Frances Chung

Dr. Frances Chung is a Professor of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University Health Network, University of Toronto. She is the ResMed Research Chair of Anesthesia, Sleep, and Perioperative Medicine at University Health Network. She is the Co-Founder and Past President of the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine. She is awarded the 2022 - Research.com Best Female Scientist Award https://research.com/u/frances-chung  Her D-Index is 102 with 378 publications and 37507 citations. She is a top 25 female scientist in Canada and top 820 in the world. Her research interests are in several areas: cognitive impairment, sleep apnea, pain, patient safety, monitoring, perioperative medicine, and ambulatory anesthesia. The multi-disciplinary research team that she leads at Toronto Western Hospital is recognized nationally and internationally for contributing to several key areas of research in obstructive sleep apnea, sleep, and pain.

Her works led to development of the Post anesthesia Discharge Score (PADS) for the safe discharge of patients from ambulatory surgical unit to home. This score has been adopted worldwide. She developed the STOP-Bang questionnaire www.stopbang.ca, which is a worldwide screening tool for patients with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. She has lectured at many national and international meetings, including over 480 invited lectures. Her research work has been recognized through multiple awards including the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s McLaughlin-Gallie Visiting Professorship; the Research Recognition Award from the Canadian Anesthesiologist’s Society; Research Award from the Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto; Fellow Teaching Award, University Health Network, the Distinguished Services Award from the Society For Ambulatory Anesthesia, and Life-time Achievement Award by the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine. Given her expertise, she has been instrumental in developing 14 Guidelines in obstructive sleep apnea, morbid obesity, postoperative nausea and vomiting, post-anesthesia care and ambulatory anesthesia for the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia and Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine.

Research Synopsis

My most significant contribution has been in generating evidence to prevent postoperative events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). My work systematically addressed the early screening for OSA, diagnostic methods and perioperative management. For knowledge translation, I was the Founding Chair of Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine (http://sasmhq.org/) (2010/11), President Elect 2011-13 and President 2013-15. I have established myself as an expert in the area, and I hold the ResMed Inaugural Research Chair of Anesthesiology, Sleep Medicine at University Health network. My major contributions are:

1. Development of the STOP-Bang questionnaire (www.stopbang.ca); a validated and user-friendly tool to screen for OSA in different populations. Chung F et al. STOP Questionnaire: A tool to screen patients for OSA. Anesthesiology. 2008; 108:812-21. It is a guideline-recommended OSA screening tool in patients with suspected OSA. Web of Science, citation 841.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18431116

Chung F et al. High STOP-Bang score indicates a high probability of OSA. Br J Anaesth. 2012; 108: 768–775. This publication on STOP-Bang score was chosen as one of the top 25 key papers of major importance and contribution to the field of anesthesia in the history of anesthesia by British Journal of Anaesthesia. Web of Science, citation 330. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22401881 I chaired the International 28 member Task Force of Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine to develop 2016 “Guidelines on Preoperative Screening and Assessment of Patients with OSA”. 1st Author, Anesth Analg 2016;123:452-73.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4956681

2. Co-Chair and senior author: International POSA trial group on “Postoperative Vascular Events in Unrecognized OSA (POSA)”. We completed the POSA study to determine the associations between OSA, and major postoperative CV events in 1,218 moderate-to-high cardiac risk patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery. We determine that undiagnosed surgical patients have higher risk of postoperative cardiovascular complications.

Chan MT…Chung F. Association of Unrecognized Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Postoperative Cardiovascular Events in Patients Undergoing Major Noncardiac Surgery. JAMA. 2019. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2733209

3. Co-Chair and senior author: Research Priorities Workshop for “Knowledge Gaps in the Perioperative Management of Adults with OSA and Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome” at the 2016 American Thoracic Society Conference. Conclusion: Further research is urgently needed to improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs. Annals of American Thoracic Society 2018; 15:117-26.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29388810

4. Co-Chair and senior author: Task Force of the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine Guidelines on Intraoperative Management of Adult Patients with OSA. Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine Guideline on Intraoperative management of adult patients with OSA. Anesth Analg. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29944522 

Appointments

ResMed Research Chair of Anesthesia, Sleep, and Perioperative Medicine at University Health Network; Chair of Promotion Committee, Dept of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine