Anna Taddio

Dr. Taddio is Full Professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and Senior Associate Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

Her training includes: an undergraduate degree in pharmacy, hospital pharmacy residency certificate, and master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees. Her post-graduate training took place at SickKids and the University of Toronto. 

Research

The overarching goal of Dr. Taddio’s research program is to improve the quality of analgesia, particularly for children, in order to optimize health outcomes. The specific objectives are to:  

• advance the therapeutics of pain management by evaluating the effects of individual and combination drug and non-drug pain-relieving modalities,  
• document the effects of pain and pain management on the developmental trajectory of pain responses and health behaviours in children,  
• demonstrate the feasibility of pain assessment and pain management, 
• promote evidence-based practice by developing clinical practice guidelines and tools, 
• evaluate educational interventions that can be implemented across various clinical settings,  
• create and participate in local, national, and international networks to facilitate knowledge transfer and promote pain assessment and pain management as a standard of care for medical procedures

Education and experience

• 1998–2007: Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, SickKids, Toronto, ON
• 1999–2003: Associate Scientist, Research Institute, SickKids, Toronto, ON
• 2003–2007: Scientist, Research Institute, SickKids, Toronto, ON
• 2007: Senior Scientist, Research Institute, SickKids, Toronto, ON
• 2007–2013: Associate Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2007–2012: Adjunct Scientist, Research Institute, SickKids, Toronto, ON
• 2013–Present: Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
• 2013–Present: Senior Associate Scientist, Research Institute, SickKids, Toronto, ON

Recent achievements

• 2020: Noni MacDonald Award, Canadian Paediatric Society,
• 2020: Canadian Publication of the Year Award, Canadian Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics,
• 2020: Certificate of Merit, Canadian Public Health Association

1. Taddio A, McMurtry CM, Bucci LM, MacDonald N, Ilersich ANT, Ilersich ALT, Alfieri-Maiolo A, deVlaming-Kot C, Alderman L; Pain Pain Go Away Team. Overview of a Knowledge Translation (KT) project to improve the vaccination experience at school: The CARD™ system. Paediatr Child Health. 2019 Apr;24(Suppl 1):S3-S18.
2. Taddio A, Shah V, Bucci L, MacDonald NE, Wong H, Stephens D. Effectiveness of a hospital-based postnatal parent education intervention about pain management during infant vaccination: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ. 2018 Oct 22; 190(42):E1245-E1252.
3. Taddio A, Pillai Riddell R, Ipp M, Moss S, Baker S, Tolkin J, Malini D, Feerasta S, Govan P, Fletcher E, Wong H, McNair C, Mithal P, Stephens D. Relative effectiveness of additive pain interventions during vaccination in infants. CMAJ. 2017;189(6):E227-E234.
4. McMurtry CM, Taddio A, Noel M, Antony MM, Chambers CT, Asmundson GJ, Pillai Riddell R, Shah V, MacDonald NE, Rogers J, Bucci LM, Mousmanis P, Lang E, Halperin S, Bowles S, Halpert C, Ipp M, Rieder MJ, Robson K, Uleryk E, Votta Bleeker E, Dubey V, Hanrahan A, Lockett D, Scott J. Exposure-based Interventions for the management of individuals with high levels of needle fear across the lifespan: a clinical practice guideline and call for further research. Cogn Behav Ther. 2016;45(3):217-235.
5. Taddio A, McMurtry CM, Shah V, Pillai Riddell R, Chambers CT, Noel M, MacDonald NE, Rogers J, Bucci L, Mousmanis P, Lang E, Halperin SA, Bowles S, Halpert C, Ipp M, Asmundson GJG, Rieder MJ, Robson K, Uleryk E, Antony MM, Dubey V, Hanrahan A, Lockett D, Scott J, Votta Bleeker E. HELPinKids&Adults. HELPinKids&Adults. Reducing pain during vaccine injections: clinical practice guideline. CMAJ. 2015;187:975-982.

Funding

• 2016–2026: Needles without tears: inoculating children against fear and pain, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Foundation Grant.