Christine M Friedenreich

Christine Marthe Friedenreich, , is a Canadian cancer epidemiologist whose research focuses on the role of physical activity in the development and moderation of cancer. In 2019, Friedenreich was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada for her contributions to science over the decades. Friedenreich was the first Canadian to receive the Rosalind E. Franklin award from the National Cancer Institute. Friedenreich was also the scientific director for the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research at Alberta Health Services, headquartered in Edmonton, Canada.

Education Friedenreich completed her undergraduate and post graduate studies and research in Canada. For undergraduate studies, Friedenreich attended Queen's University at Kingston, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in life sciences in 1982. She also earned her Masters of Science in community health and epidemiology from Queen's University at Kingston. Friedenreich went on to complete her doctorate study in epidemiology at the University of Toronto in 1990. Since then, she has conducted over 40 studies showing the benefits of physical activity in the reduction of risk to cancer and improved rehabilitation after cancer diagnosis. She has published hundreds of academic papers and her works have been cited over 12,000 times. She led the ALPHA trial (Alberta Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Prevention Trial), the first intervention trial for exercise and breast cancer prevention in Canada. This study included 320 post menopausal women. Friedenreich retired from Alberta Health Services in 2024.

Honors and awards In 2019, Friedenreich joined the Royal Society of Canada in the division of life sciences. She was awarded the Canadian Cancer Society's O. Harold Warwick Prize in 2013. She was given the Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics distinguished service award in 2013. In 2022, Friedenreich became the first Canadian to receive the Rosalind E. Franklin award from the National Cancer Institute.