Moher, David

Moher, David
Name	David Moher
Birth date	1957
Nationality	Canadian
Fields	Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Clinical research
Workplaces	University of Ottawa, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Centre for Journalology, University of Toronto
Alma mater	University of Ottawa, McMaster University
Known for	Systematic review methodology, reporting guidelines, research transparency

Moher, David

David Moher is a Canadian epidemiologist and methodologist noted for contributions to systematic review methodology, research reporting, and transparency in clinical research. He has held academic appointments and leadership roles at major Canadian institutions and international organizations, contributing to the development of reporting guidelines, meta-research initiatives, and evidence synthesis standards. His work spans collaborations with journals, funding agencies, and guideline developers across North America, Europe, and Australia.

Early life and education

Moher was born in 1957 and received his early training in Canada. He completed undergraduate studies and postgraduate training that combined clinical epidemiology and biostatistics at University of Ottawa and later pursued doctoral-level or equivalent methodological training linked to programs at McMaster University, an institution known for pioneering evidence-based medicine and the modern randomized controlled trial movement. During his formative years he engaged with researchers associated with the development of systematic review methods and clinical epidemiology pioneers based at McMaster, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and other Canadian centers.

Academic career

Moher’s academic career includes faculty positions and leadership roles at the University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, where he developed curriculum and programs in clinical research and evidence synthesis. He founded and directed initiatives such as the Centre for Journalology (research on peer review, publication ethics, and reporting standards), collaborating with editors and publishers like The BMJ, Lancet, JAMA, and scholarly organizations including the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization. He has served on advisory panels for funding bodies and guideline groups such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Institutes of Health, and the Cochrane Collaboration, and held visiting appointments or affiliations with universities including University of Toronto and centers in United Kingdom, United States, and Australia.

Research contributions

Moher’s research portfolio centers on systematic reviews, meta-analyses, reporting guidelines, and meta-research into publication practices. He was integral to the development and dissemination of the PRISMA reporting guideline, working alongside collaborators from organizations like the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research group, and engaging with journal editorial boards such as Annals of Internal Medicine and PLOS Medicine. His methodological work addressed bias in clinical trials, selective outcome reporting, trial registration, and the conduct and reporting of randomized controlled trials including influences from regulatory and ethical frameworks such as those promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. He contributed to methodological standards used by the Cochrane Collaboration and to initiatives aimed at reproducibility promoted by entities like the Open Science Framework and the Transparency and Openness Promotion guidelines. Moher’s collaborations extended to large teams studying research waste and the impact of reporting practices on policy and practice, interfacing with organizations such as the World Health Organization and national health technology assessment agencies.

Publications and books

Moher has authored and coauthored numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters on evidence synthesis, reporting quality, and bibliometrics published in journals including BMJ, The Lancet, JAMA, PLOS ONE, and Annals of Internal Medicine. Key outputs include foundational papers on systematic review conduct and the PRISMA statement, guidelines cited by the Cochrane Collaboration and many clinical guideline developers. He has contributed to textbooks and handbooks used in clinical epidemiology and evidence-based medicine courses at institutions like McMaster University and University of Oxford, and to consensus statements produced by groups including the Equator Network and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Awards and honors

Moher’s work has been recognized by professional societies and research organizations. He has received awards and honors from institutions engaged in evidence synthesis and publication ethics such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Cochrane Collaboration, and editorial organizations connected to medical publishing in North America and Europe. He has been invited to keynote and present at conferences organized by bodies including the International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication, the Society for Epidemiologic Research, and meetings of the World Health Organization related to research transparency.

Personal life and legacy

Moher’s career has influenced generations of clinical researchers, systematic reviewers, journal editors, and policy makers. His leadership at the Centre for Journalology and his role in promulgating reporting guidelines such as PRISMA have shaped editorial practices at major journals like The BMJ, The Lancet, and JAMA and informed standards used by guideline developers including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. His legacy includes improved transparency in trial reporting, wider adoption of trial registration by registries such as ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and sustained efforts to reduce research waste through initiatives aligned with the AllTrials campaign and open science movements.

Category:Canadian epidemiologists Category:Clinical epidemiologists Category:Biostatisticians