Dale Fournier

Biography

Dr. Fournier is a committed researcher and educator in the health sciences. Dr. Fournier’s research interests are in the field of musculoskeletal health, with emphasis on spine health. Dr. Fournier’s background in transdisciplinary health research inspires knowledge translation from the laboratory to the clinic to inform current clinical practice, and vice versa. Dr. Fournier has deep-seated interest in expanding the use of medical imaging to guide clinical decision-making and to better understand the experience of people living with arthritis of the spine. Much of Dr. Fournier’s current research focuses on a common yet poorly understood musculoskeletal condition that involves ectopic mineralization of the spine called diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.

Dr. Fournier’s teaching philosophy hinges on promoting student self-discovery, fostering a commitment to life-long learning, and creating opportunities for the world’s future changers to develop adaptable skills. This mindset is attributed to Dr. Fournier’s rural upbringing that instilled the value of experiential learning. Dr. Fournier’s teaching prioritizes student development of problem-solving skills through authentic two-way interactions, constructing a supportive learning environment, and ingraining curriculum with student reflection.

Education Background

• Ph.D., Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Physical Therapy, Musculoskeletal Health Research), The University of Western Ontario
• M.PT., Master of Physical Therapy, The University of Western Ontario
• M.Sc., Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario
• B.Sc., Honours Specialization in Kinesiology, The University of Western Ontario
   

Courses Taught

• Human anatomy (part of PT 505 Foundational Sciences for Physical Therapy).
• Human physiology (part of PT 515 Cardiopulmonary/Exercise Science).
• Research series: PT 608 Research Methods; PT 618 Research Practicum; PT 648 Writing & Presenting Research.

Research Interests

• Musculoskeletal health: spine; intervertebral disc; back pain; arthritis. 
• Medical imaging: computed tomography; radiography. 
• Health-based research: clinical study design; scoping and systematic reviews. 
• Basic science: animal models; cell biology; histology; calcification; ossification; mineralization. 
• Education-based research: survey data; qualitative analysis.

Awards

2022, Dr. Suzanne Bernier Award in Skeletal Biology 
2019, Robert C. Buck Master's of Science Award
2019-22, Arthritis Society Graduate Ph.D. Award

Publications

Peer-reviewed Publications:
• Cited by 115 different publications from authors in 21 countries and 35 research areas; h-index of 6
• My diverse publications are all open access; cover 11 research areas; discussed by 157 unique tweeters in 34 countries and posted on 10 unique Facebook pages in 5 countries

Selected publications:
Fournier DE, Leung AE, Battié MC, Séguin CA. Prevalence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and early-phase DISH across the lifespan of an American population. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead362. PubMed PMID: 37481711.

Fournier DE, Kiser PK, Beach RJ, Dixon SJ, Séguin CA. Dystrophic calcification and heterotopic ossification in fibrocartilaginous tissues of the spine in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). Bone Res. 2020;8:16. doi: 10.1038/s41413-020-0091-6. PubMed PMID: 32257530.

Fournier DE, Groh AMR, Nair SM, Norley CJD, Pollmann SI, Holdsworth DW, Power NE, Beveridge TS. Microcomputed Tomography Is a Precise Method That Allows for Topographical Characterization of Lymph Nodes and Lymphatic Vessels. Lymphat Res Biol. 2020 Apr;18(2):166-173. doi: 10.1089/lrb.2019.0007. PubMed PMID: 31483190.

Fournier DE, Norley CJD, Pollmann SI, Bailey CS, Al Helal F, Willmore KE, Holdsworth DW, Dixon SJ, Séguin CA. Ectopic spinal calcification associated with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH): A quantitative micro-ct analysis. J Orthop Res. 2019 Mar;37(3):717-726. doi: 10.1002/jor.24247. PubMed PMID: 30756413.

Beveridge TS, Fournier DE, Groh AMR, Johnson M, Power NE, Allman BL. The anatomy of the infrarenal lumbar splanchnic nerves in human cadavers: implications for retroperitoneal nerve-sparing surgery. J Anat. 2018 Jan;232(1):124-133. doi: 10.1111/joa.12721. PubMed PMID: 29159805.