Portrait of Dan Poenaru

Dan Poenaru

Associate Academic Member
Professor, McGill University, Department of Pediatric Surgery
Research Topics
AI and Healthcare
AI in Health
Medical Machine Learning

Biography

Dan Poenaru is a professor of pediatric surgery at McGill University and a senior scientist at the research institute of the McGill University Health Centre. He has a master’s degrees in health professions education and international development, and a doctorate in health strategy and management. Poenaru is a Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS) and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-funded investigator in patient-centered surgical care, head of the McGill CommiSur Lab, director of the Jean-Martin Laberge Fellowship in Global Pediatric Surgery, and a founding member of the Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery (GICS).

His current areas of academic interest are technology-assisted surgical communication and medical education, including AI, VR and digital health devices, patient-centred surgical care, and developing global surgical research capacity.

Current Students

PhD - McGill University
Master's Research - McGill University
PhD - McGill University
PhD - McGill University
PhD - McGill University
Principal supervisor :
PhD - McGill University
PhD - McGill University
PhD - Université de Sherbrooke
Co-supervisor :
PhD - Université de Sherbrooke
Co-supervisor :
Master's Research - McGill University

Publications

Advocacy for Children With Surgical Diseases in Nigeria: National Policy Status, Gaps, and Solutions
Justina O. Seyi-Olajide
Ayla Gerk
Elena Guadagno
Adesoji Ademuyiwa
Emmanuel A. Ameh
Child- and Proxy-reported Differences in Patient-reported Outcome and Experience Measures in Pediatric Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Zanib Nafees
Siena O'Neill
Alexandra Dimmer
Elena Guadagno
Julia Ferreira
Nancy Mayo
Investigating the Effect of Providing Required Training to Mothers of Children with Surgery and Its Effect on Mothers' Anxiety
Julia Ferreira
Nadia Safa
Fabio Botelho
Robin Petroze
Hussein Wissanji
Pramod Puligandla
Kenneth Shaw
Maeve Trudeau
Elena Guadagno
Jean Martin Laberge
Sherif Emil
Machine-learning-assisted Preoperative Prediction of Pediatric Appendicitis Severity
Julia Ferreira
Waseem Abu Ashour
Elena Guadagno
Etienne St-Louis
Sherif Emil
Enhancing Surgical Safety in Conflict Zones: Implementing the WHO Checklist in North Kivu
Jacques Fadhili Bake
Claude Kasereka Masumbuko
Zacharie Tsongo Kibendelwa
Background: The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (WHO Checklist) has been shown to effectively reduce surgical complications worldwide. However… (see more), implementing this checklist in conflict-affected regions like North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), presents unique challenges. This study investigates the utilization of the WHO Checklist in hospitals across North Kivu to identify barriers and opportunities for improvement. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted across 11 hospitals (5 urban and 6 rural) in North Kivu. Surveys were administered to healthcare professionals, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses, to assess their knowledge, usage, and perceptions of the WHO Checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: The response rate was 80.3%, with a majority (59.2%) from urban hospitals. The use of the WHO Checklist was inconsistent; 60.1% reported it was not utilized in the operating room. No significant differences in checklist usage were found between urban and rural hospitals (p=0.516). Training significantly correlated with the completion rate of checklist phases (p0.001) but not with overall usage (p=0.057). Furthermore, there were no significant differences regarding the need for further training to
Delays in Care for Children With Low Anorectal Malformations in Southwestern Uganda.
Felix Oyania
Caroline Q. Stephens
Sarah Ullrich
Meera Kotagal
Daniel Kisitu
Francis Bajunirwe
Doruk Ozgediz
Effectiveness of primary repair for low anorectal malformations in Uganda.
Felix Oyania
Sarah Ullrich
Zane Hellmann
Caroline Q. Stephens
Meera Kotagal
Sarah Jane Commander
Amy M. Shui
Martin Situma
Charles Newton Odongo
Olivia Kituuka
Francis Bajunirwe
Doruk Ozgediz
GAPS Phase III: incorporation of capacity based weighting in the global assessment for pediatric surgery
Yasmine Yousef
Emmanuel Ameh
Luc Malemo Kalisya
Injury and violence in the context of sustainable development
Kidist Bartolomeos
Ryan Lett
Berjo Takoutsing
Respicious Boniface
Victoria Munthali
Tarek Razek
Dan Deckelbaum
David Bracco
Ermiyas Belay
Fitsum Kifle
David Ulrich Dalle
Celestin Bilong Mbangtang
Arsene Daniel Nyalundja
Jondre Macaraeg
Irene Dzirasa
Ulrick Sidney Kanmounye
Delanyo Dovlo
Kwadwo Koram
Eugene Nyarko
Desmond T. Jumbam … (see 185 more)
Emnet Tesfay Shimber
Taylor Jaraczewski
Shemsedin Ibro
Maria Sgro
Ajiel Mae Basmayor
Asegid Ergete
Mary Schroeder
Adam Gyedu
Emmanuel Nakua
Peter Donkor
Charles Mock
Atalel Awedew
Halid Melkamu
Sisay Bekele
Berhanu Hailemariam
Enku Shiferaw
Yishak Shiferaw
Wubetie Yirdaw
Debojit Basak
Deepa Kizhakke Veetil
Nobhojit Roy
Martin Gerdin Wärnberg
Santosh Rath
Mohammed A.S Abdullahi
Kefas Mbaya
Abubakar Kakasanda
Stephanie Danjuma
Hector Olasoji
Alemayehu Bedada
Mpapho Joseph Motsumi
Shimelis Genna Hamda
Demuma Amdisa
Getachew Tilahun
Katie Iverson
Matthew Boroditsky
Mark Hill
Roy Hilzenrat
Rachel Livergant
Jayd Adams
Catherine Binda
Allison Chhor
Helen Hsiao
Faizal Haji
Esther Chin
Felix Oyania
Caroline Q. Stephens
Sarah Ullrich
Meera Kotagal
Francis Bajunirwe
Doruk Ozgediz
Dionysia Kravarioti
Lye-Yeng Wong
Tsegazeab Laeke Teklemariam
Abenezer Tirsit
Tewodros Liyew
Mark Ferguson
Timothy Plackett
Jaymie Claire Henry
Meseret Abeza
Seye Mesfin Minas
Maryse Bouchard
Dimuthu Tennakoon
Rahul Burra
Fleming Mathew
Annabelle Jones
Sargun Virk
Shlok Patel
Tanaz Vaghaiwalla
James Hudspeth
Tracy Rabin
Virginia Rowthorn
Raymond R. Price
Nakul Raykar
Gilgamesh Eamer
Stephen Mutiso
Yvette Kisaka
Gladwell Gathecha
Ronald Lett
Chibuike Onu
Emmanuel Ameh
Matthias Igoche
Meseret Abeza
Paschal Anyanwu
Eunice Onuh
Oikeh Ojeamen
Edith Terna Yawe
Amina Abubakar
Yakubu Ashoms
Hadiza Suleiman
Naomi Musa
Daniel Kisitu Kyengera
Netsanet Abebe
Richard Gardener
Nebyou Seyoum Abebe
Henok T/Silasie Zeleke
Kacylia Roy Proulx
Boaz Laor
Riya Sawhney
Taylor Wurdeman
Fabio Botelho
Ayla Gerk
Elena Guadagno
Mengistu Ayele
Azarias Kassahun
Tsegazeab Laeke
Mestet Yibeltal
Bereket Hailu
Ermias Fikru
Shemsedin Ibro
Abdeta Workineh
Fikadu Balcha
Fira Abamecha
Sheka Shemsi
Abdullah Saleh Alruwaili
Gabriel Rodriguez
Anna Jose
Shahd Ebied
Samuel Girma
Abigael Abiy
Hussien Endris Assen
Kalab Tesfaye
Kassaye Demeke
Aklilu Yiheyis
Khalid Jemal
Demeke Yilkal
Ashenafi Amsalu
Lema Derseh
Yophtahe W/Gerima
Tadesse Belayneh
Mekuanint Tiruneh
Almaw Bitew
Sewbesew Yitayih
Tadesse Awoke
Chanyalew Worku
Anissa Mohammed
Mohammed Alemu
Mohammed Yesuf
Fantu Mamo
Kegnie Shitu
Biks Liyew
Ayenew Gucho
Gezahegn Tilahun
Timothy Love
Andrew Chew
Brian Kasagga
Berjo Takoutsing
Obuku Ekwaro
Emmanuel Elobu
Degisew Dersso Mengistu
Alex Zhuang
Bethlehem Shiferew
Gelila Mengistu
Ayalew Zewdie
Nahom Tadelle
Alegnta Gebreyesus
Elise Presser
Katie Iverson
Christopher Dodgion
Thomas G. Weiser
Rachel Koch
Nichole Starr
Davy Lau
Irena Zivkovic
Christopher Dodgion
Shahrzad Joharifard
Emilie Joos
Naisan Garraway
Francesca Vituci
Eric O’Flynn
Ines Péric
Léa Simon
Geoffrey Ibbotson
Tsion Seyoum
Aklilu Azazh
Lemlem Beza
Ifeanyichukwu Onah
Chijioke Chukwuma
Dagim Berhanu
Jason Shenoi
Nick Sears
Yoseph Bedore
Richard Caplan
Wongel Tena Shale
invaluable
Innovative transfusion strategies for blood deserts in disaster settings
Ayla Gerk
Robert Glatter
Clinical Care Trajectory Assessment of Children with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and Neurodevelopmental Impairment
Alexandra Dimmer
Gabriel Altit
Sabrina Beauseigle
Elena Guadagno
Louise Koclas
Katryn Paquette
Ana Sant’Anna
Adam Shapiro
Pramod Puligandla
Virtual Reality for Pediatric Trauma Education - A Preliminary Face and Content Validation Study
Fabio Botelho
Said Ashkar
TJ Matthews
Elena Guadgano