Dr. Christine Marthe Friedenreich
Positions
Adjunct Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Oncology
Member
Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute
Contact information
Web presence
Phone number
Office: 403.614.1531
Preferred method of communication
Administrative Assistant
Seuli Roy
Email: seuli.roy@ahs.ca
Telephone: 587.231.4235
Background
Educational Background
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cancer Epidemiology, University of Calgary, 1995
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Epidemiology, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1991
PhD Epidemiology, University of Toronto, 1990
MSc Community Health and Epidemiology, Queen's University, 1986
BSc Life Sciences (Honours), Queen's University, 1982
Biography
Dr. Friedenreich is a cancer epidemiologist and Adjunct Professor with the Departments of Oncology and Community Health Sciences in the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), the University of Calgary (U of C). Dr. Friedenreich held continuous career awards from CIHR, AHFMR/Alberta Innovates between 1990-2017 and the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Weekend to End Women’s Cancers Breast Cancer Chair from 2012-2017. Until 2024, she was the Scientific Director for the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Cancer Care Alberta, Alberta Health Services. She also held leadership positions in the O’Brien Institute of Public Health at U of C. Dr. Friedenreich was the Canadian representative and Chair of the Scientific Council for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (2018-21).
Dr. Friedenreich completed her doctorate in Epidemiology at the University of Toronto (1990) and postdoctoral training at IARC in Lyon, France and at the U of C (1990-94). In 2004-2005, she was the IARC Visiting Scientist. In 2013, she was a co-recipient of the Canadian Cancer Society’s (CCS) O. Harold Warwick Prize. Dr Friedenreich was named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2016) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2019). In 2022, she was the first Canadian recipient of the Rosalind E. Franklin Award for Women in Science from the US National Cancer Institute. In 2023, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award (Alberta) and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Department of Oncology, CSM, U of C.
Dr. Friedenreich is the former Scientific Chair of the CCS Advisory Council on Research (ACOR), and, in 2025 received the King Charles III Coronation Medal from CCS for her exemplary service and leadership of the council. Dr Friedenreich was elected to the CCS Board of Directors in July 2025.
Research
Areas of Research
- Physical activity in cancer risk and survival
Dr. Friedenreich’s research is focused on understanding the role of physical activity in reducing the risk of developing cancer and in improving quality of life and survival after cancer diagnosis. She has conducted over 45 case-control, cohort and randomized controlled trials examining how physical activity may reduce the risk of developing cancer, how exercise can be used to improve quality of life and survival after cancer and investigating which biologic mechanisms may be involved in the association between physical activity and cancer. Dr. Friedenreich has also developed and validated new physical activity questionnaires for her research studies that have also been used worldwide. Many of Dr. Friedenreich’s studies were the first in kind in Canada and the world. Her research has been used to develop physical activity guidelines for populations and cancer survivors. She was a member of the Cancer Subcommittee for the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the 2020 WHO Physical Activity Guidelines Development Group.
Currently, Dr. Friedenreich is leading the CIHR-funded Alberta Moving Beyond Breast Cancer (AMBER) cohort study that includes 1528 newly diagnosed incident breast cancer cases diagnosed in Alberta between 2012-2019. Each participant is followed up for all breast cancer outcomes for at least 10 years with follow-up to be completed in 2028-9. Very detailed and objective measurements of physical activity, health-related fitness and sedentary behaviour were taken at the time of diagnosis and again at one-, three- and five-years post-diagnosis. In addition, Dr. Friedenreich led two large-scale randomized controlled exercise intervention trials known as the Alberta Physical Activity and Breast Cancer (ALPHA) Trial and the Breast Cancer and Exercise Trial in Alberta (BETA) that have examined how aerobic exercise influences biomarkers associated with breast cancer.
The goal of her research is to inform public health and clinical practice on the exact type, dose, timing of physical activity required to reduce cancer risk and improve quality and quantity of life after cancer. She leads multidisciplinary research teams and has support from specialized staff in core support units in the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Cancer Care Alberta. Her research has been funded since 1993 by research grants from both federal and provincial funding agencies and she collaborates widely with researchers in other fields as well as internationally.
Awards
- King Charles III Coronation Medal, Canadian Cancer Society. 2024
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. 2023
- Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta), 2023
- Rosalind E. Franklin Award for Women in Science, US National Cancer Institute. 2022
- Friend of IARC Distinction, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France. 2021
- Top Peer Reviewer, JNCI-Cancer Spectrum (Recognition for being one of 10 peer-reviewers for this journal). 2020
- Fellow, Royal Society of Canada (Life Sciences Division). 2019
- Visiting Professor, Technical University of Munich, funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and Arts. 2019
- Chair, Scientific Council, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France. 2019
- 10,000 citations award, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. 2018
- Canadian Representative, Scientific Council, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France. 2018
- Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. 2016
- Supervisory Excellence Award Nominee, Graduate Students’ Association, University of Calgary. 2016
- Research (Basic Science) Award for clinical, adjunct and research faculty, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. 2014
- O. Harold Warwick Prize, Canadian Cancer Society. 2013
- Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics Distinguished Service Award, 2013
- Alberta Cancer Foundation Weekend to End Women’s Cancers Breast Cancer Chair, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. 2012
- Distinguished Lecturer, German Cancer Research Centre and National Cancer Tumor Centre, Heidelberg, Germany. 2012
- Dean’s Prize for Publication and Mentorship, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary. 2011
- Arete Award for Research Excellence, Department of Oncology, University of Calgaryction. 2009
- Health Research Senior Scholar Award, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. 2008
- Honorary Lifetime Member, Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (in recognition of service to the Society). 2007
- Visiting Scientist Award, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France. 2004
- Health Research Scholar Award, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. 2002
- New Investigator Career Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 2001
- National Health Research Scholar, National Health Research and Development Program, Health Canada. 1995
- Visiting Scientist, Epidemiology Division, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany. 1995
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. 1992
- National Health Postdoctoral Fellowship, Health and Welfare Canada. 1992
- Research Training Fellowship, International Agency for Research on Cancer. 1990
- Fellowship Award, Health Research Personnel Development Program. 1990
- Student Methodologic Workshop Travel Award, Society for Epidemiologic Research. 1989
- National Health Ph.D. Fellowship, Health and Welfare Canada. 1987
- Studentship, Epidemiology Unit, National Cancer Institute of Canada. 1986
- National Health MSc Fellowship, Co-operative NHRDP/Queen’s University/Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health and Welfare Canada. 1985
- Queen's University Graduate Award, Queen's University. 1984
- Province of Alberta Matriculation Award, Province of Alberta. 1978
Publications
Are you the profile owner?
Login to edit.