CV Science

Isabelle Boutron MD, PhD / ORCID 0000-0002-5263-6241

Course and current status

Current Position

Professor of Epidemiology in the Centre of Clinical Epidemiology, Hôtel Dieu Hospital, University Paris Descartes. (2012)

Researcher in the INSERM UMR 1153 METHODS team of the Sorbonne Paris Cité Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center (CRESS)

Coordinator of the MIROR project, an innovative and ambitious joint doctoral training programme funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, dedicated to Methods in Research on Research (MIROR) in the field of clinical research (miror-ejd.eu). (2015)

Deputy director of the French EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) centre (http://www.equator-network.org/about-us/french-equator-centre). (2014)

Coordinator of the MIROR project, an innovative and ambitious joint doctoral training programme funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, dedicated to Methods in Research on Research (MIROR) in the field of clinical research (miror-ejd.eu). (2015)

Deputy director of Cochrane France (2017)

Elected member of the Cochrane Methods Executive (2012)

Co-convenor of the Bias Methods group, Cochrane collaboration (2010)

 

Previous Positions

Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Centre of Clinical Epidemiology, Hôtel Dieu Hospital, University Paris Descartes (2009-2012)

Postdoctoral fellowship in the Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Pr Altman, Oxford University (2008-2009)

Assistant Professor in Epidemiology in the Bichat Hospital, University Paris 7 (2004-2008)

Scientific summary

Research activities

My research activities focus on the methodology of non-pharmacological treatment evaluation, the internal and external validity of trials, the transparency and interpretation of research results, Research on Research and more specifically interventional Research on Research. I participated in the development of International recommendations to improve the transparency of testing (CONSORT Statement). I co-lead the development of the CONSORT extension for non-pharmacological treatments. I developed the concept of " spin " (i. e., inappropriate presentation and interpretation of results that can distort readers' interpretation) for scientific publications. I work on the development and evaluation of interventions to improve adherence to reporting guidelines and the peer review system.

 

Academic awards and honours

- Award Louis-Daniel Beauperthuy, Académie des sciences (2014)
- Award of scientific excellence (2010-2014)
- Post doctoral fellowship grant

 

Training through Research and teaching

- Deputy Director of the Master in Comparative Effectiveness Research (400 hours, 10 modules, 400 European credit transfer system), Paris Descartes University

- Director of the Clinical Epidemiology course (4 modules, 30 European credit transfer system), Paris Descartes University

- Director of the Methods in therapeutic evaluation course (60 European credit transfer system), Paris Descartes University

- Director of the Public Health course for the Alter PACES; Paris Descartes University

- Teaching Public Health courses for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th year medical students at Paris Descartes University (about 100 hours per year)

 

Students’ supervision

- Supervision of 24 master students since 2003
- Supervision of 5 graduated PhD students, 2 ongoing

 

International Networks

- Member of the steering commitee of the CONSORT group

- Member of the writing committee of the REWARD group that published 5 articles in the Lancet in January 2014 dedicated to waste in research

- International collaborations with University of Oxford (Pr DG. Altman, Centre for Statistics in Medicine; Pr P. McCulloch, Nuffield Dept of Surgical Sciences); University of Liverpool (Pr Williamson, Dr J. Kirkham, Dpt of Biostatistics); University of Ottawa (Dr D. Moher ; Dpt of Epidemiology and Community Medicine) ; University of McGill (Dr B. Thombs, Department of Psychiatry); University of Southern Denmark (Pr A. Hróbjartsson); University of Bond (Pr P. Glasziou, Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice) ; Bristol University (Pr Julian Higgins, Pr Jonathan Sterne); University of Amsterdam (Pr Bossuyt).

 

Editorial boards

- Plos Medicine (Academic editor)
- Plos Biology (Academic editor)
- Trials (Senior editor)
- Plos One (Academic editor until 2015)
- BMC Medical Research Methodology (Academic editor jusqu’en 2015)
- Cochrane Musculoskeletal Review Group

 

Recent Grants obtained as PI

- MiRoR (Methods in Research on Research) project funded by an Innovative Training Network (Call: H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015) of 3.8 million euros. This project aims to create, in Europe, an innovative and ambitious multidisciplinary intersectoral joint doctoral training programme, dedicated to Methods in Research on Research (MiRoR) in the field of clinical research. “Research on Research”, is an emerging new scientific discipline that aims to reduce waste in research and increase research value. MiRoR brings together 7 world-class research teams in various disciplines (computer sciences, applied mathematics, biostatistics, bioinformatics, clinical epidemiology, psychology, social sciences and translational medicine) from 6 different European countries; 6 non-academic partners involved in diverse sectors, and 4 major academic partners. We are training 15 PhD students to become the future leaders in this field. The research areas considered in the MiRoR project are research planning, conduct, reporting and the peer-review system.

- Project "Development and validation of a tool to assess the burden of research for participants I cancer randomized trials", INCA (French National cancer Institute), 2017 (200 000 euros).

 

Scientific production

155 articles with 19 articles as first, second or last author in the top 6 highest impact factor general medical journals, 5 highly cited as first, second or last authors, and an H index=33 

20 best publications

1. Boutron I, Altman DG, Moher D, Schulz KF, Ravaud P; CONSORT NPT Group. CONSORT Statement for Randomized Trials of Nonpharmacologic Treatments: A 2017 Update and a CONSORT Extension for Nonpharmacologic Trial Abstracts. Ann Intern Med. 2017Jul 4;167(1):40-47.
2. Boutron I, Altman DG, Hopewell S, Vera-Badillo F, Tannock I, Ravaud P. Impact of spin in the abstracts of articles reporting results of randomized controlled trials in the field of cancer: the SPIIN randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol.2014;32(36):4120-6.
3. Cohen A, Assyag P, (…) Boutron I. . An education program for risk factor management after an acute coronary syndrome: a randomized clinical trial JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(1):40-8.
4. Maruani A, Boutron I, Baron G, Ravaud P. Impact of sending email reminders of the legal requirement for posting results on ClinicalTrials.gov: cohort embedded pragmatic randomized controlled trial. BMJ. 2014;349:g5579.
5. Boutron I, Dechartres A, Baron G, Li J, Ravaud P. Sharing of Data From Industry-Funded Registered Clinical Trials. JAMA. 2016;315(24):2729-30.
6. Moher D, Glasziou P, Chalmers I, (…), Boutron I. Increasing value and reducing waste in biomedical research: who's listening? Lancet. 2016;387(10027):1573-86.
7. Baudard M, Yavchitz A, Ravaud P, Perrodeau E, Boutron I. Impact of searching clinical trial registries in systematic reviews of pharmaceutical treatments: methodological systematic review and reanalysis of meta-analyses. BMJ. 2017;356:j448.
8. Lonjon G, Porcher R, Ergina P, Fouet M, Boutron I. Potential Pitfalls of Reporting and Bias in Observational Studies With Propensity Score Analysis Assessing a Surgical Procedure: A Methodological Systematic Review. Ann Surg. 2017;265(5):901-9.
9. Nguyen C, Boutron I, Baron G, Sanchez K, Palazzo C, Benchimol R, et al. Intradiscal Glucocorticoid Injection for Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain Associated With Active Discopathy: A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(8):547-56.
10. Yavchitz A, Boutron I, Bafeta A, Marroun I, Charles P, Mantz J, et al. Misrepresentation of randomized controlled trials in press releases and news coverage: a cohort study. PLoS Med. 2012;9(9):e1001308.
11. Hopewell S, Ravaud P, Baron G, Boutron I. Effect of editors' implementation of CONSORT guidelines on the reporting of abstracts in high impact medical journals: interrupted time series analysis. BMJ. 2012;344:e4178.
12. Dechartres A, Boutron I, Trinquart L, Charles P, Ravaud P. Single-center trials show larger treatment effects than multicenter trials: evidence from a meta-epidemiologic study. Ann Intern Med. 2011;155(1):39-51.
13. Boutron I, Dutton S, Ravaud P, Altman DG. Reporting and interpretation of randomized controlled trials with statistically nonsignificant results for primary outcomes. JAMA. 2010;303(20):2058-64.
14. Pitrou I, Boutron I, Ahmad N, Ravaud P. Reporting of safety results in published reports of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(19):1756-61.
15. Pibouleau L, Boutron I, Reeves BC, Nizard R, Ravaud P. Applicability and generalisability of published results of randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies evaluating four orthopaedic procedures: methodological systematic review. BMJ. 2009;339:b4538.
16. Mathieu S, Boutron I, Moher D, Altman DG, Ravaud P. Comparison of registered and published primary outcomes in randomized controlled trials. JAMA. 2009;302(9):977-84.
17. Boutron I, Moher D, Altman DG, Schulz KF, Ravaud P. Methods and processes of the CONSORT Group: example of an extension for trials assessing nonpharmacologic treatments. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148(4):W60-6.
18. Boutron I, Moher D, Altman DG, Schulz KF, Ravaud P. Extending the CONSORT statement to randomized trials of nonpharmacologic treatment: explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148(4):295-309.
19. Boutron I, Guittet L, Estellat C, Moher D, Hrobjartsson A, Ravaud P. Reporting methods of blinding in randomized trials assessing nonpharmacological treatments. PLoS Med. 2007;4(2):e61.
20. Boutron I, Tubach F, Giraudeau B, Ravaud P. Methodological differences in clinical trials evaluating nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments of hip and knee osteoarthritis. JAMA. 2003;290(8):1062-70.