Lianne McLean

Program Director, IDEAS (Informatics, Design, Environment, AI & Systems)

Faculty, Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Dr. McLean is a Paediatric Emergency Medicine Physician and Director of the IDEAS (Informatics Design, Environment, AI and Systems) Program at SickKids. She also holds a faculty appointment within the Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Program.

She completed her medical degree at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, followed by a paediatric residency at the University of Manitoba and Winnipeg Children's Hospital. She then moved to Toronto to complete her Paediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship at the University of Toronto and SickKids, where she served as Chief Fellow in her final year.

Following her fellowship, Dr. McLean completed additional training as a Point-of-Care Ultrasound fellow at SickKids. In 2018, she completed a Master of Health Informatics at the University of Toronto.

Research

Dr. McLean's research focuses on integrating technology and POCUS to develop and validate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning models for the assessment of optic disc elevation using ocular ultrasound. She is also leading a digital health evaluation using a mixed-methods approach to explore the experiences of patients, families, care providers and health-system leaders using virtual urgent care and digital front-door services. The project incorporates an equity-focused evaluation framework to identify barriers, understand user experiences and provide recommendations for improving equitable access to care.

Education and experience

• 2021–2022: New & Evolving Academic Leaders (NEAL) Program, Advanced Certificate, Centre for Faculty Development, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2016–2018: Master of Health Informatics (MHI), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2015–2016: Point-of-Care Ultrasound Fellowship, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2013–2015: Academic Paediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow, University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2010–2013: Paediatrics Residency, University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
• 2006–2010: MB BCh BAO (Honours), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, National University of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Achievements

• 2024: CAEP Emergency Ultrasound Committee Research Award (Paediatric Category), Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, awarded for the publication "A POCUS-First Pathway to Streamline Care for Children with Suspected Ileocolic Intussusception"
• 2021: Top Presentation, Equity in Medicine Conference, Canadian Medical Association, awarded for the presentation "Just a Moment! Adapting EDI Education for the Attention Span of an Emergency Physician"
• 2010: Honours Distinction, MB BCh BAO, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, awarded for academic excellence and superior achievement

1. Takadera T, Thau E, McLean L, Simone L, Schonfeld D, Fayyaz J, Kvatinsky N, Litwin S, Harel-Sterling M. POCUS in paediatric arrest (RES-US pulse check): Development and evaluation of a simulation-based curriculum. Resus Plus. 2026 Jun 9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resplu.2026.101380. 
2. Freire G, Sabhaney V, Kam A, Burstein B, Reddy D, Webster RJ, Winston K, Emsley J, Gravel J, Porter R, Zemek R, Mater A, Salvadori MI, Berthelot S, Beer D, Poonai N, Moffatt A, Wright B, McLean L, Freedman SB. Racial disparities in children tested for SARS-CoV-2 at pediatric emergency departments: a prospective cohort study. Paediatr Child Health. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxaf058. 
3. Li B, Kayssi A, McLean LJ. Generative artificial intelligence in surgical publishing. JAMA Surg. 2025 Apr 1;160(4):366-368. Doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2024.6446. 
4. McLean L, Seguin J, Olszynski P, Kim DJ. Just the facts: resuscitative point-of-care ultrasound in pediatrics. CJEM. 2025 Jul 3. Doi: 10.1007/s43678-025-00954-x. Online ahead of print. 
5. Florin TA, Tancredi DJ, Ambroggio L, Babl FE, Dalziel SR,Eckerle M, Mintegi S, Neuman MI, Plint AC, Simon NJ, Kuppermann N, Pediatric Emergency Research Network (PERN) Pneumonia Study Group. Predicting paediatric pneumonia severity in the emergency department: a multinational prospective cohort study of the pediatric emergency research network. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2025 Jun;9(6):383-392. Doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(25)00094-X. 

Funding

• 2024–Present: Co-Investigator, "Implementation of an Individualized Trainee Dashboard Using Informatics Data for Competency Acquisition," Department of Paediatrics, Paediatric Consultants' Education Development and Innovation Grant, $7,050 CAD.
• 2023–Present: Co-Investigator, "Development and Evaluation of a Reusable Orthopaedic Assistive Devices Recycling (ROAR) Program," Department of Paediatrics Creative Professional Activity Grant, $4,500 CAD.
• 2022–Present: Principal Investigator, "Development and Evaluation of a Reusable Orthopaedic Assistive Devices Recycling (ROAR) Program," Quality Improvement Project (QIPs) Grant, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP), $2,500 CAD.
• 2021–Present: Co-Investigator, "Machine Learning-Based Innovation in Ocular Paediatric Assessment Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound," Temerty Innovation Grant, University of Toronto, $200,000 CAD.

Affiliated websites