Lindsay R. Freud

Section, Fetal Cardiology
Division of Cardiology

Dr. Freud is the Section Head of Fetal Cardiology and an Associate Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. A native of Chicago, she obtained her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She completed her paediatrics residency at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School and paediatric cardiology fellowship at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago/Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Freud went on to complete an advanced cardiac imaging fellowship and an NIH-funded research fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining the team at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), she was on faculty at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

In addition to leading the Fetal Cardiac Program, she sees children of all ages in her paediatric cardiology practice and serves on staff in the Echo Lab. She teaches trainees in all her roles and has won numerous teaching awards, including from both SickKids and Mount Sinai Hospital. She is frequently invited to lecture locally, nationally and internationally.

Research

As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Freud's research centers on understanding the natural history of heart disease in utero and investigating both percutaneous and pharmacologic therapies to improve outcomes by the time of birth. She also investigates the impact of a prenatal genetic diagnosis, particularly 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome, on pregnancy and childhood outcomes. Dr. Freud is collaborating with colleagues throughout the province and country to improve prenatal diagnosis rates of critical congenital heart disease.

Education and experience

• 2023–Present: Section Head of Fetal Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2020–Present: Associate Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2020–2023: Associate Director of Fetal Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Associate Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto
• 2015–2020: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
• 2013–2015: Advanced Fellowships in Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging/Fetal and Research, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
• 2010–2013: Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago/Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
• 2007–2010: Pediatrics Residency, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
• 2007: Harvard Medical School (MD)
• 2003: Duke University (AB), summa cum laude

Achievements

• 2022: Faculty Teaching Award, University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, Paediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program
• 2022: Faculty Teaching Award, University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program
• 2020: Faculty Teaching Award, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center
• 2019–Present: Chair – Early Career Track, Scientific Sessions of the American Society of Echocardiography
• 2018–2019: Recognized as emerging leader by Columbia University Medical Center and selected to participate in the Columbia Women’s and Children’s Health Faculty Leadership Academy
• 2018: Fellow, American Society of Echocardiography
• 2017–Present: Chair of the Membership Committee, Fetal Heart Society
• 2017: Colin Molloy Award from Colin’s Kids Foundation for Congenital Heart Disease Research
• 2015: Research Travel Grant, American Heart Association
• 2014: Von L. Meyer Research Award, Boston’s Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
• 2013–2015: Founding Steering Committee Member, Fetal Heart Society
• 2013: Excellence in Teaching Award, Harvard Medical School
• 2013: Best Oral Abstract Presentation at Midwest Pediatrics Cardiology Society Scientific Sessions

1. Co-Author.  Moon-Grady AJ, Lee H, Lopez L, Fatusin O, Freud LR, Hogan W, Krishnan A, McFarland C, Minich LL, Morris SA, Pinto N, Presson AP, Tacy TA, Donofrio MT. Fetal echocardiographic Z-score pilot project: Study design and impact of gestational age and variable type on reproducibility of measurements within and across investigators. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. 2023 June; online ahead of print
2. Co-Author.  Lee FT, Sun L, Freud L, Seed M. A guide to prenatal counselling regarding neurodevelopment in congenital heart disease. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2023 May;43(5):661-673
3. Co-Author. An K, Deng MX, Freud L, Honjo O. Repair of aberrant right subclavian artery causing dysphagia lusoria via partial median sternotomy.   World Journal of Pediatric Congenital Heart Surgery. 2023 Mar;14(2):235-238
4. Principal Author. Freud LR, Seed M. Prenatal diagnosis and management of single-ventricle heart disease. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 2022 Jul;38(7):897-908.
5. Senior Responsible Author. Pesce M, LaPar D, Kalfa D, Bacha E, Freud L.  Peri-operative changes in diastolic function and outcomes in congenital aortic valve surgery. Echocardiography. 2022 Feb;39(2):178-184.

See a full list of Lindsay Freud's publications

Funding

• International 22q11.2 Foundation
• National Institute of Health T32 Research Training Grant