, Rao S, Panaitescu B, Laliberte A, Precup D, Brown K, Kearney RE, Sant’Anna GM. Not all reintubations are the same: The impact of time interval between extubation and reintubation on death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia in extremely preterm infants. J Pediatr 2019 Feb; 205:70-6.

    5) Shalish W, Kanbar L, Kovacs L, Chawla S, Keszler M, Rao S, Latremouille S, Precup D, Brown K, Kearney RE, Sant’Anna GM. Assessment of extubation readiness using spontaneous breathing trials in extremely preterm neonates. JAMA Pediatr 2020 Feb 1; 174(2):178-85.

    6) Kanbar LJ, Shalish W, Onu CC, Latremouille S, Kovacs L, Keszler M, Chawla S, Brown KA, Precup D, Kearney RE, Sant’Anna GM. Automated prediction of extubation success in extremely preterm infants: the APEX multicenter study. Pediatr Res 2022 Jul 29. Online ahead of print. doi:10.1038/s41390-022-02210-9.

    7) Shalish W, Keszler M, Kovacs L, Chawla S, Latremouille S, Beltempo M, Kearney RE, Sant’Anna GM. Age at first extubation attempt and death or respiratory morbidities in extremely preterm infants. J Pediatr 2022 Aug 23. Online ahead of print. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.08.025.

Dr. Julie Bartholomew

Neonatologist and Pediatrician

  • Having completed her fellowship at Tuft’s, Dr. Bartholomew joined the JGH in 2012. She was program director of the NPM program until 2020 and is an active member of the NRP team at the JGH to train members outside of the NICU.

    Her research interest lie in respiratory support of neonates, and the use of different modalities to decrease air leaks and adverse events.

Dr. Victoria Bizgu

Neonatologist and Pediatrician
EPIQ Leader

  • Education:

    College “Gh.Asachi”, Chisinau, Moldova

    Medical School:

    Universite de Medecine et Pharmacie “N.Tesgtemitanu”, Chisinau, Moldova

    Pediatric Residency:

    Universite de Medecine et Pharmacie “N.Testemitanu”, Chisinau, Moldova

    Universite V.Segalin, Faculte de Medecine, Bordeaux-2, France

    Université Lille-2 “Henry Warenburg” Faculté de Médicine, Lille, France

    Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship:

    Universite de Medecine et Pharmacie “N.Testemitanu”, Chisinau, Moldova

    Universite de Montreal, Quebec

    Research:

    Dr. Bizgu’ particular interest lies in transition from intra-uterine to extra-uterine life (past research reflected in PhD thesis); breastfeeding; long term outcomes in premature infants and nosocomial infection. Being a coordinator of PICCs insertion team at the JGH and a member of EPIC project, her interest involves the prevention of nosocomial infection in NICU. Also, as a JGH CNN site coordinator, she is involved now in various multicentric provincial and national quality improvement projects.

Dr. Amaryllis Ferrand

Neonatologist and Pediatrician
Ph.D. Candidate

  • Dr. Ferrand is a neonatologist at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, a clinician-scientist and associate clinical professor at McGill University. She is currently completing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Clinical Ethics option at the University of Montreal under the supervision of Dr Eric Racine. Dr. Ferrand studied Biomedical Sciences and Psychology at the University of Ottawa. After graduating from Medical School at the University of Ottawa in 2011, she completed a residency in Pediatrics at at the University of Western Ontario from 2011-2014, followed by a fellowship in neonatology and a fellowship as a clinical investigator at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital in Montreal from 2014-2017. During her fellowships Dr. Ferrand did a masters in Biomedical Sciences, Clinical Ethics option at the University of Montreal under the supervision of Dr Antoine Payot.

    Dr Ferrand was awarded the Clinician-Researcher Scholarship of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montreal in 2016. She was awarded the FRQS doctorate award in 2018 and is the current holder of the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship since 2019.

    Her research interests include prognostication of high-risk pregnancies, predictions of future quality of life of NICU infants, Patient-partners in neonatal-perinatal medicine and improving trainee’s education of antenatal consultations.

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    Dr Ferrand est pédiatre néonatalogiste à l’Hôpital Général Juif de Montréal, clinicienne-chercheure et professeure adjoint de clinique à l’Université McGill. Elle complète actuellement un doctorat en Sciences Biomédicales, option éthique clinique à l’Université de Montréal sous la supervision du Dr Eric Racine. Dr Ferrand a complété des études en sciences biomédicales et psychologie à l’Université d’Ottawa. Après avoir complété ses études en médecine à l’Université d’Ottawa en 2011, elle a fait sa résidence en pédiatrie à l’Université de Western Ontario de 2011-2014. Elle a ensuite complété un fellowship en néonatalogie suivi d’un fellowship de clinicienne-chercheure au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine à Montréal de 2014-2017. Pendant ses fellowships, Dr Ferrand a fait une maîtrise en sciences biomédicales option éthique clinique à l’Université de Montréal sous la supervision du Dr Antoine Payot.

    Dr Ferrand a reçu la bourse Clinicien-chercheur de la faculté de médecine de l’Université de Montréal en 2016. Elle a obtenu la bourse doctorale FRQS en 2018 et est présentement récipiendaire depuis 2019 de la prestigieuse bourse d’études supérieures du Canada Vanier.

    Ses intérêts de recherche portent notamment sur la pronostication des grossesses à risque, la prédiction de la future qualité de vie des enfants en néonatalogie, les patient-partenaires en médecine néonatale-périnatale et l’amélioration de l’enseignement de la consultation anténatale.

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    1. Rasmussen LA, Cascio A*, Ferrand A*, Shevell M, Racine E, The Complexity of Physicians’ Understanding and Management of Prognostic Uncertainty in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy. Journal of Perinatology, Nature, 2019 Feb;39(2): 278-285

    2. Ferrand A, Roy SK, Faure C, Moussa A, Aspirot A. Post-Operative Non-Invasive Ventilation and Complications in Esophageal Atresia-Tracheoesophageal Fistula. Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 2019 May; 54(5): 945-948

    3. Ferrand A, Racine E. Can Clinicians be Objective? Inherent Challenges in Using Decision-making Tools in Cases of Entrenched Disagreements. American Journal of Bioethics, 2018 Aug; 18(8): 80-82

    4. Ferrand A, Gorgos A, Ali N, Payot A, Resilience Rather than Medical Factors: How Parents Predict Quality of Life of Their Sick Newborn. The Journal of Pediatrics, 2018 Sept; 200: 64-70.E5

    5. Radio-Canada : Ce que la mort de Joyce Echaquan nous apprend sur les préjugés dans le milieu de la santé, electronic news article, 2020, https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1738518/joyce-echaquan-prejuges-milieu-sante

Dr. Sabrina Furtado

Neonatologist and Pediatrician

  • Graduated medical school in Brazil, first international medical student to be accepted in the Pediatric Residency Program at McGill. Completed Neonatology training also at McGill and has been working as a Neonatologist at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) since 2015. Treasurer of the Society of Neonatologists of Quebec since January 2021. Recipient of a Women in leadership bursary in 2021.

    Research interests include Quality Improvement projects such as neonatal outcomes following implementation of protocols as well as side effects of postnatal steroids used for bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Engaged in teaching Neonatal Resuscitation Program to nurses, residents and physicians as well maintaining those skills through Mock codes at the JGH. Involved in teaching medical students on principles of neonatal resuscitation and prematurity.

Dr. Nina Nouraeyan

Neonatologist and Pediatrician
Program Director Neonatal Perinatal Medicine
McGill University

  • Dr. Nouraeyan is a Neonatologist at the Jewish General Hospital and an Assistant Professor with McGill University. She is also the program director of the Neonatal Perinatal Medicine Program.

    She did her undergraduate degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Ottawa before becoming a lab technician at the Janet Rossant stem cell laboratory at University of Toronto. She joined McGill medical school and graduated in 2011 then continuing on in a residency in Pediatrics and a fellowship in Neonatal Perinatal Medicine.

    Her research interest line in Respiratory medicine and the specific question of the subcategories of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). This stretches from the starting of the diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome all the way to the diagnosis of BPD. She is particularly interested in the use of point of care ultrasounds – specifically echocardiogram and lung ultrasound – in researching this aspect of neonatology.

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    1.A. Germain, N. Nouraeyan, M. Claveau, M. Leone and G.M. Sant’Anna Optimal surfactant delivery protocol using bovine lipid extract surfactant: a quality improvement study Journal of Perinatology, Volume 41, 14-23, 2021

    2. N. Nouraeyan, A. Lambrinakos-Raymond, M. Leone, G.M. Sant’Anna Surfactant Administration in Neonates: A review of delivery methodsCanadian Journal of Respiratory Therapy, Volume 50, Issue 3, 2014 (citations: 8)

    3. Stem Cell Bioengineering and Tissue Engineering Microenvironments World Scientific Publications, 2011 Editors: S. Prakash and D. Shum-Tim Chapter 4: The effects of aging on stem cell therapy M. Nayan, N. Nouraeyan, W. Chiu, D. Shum-Tim

Phoukim Savanh

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

  • Phoukim Savanh has been working in the field of neonatology since the beginning of her nursing career. As she graduated from the McGill Bachelor of Sciences in nursing in 2010, she started working at the Jewish General Hospital neonatal intensive care unit. In 2016, she obtained her Master of Sciences in Nursing from the Université de Montréal. The topic of her study was siblings’ adaptation during the hospitalization of a preterm neonate in the NICU. She obtained a master study bursary from the Quebec Ministry of

    Education, a knowledge transfer bursary given by the Université de Montréal and a research bursary for knowledge transfer from the Quebec Network on Nursing Intervention research to pursue her studies and ensure mobilization of knowledge.

    Furthermore, she continued developing the knowledge about siblings’s adaptation in the NICU and created other educative tools in collaboration with faculty members at the Université de Montreal and Prema-Quebec.

    In 2019, she obtained a post-master certificate in Neonatology and the Diploma in Neonatology from McGill University Ingram School of Nursing. She, then, started her career as a Neonatal nurse practitioner and is a pioneer of the practice at the Jewish General Hospital

    She is passionate about family-integrated care, neonatal lung health and developmental care.

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    1.Aita, M., Héon, M., Savanh, P., De Clifford-Faugère, G. & Charbonneau, L. (2021)

    2. Aita, M., Héon, M., Savanh, P., De Clifford-Faugère, G. & Charbonneau, L. (2020). Promoting family and siblings' adaptation following a preterm birth: A quality improvement project of a family-centered care nursing educational intervention. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 58, 21-27. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2020.11.006.

    3. Savanh, P, Aita, M. & Héon, M. (2020). A Review of Siblings' Needs and Interventions Supporting Their Adaptation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Infants & Young Children, 33 (4), 332-351 doi: 10.1097/IYC.0000000000000178

    4. Savanh, P, Aita, M., Héon, M. & Charbonneu, L. (2020). Case study of an educational intervention to favor siblings’ adaptation during the hospitalization of a preterm infant in the neonatal intensive care unit. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 26(6),
    352-357. doi: 10.1016/j.jnn.2020.04.003

Lea Carle-Hebert

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

  • Léa graduated with a Bachelor Degree of Science in Nursing from McGill University with a minor in Environment in 2014. Having a strong interest for the neonatal population and intensive care, she went on to work as a NICU nurse for 3 years. During this time, Léa participated in neonatal transport, the elaboration of protocols and guidelines, as well as clinical research projects, notably in hematology and the NICU. In 2019, she graduated once again from McGill University with a Master in Science and Graduate Diploma from the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program.

    Léa now works as a neonatal nurse practitioner at the Jewish General Hospital NICU and focuses her practice on the care of extreme preterm infants. Her main research interests lie in family integrated care, the respiratory management of extreme preterm infants as well as the management and prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Emelie Elkrief

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

  • Emélie has been a NICU nurse since the beginning of her nursing career. After completing her college education in 2015, she started working as a bedside nurse at the Jewish General Hospital NICU. In 2017 Emélie decided to further her education to become a Nurse Clinician and completed her Bachelor of Nursing at McGill University in 2019. She gained valuable experience as a charge nurse assisting colleagues in critical care decision making and attending neonatal codes requiring resuscitation. She then pursued a master’s degree at McGill University and became a neonatal nurse practitioner in 2022.

    The primary objective in her career as a neonatal nurse practitioner is to provide evidence-based, quality care to neonates, and to support patient’s family members in a tertiary care NICU. This objective comes with a commitment towards life-long continuous learning. Emélie’s research interests include respiratory care to prevent severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in extremely preterm newborns, as well as implementing neuroprotective strategies in the first week of life to prevent intraventricular hemorrhage.

Stephanie Treherne

Neonatal Nurse - Research Assistant

  • Stephanie Treherne is a Nurse Clinician in the NICU at Jewish General Hospital and a recent addition to the study team as Research Assistant.

    She completed an undergraduate degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology before

    completing a Master of Science in Nursing at McGill University. Her research project focused on parent closeness and separation from their infant in the NICU and was published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing in 2017.

    She has worked as an RA and Research Coordinator at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, working primarily on a multi-site mixed methods PICU study. However her passion lies with her tiny NICU patients.

    Her research interests include improving the parent experience throughout all stages of the NICU stay; ensuring that parent voices are considered in NICU projects and improvements; and family-integrated care.

Julie Louli

Neonatal Nurse - Research Assistant

  • Julie is an experienced Nurse Clinician at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Jewish General Hospital who recently started her journey as a Research Assistant in the same field. Following a few years of academic work and research in the field of Biochemistry at St-Luc Hospital focused on Hepatitis C infection, she returned to McGill University to obtain her Master of Science in Nursing. There, her interest in research was reignited.

    Her main interests center around providing personalized and patient- centered care backed by the latest scientific findings to children and infants in hospital settings.

    Previously, she was part of a team which studied the creation of an interactive tool aimed to help children with cancer express their thoughts and feelings with the hopes of implementing this tool in hospitals and providing more specific interventions.

    At the NICU, she continues to care for vulnerable patients and aspires to provide the most up-to-date and informed interventions to these infants. She hopes that complementing her work with research in the same field will be beneficial to all patients in her care.