Home Members Holger Jens Schunemann

Holger Jens Schunemann

Full Professor

Public Health Preventive Medicine

Full Professor; Director of the Postgraduate Residency Program for Public Health and Preventive Medicine; Delegate of the Rector for Internationalization.

E-mail

holger.schunemann@hunimed.eu

Professor Schünemann received his MD degree (1993) and a “doctor medicinae” degree (1994) from the Medical School of Hannover where he also began residency training in internal and respiratory medicine. He went on to work in cellular and molecular lung biology at UB researching expression of cell adhesion molecules (integrins) in early postnatal lung development. Realizing the importance of high-quality skills in data analysis, general health research methods and developing a stronger sense for patient and population focused research he studied epidemiology and biostatistics during his postdoctoral fellowship (M.Sc. in Epidemiology, 1997). He then conducted population-based studies on the association between micronutrients, oxidative stress, and respiratory health leading to a Ph.D. degree (Epidemiology & Community Medicine, 2000) and completed training to qualify for certification in internal medicine and preventive medicine/public health at UB, where he joined the faculty in 2000.

From 2005 to 2009 he was at the Italian National Cancer Center in Rome, Italy, serving as interim chair of the department of Epidemiology from 2007 to 2009, before moving to McMaster University as full-time Professor and to become Chair of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics in 2009, widely considered the birthplace of evidence-based health care and problem-based learning. He completed his second and final term as chair in June 2019 and then lead the Michael G DeGroote Cochrane Canada and McMaster GRADE Centres and was director of Cochrane Canada. He joined Humanitas University as part-time and then as full-time faculty member to lead the Clinical Epidemiology and Research Center (CERC) and to become Vice-President for Internationalization.

Since 2000, he helped reshaping of methodology for guideline development spanning clinical medicine to public health and contributed methodologically and practically to knowledge synthesis research, foremost through his leadership of the GRADE working group (www.gradeworkinggroup.org) that he co-chairs since 2009. He also leads the Humanitas University GRADE Center and co-leads the Italian GRADE Network. As author of over 900 publications (h-index 186/115 google scholar/web of science) he is among the 500 most cited scientists globally. He has been advisor and chair of many guideline expert groups for WHO, the European Commission, ministries of health, other governmental organizations and professional societies.

Academic honors, awards and prices

University of Buffalo, International Distinguished Alumnus Award, May 2017
World Allergy Organization, Presidential Recognition and Collaboration Award, December 2011
World Allergy Organization, Scientific Achievement Award, December 2009
Postdoctoral Fellowship Award by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and Hannover Medical School, 1994 – 1996

His research focuses on health research methods, that is optimizing the way that research is done and evaluated, in the context of medicine, public health and policy. In this context of his work is related to improving guideline development methods, education and implementation.

His current interests focus on assessment and integration of so-called Real World Evidence in guideline development, artificial intelligence in guidelines and quality assurance and improvement. Some of his key research achievements are the development of the Theory of Everything in health decision making, the GIN-McMaster checklist, GRADE-Adolopment, and the GRADEpro guideline authoring tool.

Finally, with the Guidelines International Network, he created the international guideline training and certification program INGUIDE, an ISO certified unique program that integrates the latest in the guideline science to achieve professionalism in this field.

Chu DK, Akl EA, Duda S, Solo K, Yaacoub S, Schünemann HJ. Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. Jun 27 2020;395(10242):1973-1987.
Schunemann HJ, Lerda D, Quinn C, et al. Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis: A Synopsis of the European Breast Guidelines. Ann Intern Med. Jan 7 2020;172(1):46-56
Brozek JL, Bousquet J, Baena-Cagnani CE, … Schünemann HJ. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines: 2010 revision. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Sep 2010;126(3):466-76.
Schunemann HJ, Oxman AD, Brozek J, et al. Grading quality of evidence and strength of recommendations for diagnostic tests and strategies. BMJ. May 17 2008;336(7653):1106-10.
Schunemann HJ, Dorn J, Grant BJ, Winkelstein W, Jr., Trevisan M. Pulmonary function is a long-term predictor of mortality in the general population: 29-year follow-up of the Buffalo Health Study. Chest. Sep 2000;118(3):656-64.