I am Professor of Epidemiology at the Université Paris Cité and head of the METHODS research team at the Centre for research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS). I am also director of the Cochrane France within the independent international Cochrane network.
My work focuses on the methodological issues when evaluating pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments (randomised clinical trials, innovative study designs, observational data, bias, blinding, placebo, external validity, evaluation of complex interventions, etc). I am exploring new methods of synthesising evidence (e.g. living systematic reviews). I developed and led the COVID-NMA initiative, which provides access via an open platform to a living map of clinical trials and a living synthesis of evidence on the effectiveness of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.
I am internationally recognised for my work in the field of "Interventional Research on Research ", which aims to rethink and transform our research practices (open science, transparency of research, publication bias, selective reporting, distortion of research results (spin) and impact of the peer-review process). I am a member of the steering committee of the SPIRIT-CONSORT group, which draws up international recommendations for writing protocols (SPIRIT) and scientific articles (CONSORT) in order to promote transparency in health research.
I have published over 200 articles in internationally recognised journals. I have led an innovative and ambitious joint doctoral training programme on 'Methods in Research on Research' funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Horizon 2020).
Research interests
- Methods for assessing pharmacological and non pharmacological treatments
- Evidence synthesis
- Meta-Research, research on research
- Open science
Key publications
- Esmail LC, Kapp P, Assi R, Wood J, Regan G, Ravaud P, Boutron I. Sharing of Individual Patient-Level Data by Trialists of Randomized Clinical Trials of Pharmacological Treatments for COVID-19. JAMA. 2023 May 16;329(19):1695-1697.
View publication - Hopewell S, Boutron I, Chan AW, Collins GS, de Beyer JA, Hróbjartsson A, Nejstgaard CH, Østengaard L, Schulz KF, Tunn R, Moher D. An update to SPIRIT and CONSORT reporting guidelines to enhance transparency in randomized trials. Nat Med. 2022 Sep;28(9):1740-1743.
View publication - Nguyen C, Boutron I, Zegarra-Parodi R, Baron G, Alami S, Sanchez K, Daste C, Boisson M, Fabre L, Krief P, Krief G, Lefèvre-Colau MM, Rannou F. Effect of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment vs Sham Treatment on Activity Limitations in Patients With Nonspecific Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2021;181(5):620-30.
View publication - Nguyen VT, Engleton M, Davison M, Ravaud P, Porcher R, Boutron I. Risk of bias in observational studies using routinely collected data of comparative effectiveness research: a meta-research study. BMC Med. 2021 Nov 23;19(1):279.
View publication - Ghosn L, Chaimani A, Evrenoglou T, Davidson M, Graña C, Schmucker C, Bollig C, Henschke N, Sguassero Y, Nejstgaard CH, Menon S, Nguyen TV, Ferrand G, Kapp P, Riveros C, Ávila C, Devane D, Meerpohl JJ, Rada G, Hróbjartsson A, Grasselli G, Tovey D, Ravaud P, Boutron I. Interleukin-6 blocking agents for treating COVID-19: a living systematic review. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Mar 18;3(3):CD013881. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023 Jun 1;6:CD013881.
View publication - Ghannad M, Yang B, Leeflang M, Aldcroft A, Bossuyt PM, Schroter S, Boutron I. A randomized trial of an editorial intervention to reduce spin in the abstract's conclusion of manuscripts showed no significant effect. J Clin Epidemiol. 2021 Feb;130:69-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.10.014.
View publication - Boutron I, Chaimani A, Meerpohl JJ, Hróbjartsson A, Devane D, Rada G, Tovey D, Grasselli G, Ravaud P. The COVID-NMA Project: Building an Evidence Ecosystem for the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ann Intern Med. 2020;173(12):1015-7.
View publication - Ravaud P, Créquit P, Williams HC, Meerpohl J, Craig JC, Boutron I. Future of evidence ecosystem series: 3. From an evidence synthesis ecosystem to an evidence ecosystem. J Clin Epidemiol. 2020 Jul;123:153-161.
View publication - Naidoo N, Nguyen VT, Ravaud P, Young B, Amiel P, Schanté D, Clarke M, Boutron I. The research burden of randomized controlled trial participation: a systematic thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence. BMC Med. 2020;18(1):6
View publication - Boutron I, Haneef R, Yavchitz A, Baron G, Novack J, Oransky I, Schwitzer G, Ravaud P. Three randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of “spin” in health news stories reporting studies of pharmacologic treatments on patients’/caregivers’ interpretation of treatment benefit. BMC Med. 2019;17(1):105.
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