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News from PWHR ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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Dear PWHR community,
As we move into the spring, we are encouraged by the depth and diversity of work advancing women’s health across Canada — from new evidence that is reshaping clinical practice, to national conversations that are building momentum for women's health research and more equitable care. This month’s newsletter reflects the collective energy of PWHR and our partners, with updates spanning research, policy, and community dialogue.
We are also pleased to share several upcoming learning opportunities — including our 2025–2026 Research Seminar Series featuring PWHR award recipient Dr. Lihi Eder, the next installment of Vital Talks on lifelong hormonal health, and the release of the full program for Vitally Important: Canada’s National Women’s Health Summit in Toronto this March. Together, these initiatives highlight the growing commitment across sectors to translate evidence into meaningful change for women and gender-diverse people.
We are grateful to our partners, researchers, clinicians, advocates, and community members who continue to push this work forward — and to all of you for being part of this shared effort to strengthen women’s health research in Canada.
With warm regards,
Tamil Kendall, PhD
Director, Partnership for Women's Health Research Canada
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Now Open: PWHR Mid-Career Excellence in Women's Health Research Award
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For the second year, we are proud to invite applications for the PWHR Mid-Career Excellence in Women's Health Research Award – a national recognition celebrating researchers who are advancing knowledge and innovation in women’s health across Canada.
This national award honours mid-career researchers across Canada who are making significant contributions across the four Canadian Institutes of Health Research pillars: Clinical Research, Biomedical Research, Health Systems & Services Social and Cultural, Environmental & Population Health.
Four recipients – one from each of our partner institutions – will be recognized for their research excellence in women’s health.
Awardees will be spotlighted by PWHR Canada and invited to present their work to a national audience through the PWHR seminar series. Do you know a researcher whose work is making a meaningful impact in women’s health? Encourage them to apply – or submit a nomination today!
Deadline to apply is March 31, 2026, by 12 AM (midnight) PT.
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From Awareness to Action: Blueprint for Action on Women's Health
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Leading Beyond the Gap: Closing the Women’s Health Gap in Canada builds on the findings of the report from McKinsey Health Institute, “Closing the women’s health gap: Canada’s $37 billion opportunity” to outline how coordinated, pan-Canadian action can improve women’s health outcomes, strengthen workforce participation, and unlock shared economic benefits. More and better evidence about women's health and sex and gender is central to achieve these gains. Developed by Women’s Health Collective Canada, with knowledge partner, McKinsey & Company Canada, and informed by expert input from PWHR and researchers from our partner institutions across the country, the report moves from evidence to action, providing a practical path to close knowledge gaps and advance more equitable, evidence-informed women’s health.
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Call for Abstracts: 11th Annual Women's Health Research Symposium
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Registration is now open for the eleventh annual Women’s Health Research Symposium!
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI). To celebrate this milestone, the Symposium will feature a special session with a panel discussion reflecting on the current state of women’s health research, bringing together key people from across WHRI’s history.
The 2026 Symposium theme, “From Science to Solutions: Building Bridges from Discovery Science to Women’s Health”, highlights the work of local investigators who are driving research excellence in the discovery, basic, and life sciences within women’s health or by including biological sex as a variable in their work, which will improve women’s health in the long term.
The event will feature Dr. Cheryl Wellington as keynote speaker and Dr. Ariane van der Straten as the spotlight speaker.
Calling all trainees: Submissions are now open for the Trainee Poster Session, and trainees are also invited to participate in the One Minute Thesis (1MT) Session.
EVENT DETAILS: - Time: March 6, 2026
- Date: 8:00 AM - 1:30 PM PT
- Location: In person (Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre at the University of British Columbia) or virtually via live-stream.
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New study challenges BMI barriers in masculinizing chest surgery
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Every day the team at Women’s College Hospital (WCH) saw patients heal, grow and ultimately thrive because of gender-affirming health care. WCH’s Transition Related Surgery (TRS) program was the first hospital-based TRS program in Canada. It began in 2019 and continues to highlight the importance of offering life-saving care to transgender and gender-diverse individuals.
Masculinizing chest surgery, now available at WCH, is a frequently sought gender-affirming procedure that improves quality of life among its recipients, though access to this surgery is often restricted based on body mass index (BMI). Recognizing this barrier, WCH researchers set out to examine whether higher BMI truly increases surgical risk. In a new study published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, the team reviewed outcomes for 530 patients who underwent masculinizing chest surgery at WCH between August 2021 and October 2024.
The findings are clear: there were no differences postoperative complication rates based on BMI or American Society of Anesthesiologists classification system. The study demonstrates that with the right clinical protocols in place, higher-BMI patients can safely access masculinizing chest surgery, not just at WCH, but potentially across other ambulatory care settings in Canada.
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Black women’s health-care experiences remain marked by structural racism — here’s how institutions should move forward
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Racism is not only a social issue — it is a healthcare issue. Research on Black women’s healthcare experiences shows that many continue to face structural racism, microaggressions, and dismissive treatment in medical settings. These experiences undermine trust, delay diagnoses, and discourage people from seeking care.
Racism also affects healthcare workers. Many nurses want to provide compassionate care but feel anxious about “getting it wrong,” while unclear institutional guidance leaves them unsure how to address racism in practice. Racism — including from patients — also increases stress for nurses and harms care relationships. The article argues that institutions must move beyond individual training toward building inclusive and nurturing communities in healthcare — spaces that encourage honest dialogue about race, shared accountability, and genuine efforts to address systemic racism. Rebuilding trust will require accountability, transparency, consistency, and sustained commitment to equity in care.
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Upcoming PWHR Seminar: Novel Perspectives on Sex and Gender in Psoriatic Arthritis
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We invite you to join us for the third installment of our 2025–2026 PWHR Research Seminar Series: Sex Matters: Novel Perspectives on Sex and Gender in Psoriatic Arthritis.
This session features Dr. Lihi Eder, recipient of the PWHR Mid-Career Excellence in Women’s Health Research Award.
Dr. Eder is a Scientist at the Women’s College Hospital Research and Innovation Institute and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She serves as Director of the Psoriatic Arthritis Program at Women’s College Hospital and Co-Director of the Cardio-Rheumatology Program at the University of Toronto. Her work has shaped global standards in psoriatic arthritis research, with a strong focus on sex and gender differences in disease outcomes. Her leadership continues to advance clinical care, imaging, and gender-responsive rheumatology.
EVENT DETAILS: - Time: March 4, 2026
- Date:
9:00-10:00 AM PT
10:00-11:00 AM MT
12:00-1:00 PM ET
1:00-2:00 PM AT - Location: Online via Zoom
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Announcing Vital Talks: Beyond the Cycle — Lifelong Hormonal Health
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Registration is now open for the next installment of Vital Talks, a national discussion series bringing science and lived experience into open conversation. Beyond the Cycle — Lifelong Hormonal Health will explore how hormonal patterns — including menstrual cycles — shape women’s health across the lifespan, from adolescence through menopause and beyond. The session will examine links between hormones and cardiovascular risk, metabolism, menstrual health, cancer, and skin biology, as well as the growing recognition of the menstrual cycle as a critical indicator of broader health. Speakers will also address why hormonal signals are still often misunderstood or dismissed, and how clearer communication, better tools, and stronger evidence can improve care at every stage of life.
EVENT DETAILS: - Time: March 11, 2026
- Date: 1-3 PM ET
- Location: Online
Featured speakers include: Stella Daskalapoulou, Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, and Director, Vascular Health Unit, McGill University; Program Co-Leader, Cardiovascular Health Across the Lifespan, McGill University Health Centre Zeba Khan, Doctoral researcher, Women’s Health Research Institute, focused on adolescent period pain, menstrual health care access, and menstrual equity Olexandra Koshkina, Endocrinologist, Women’s College Hospital; Assistant Professor and Clinician Teacher, Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, University of Toronto Meghan Pike, Solid Tumor Program Lead, IWK Health; Assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Dalhousie University; Creator of the WeThrive App Alexandra Richard, Medical Communications Manager, Vichy Laboratoires
Moderator:
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Full program now available for Vitally Important: National Women's Health Summit
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The Partnership for Women's Health Research, Women's Health Collective Canada, and the Canadian Partnership for Women's and Children's Health are excited to share that the full program for Vitally Important: National Women’s Health Summit 2026 is now available. The Summit brings together an exceptional group of leading researchers, clinicians, health system leaders, advocates, and partners for two days of forward-looking conversations on women’s health.
This year’s program examines both the need to advance women’s health (Day 1) and the persistent evidence gaps that continue to shape care and outcomes (Day 2). Sessions will cover cardiovascular disease, menopause, cancer care innovation, mental and brain health, chronic pain, autoimmune disease, reproductive health equity, and more — reflecting the range and urgency of the work underway across Canada.
In addition to this outstanding lineup, we’re pleased to welcome Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser — physician, coach, and four-time Olympic gold medalist — as a special guest at the evening reception on Day 1 (March 24).
These conversations — and the people leading them — are shaping what comes next for women’s health research, policy, and care in Canada.
EVENT DETAILS: - Time: March 24–25, 2026
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
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