Dr. O'Loughlin is a Professor at the University of Montreal’s School of Public Health, a member of the Carrefour de l’innovation et de l’évaluation en santé at the CrCHUM, an elected member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium, and a member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. She held a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in the Early Determinants of Chronic Disease from 2004-21. She is a leading expert in child and adolescent public health research, with over 360 publications and extensive international collaborations. Her work has significantly advanced understanding of the early determinants of chronic disease and has led to transformative findings in public health, particularly in chronic disease prevention, tobacco control, and health inequalities. Her studies, such as NDIT and AdoQuest, have shaped policy on tobacco use, while PHORCAST and PromeSS have informed the development of public health infrastructure. Dr. O'Loughlin’s work has been cited in numerous influential reports, including the U.S. Surgeon General’s reports on tobacco use. Her efforts are definitively integral to improving public health systems, youth health behaviors, and health equity in Canada and beyond. Listed below are 5 key contributions.

1. Incidence of and Risk Factors for Falls in the Elderly, Principal Investigator 1987-1993. Dr. O'Loughlin conducted the first community-based prospective cohort study on falls in the elderly, which led to her PhD dissertation, two publications, 11 presentations, and one book chapter. This groundbreaking study laid the foundation for two funded evaluations of falls prevention programs and contributed significantly to the field of geriatric public health.
2. Community-Based Heart Disease Prevention Program, Principal Investigator 1992-97
   Dr. O'Loughlin led a five-year program to design, implement, and evaluate a heart disease prevention initiative targeting adults in a low-income neighborhood in Montreal, Canada. Over 40 distinct interventions promoting heart health were developed and assessed, resulting in valuable insights into heart health promotion in disadvantaged communities.
3. Nicotine Dependence in Teens, Principal Investigator 1999-Present (https://www.celphie.ca/ndit-pub). This ongoing, longitudinal study of 1,294 students recruited in 10 Montreal high schools investigates the natural course of nicotine dependence in youth. Data have been collected in 26 cycles to date, from grade 7 through adulthood. The study also examines related factors like obesity, physical activity, and mental health. NDIT has produced 140 publications and is funded by the Canadian Cancer Society and CIHR.
4. PHORCAST, Principal Investigator 2005-Present (https://www.celphie.ca/phorcast) PHORCAST is Canada’s first longitudinal study on public health organizations’ capacity to prevent chronic diseases. With three data collection cycles to date (2005, 2010, 2022), it assesses how public health organizations have evolved in Canada, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings from PHORCAST have informed national policy and highlighted regional disparities in public health systems.
5. PromeSS, Principal Investigator 2016-Present (https://www.celphie.ca/promess)
   The PromeSS study focuses on social inequalities in the availability and implementation of school-based health-promoting interventions across Quebec. Two cycles of data collection to date from school principals and qualitative interviews with school service centers have provided critical data for improving health promotion interventions in schools, particularly those in disadvantaged communities.