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Karen Burns

MD, FRCPC, MSc ,BA, BSc

Scientist

Email: Karen.Burns@unityhealth.to
Tel: 416-864-6060 Ext. 3567

Biography

Dr. Karen Burns practices critical care medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, a Clinician Scientists at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and an Associate Member of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology (McMaster University).

Dr. Burns’ research program focuses on evaluation strategies to liberate critically ill patients from mechanical ventilation and characterizing practice variation in weaning critically ill adults from ventilators. Her research program includes large scale observational studies, national and international weaning surveys, meta-analyses, and randomized trials comparing different weaning strategies. She also has developed a research program to characterize the unique aspects of the consent processes in critical care. Additional research interests include the use of artificial intelligence in weaning, helmet NIV, acute kidney injury in the intensive care unit, using noninvasive positive pressure ventilation as a weaning strategy, and methodology issues related to study design, implementation and reporting.

Dr. Burns has been the recipient of several personnel awards including a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Clinician Scientist Award, a Ministry of Research and Innovation Award, PSI – mid career research award, and two University of Toronto Merritt Committee Awards.

Dr. Burns is an Executive Member of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, a Treasurer of the Canadian Critical Care Society, and the current Chair of the Women in Critical Care Interest Group for the American Thoracic Society.

Recent Publications

  1. Xie, F, Yao, Y, Ma, Y, Humphries, B, Lau, VI, Fowler, R et al.. Cost-Effectiveness of Pantoprazole to Prevent Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Mechanically Ventilated Patients. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8 (12):e2552771. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.52771. PubMed PMID:41324956 PubMed Central PMC12670189.
  2. Schwarz, GL, Sjøbø, BÅ, Skaar, E, Miljeteig, I, Burns, KEA, Kvåle, R et al.. 'I am old, and I will rather abandon life with my eyes open': a qualitative study of Norwegians aged 80 and older explaining their intensive care unit admission preferences. Age Ageing. 2025;54 (10):. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afaf297. PubMed PMID:41091696 PubMed Central PMC12526999.
  3. Tarride, JE, Blackhouse, G, Rochwerg, B, Fox-Robichaud, AE, Ball, IM, Burns, KEA et al.. Cost-Effectiveness of In-Bed Cycling and Routine Physiotherapy for Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8 (9):e2529399. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.29399. PubMed PMID:40920382 PubMed Central PMC12418132.
  4. Beydoun, SA, Bahrami, S, Burns, KEA, Debigaré, S, Duong, J, Gagné, C et al.. Virtual family participation in adult intensive care unit rounds: A multicenter pilot feasibility cohort study. J Crit Care. 2026;91 :155245. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2025.155245. PubMed PMID:40849979 .
  5. Al Shaaibi, K, Phoophiboon, V, Burns, KEA. Rhombencephalitis associated with varicella-zoster virus masquerading as Guillain-Barré syndrome. BMC Neurol. 2025;25 (1):324. doi: 10.1186/s12883-025-04245-x. PubMed PMID:40764927 PubMed Central PMC12323041.
  6. Tietbohl, CK, Glaros, C, Torres, KA, Mantelli, RA, Files, DC, Mart, MF et al.. Approaches for Establishing Trust and Alleviating Stress During the Surrogate Informed Consent Process for Critical Care Research. Chest. 2025;168 (6):1364-1373. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2025.06.050. PubMed PMID:40712948 .
  7. Evertsz, N, Baker, AM, Bates, S, Betteridge, T, Bihari, S, Buhr, H et al.. Patient and Family Engagement in Australian and New Zealand Adult Critical Care Trials. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2025;22 (12):1911-1920. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202504-371OC. PubMed PMID:40668898 .
  8. Bosma, KJ, Burns, KEA, Martin, CM, Skrobik, Y, Mancebo Cortés, J, Mulligan, S et al.. Proportional-Assist Ventilation for Minimizing the Duration of Mechanical Ventilation. N Engl J Med. 2025;393 (11):1088-1103. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2505708. PubMed PMID:40513024 .
  9. Chassé, M, Shankar, JJS, Fergusson, DA, English, SW, Dhanani, S, Lauzier, F et al.. Computed Tomography Perfusion and Angiography for Death by Neurologic Criteria. JAMA Neurol. 2025;82 (9):932-940. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.2375. PubMed PMID:40512483 PubMed Central PMC12166499.
  10. Glaros, C, Tietbohl, CK, Torres, KA, Avallone Mantelli, R, Files, DC, Mart, MF et al.. The Performance of the Surrogate Informed Consent Process for Critical Care Research: A Multi-Modal Study of Investigators, Coordinators, Surrogates, and Patients. Chest. 2025;168 (6):1355-1363. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2025.05.038. PubMed PMID:40484371 .
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Affiliations & Other Activities

  • Clinician Scientist, Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, St Michael’s Hospital
  • Clinician Scientist, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
  • Assistant Professor, Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Chair, Medical Surgical ICU Knowledge Translation Committee, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Organizing Member, Critical Care Continuing Medical Education Committee, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Member, Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Certification (critical care), University of Western Ontario
  • Member, ACCADEMY (McMaster University)
  • Member, Canadian Critical Care Trials Group
  • Reviewer for several critical care and respirology journals