PWHR’S RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES
PWHR’s 2023-2024 Research Seminar Series: Improving Women’s Healthcare Through Research
The 2023-2024 PWHR Women’s Health Research Seminar Series will explore research that is driving advances in healthcare for women, trans and non-binary people. Whether they are working at the bench to advance basic science, at the bedside, or with the broader health, social, and economic policies and systems that shape individual and population health, a fundamental goal of women’s health researchers is to improve healthcare. This seminar series highlights how researchers from across Canada are realizing PWHR’s vision of “Better health for all women, trans and non-binary people through research equity, excellence, and inclusion.”
March 1, 2024
Digital Innovations: Expanding Women’s Informed Choice And Access To Quality Healthcare
| Panel Chair | Dr. Ibukun Abejirinde, MD, MSc., PhD Scientist, Women’s College Hospital Research Institute, Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto |
| Digital health for chronic disease prevention and treatment | Dr. Carla Prado, PhD, RD Professor, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, University of Alberta, Member Women and Children’s Health Research Institute Camila Orsso, PhD Student |
| Leveraging digital platforms to improve cervical cancer screening rates | Dr. Gina Ogilvie, MSc, PhD, MD Professor, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Senior Scientist BC Centre for Disease Control, Senior Scientific Advisor Women’s Health Research Institute Nadia Mithani, PhD Student |
| Innovations in Treatment Delivery for Perinatal Mental Illness | Dr. Simone Vigod, MD, MSc, FRCPC Senior Scientist, Women’s College Research Institute, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto Neesha Hussain-Shamsy, PhD Candidate |
January 24, 2024
Person-Centered approaches to research and healthcare delivery
| The BCC3 experience with community-engaged research on healthy aging in women living with HIV | Dr. Hélène Côté, Ph.D. Professor, University of British Columbia & WHRI |
| Transforming healthcare through asynchronous trauma-informed care (TIC) education | Dr. Dana Ross, M.D. Assistant Professor, University of Toronto & WCRI |
November 21, 2023
Resolving Women’s Pain: research-Driven Innovations
| A novel approach to optimizing labour analgesia using Programmed Intermittent Epidural Bolus (PIEB) | Dr. Allana Munro, BSc Pharm, M.D., FRCPC BSc Pharm, MD, FRCPC, Anesthesiologist (IWK Health) and Associate Professor (Dalhousie University) |
| An integrative approach to chronic pelvic pain care | Dr. Erin Kelly, M.D. M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Alberta & WCHRI |
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome other complex chronic diseases: Advances in diagnosis and treatment | Dr. Luis Nacul, M.D., Ph.D. Director of the Complex Chronic Diseases Program (CCDP), BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre & WHRI |
| Rapid access to care for people living with pain: Creation and implementation of the Power Over Pain portal | Dr. Rachael Bosma, Ph.D. Ph.D., Co-Director, University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain & WCRI |
September 19, 2023
Research for precision women’s health and personalized medicine
| Dedifferentiated and sarcomatous mullerian cancer – development of precision preclinical models to facilitate precision oncology | Dr. Cheng-Han Lee, MD, Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of Alberta |
| Genetic risk for major depressive disorder and loneliness in sex-specific associations with coronary artery disease | Dr. Jessica Dennis, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia |
| Population-based screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancers | Dr. Mohammad Akbari, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of Toronto |
PWHR’s 2022-2023 Research Seminar Series: Women’s Health Research Knowledge Mobilization to Improve Policy, practice, and outcomes
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March 1, 2023
Digital innovations in abortion care: national and global perspectives
| Reproductive Justice in Digital Life | Joanna Erdman, JD, LLM Professor, MacBain Chair in Health Law and Policy, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University |
| What matters most to people seeking an abortion in Canada? Lessons learned from the development of a decision aid | Dr. Melissa Brooks, MD, FRSC Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University Dr. Sarah Munro, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia and Co-Director, Canada’s Contraception and Abortion Research Team (CART-GRAC) |
| Innovation is Vital(a): Opportunities and challenges of co-created digital platforms for SMA in Humanitarian Settings | Dr. Roopan Gill, MD, MPH, FRCSC Executive Director and Co-Founder, Vitala Global and Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto |
January 26, 2023
partnering with policymakers to implement and respond to women’s health research
| Opening Remarks | Dr. Angela Kaida, Ph.D. Scientific Director, Institute of Gender and Health, CIHR and Distinguished Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University |
| Canada’s Sexual Health Survey—from idea to implementation | Dr. Wendy V. Norman, MD, CCFP, FCFP, DTM&H, MHSc Professor, Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia and Co-Director, Canada’s Contraception and Abortion Research Team (CART-GRAC) |
| Obstetrical Anal Sphincter Injury and the pathway to care | Dr. Jane Schulz, MD, FRCSC Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lois Hole Hospital for Women, University of Alberta and Alberta Women’s Health Foundation Endowed Research Chair |
| Addressing windows of opportunity to identify and prevent diabetes in women | Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe, MD, MSC, FRCPC Senior Scientist, Women’s College Research Institute, Professor, Department of Medicine and Director, Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations, University of Toronto |
November 23, 2022
partnering with service providers to improve the health of women, trans, and non-binary people
| Opening Remarks | Ms. Jenna Sudds, M.P. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth |
| Working with health and social service providers to improve supports for transgender survivors of sexual assault in Ontario | Dr. Janice Du Mont, Ed.D Senior Scientist, Women’s College Research Institute and Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto Ms. Sheila Macdonald, RN Provincial Director, Ontario Network of Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Care and Treatment Centres |
| #postbabyhankypanky: A knowledge sharing initiative to promote the sexual health of new parents | Dr. Natalie Rosen, Ph.D. Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience and Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Dalhousie University, Halifax |
September 22, 2022
working with communities to design and implement women’s health research
| Research with Communities and Knowledge Mobilization | Alison Bourgon Director General of Science Policy, Canadian Institutes of Health Research |
| A Community-Centred Approach to Self-collection for Cervix Screening | Laurie Smith, RN(C), BN, MPH Program Manager, Global Control of HPV Related Diseases and Cancer Research Program, Women’s Health Research Institute Dr. Carolyn Nakisige Gynecologist, Uganda Cancer Institute |
| Maskwacis Maternal, Child & Family Wellbeing Research Group | Dr. Richard Oster, Ph.D. Scientific Director of the Indigenous Wellness Core, Alberta Health Services Denise Young Research Assistant, Maskwacis Maternal, Child & Family Wellbeing Research Group |
PWHR’s 2023-2024 Research Seminar Series: Improving Women’s Healthcare Through Research
The 2023-2024 PWHR Women’s Health Research Seminar Series will explore research that is driving advances in healthcare for women, trans and non-binary people. Whether they are working at the bench to advance basic science, at the bedside, or with the broader health, social, and economic policies and systems that shape individual and population health, a fundamental goal of women’s health researchers is to improve healthcare. This seminar series highlights how researchers from across Canada are realizing PWHR’s vision of “Better health for all women, trans and non-binary people through research equity, excellence, and inclusion.”
March 1, 2024
Digital Innovations: Expanding Women’s Informed Choice And Access To Quality Healthcare
| Panel Chair | Dr. Ibukun Abejirinde, MD, MSc., PhD Scientist, Women’s College Hospital Research Institute, Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto |
| Digital health for chronic disease prevention and treatment | Dr. Carla Prado, PhD, RD Professor, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, University of Alberta, Member Women and Children’s Health Research Institute Camila Orsso, PhD Student |
| Leveraging digital platforms to improve cervical cancer screening rates | Dr. Gina Ogilvie, MSc, PhD, MD Professor, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Senior Scientist BC Centre for Disease Control, Senior Scientific Advisor Women’s Health Research Institute Nadia Mithani, PhD Student |
| Innovations in Treatment Delivery for Perinatal Mental Illness | Dr. Simone Vigod, MD, MSc, FRCPC Senior Scientist, Women’s College Research Institute, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto Neesha Hussain-Shamsy, PhD Candidate |
January 24, 2024
Person-Centered approaches to research and healthcare delivery
| The BCC3 experience with community-engaged research on healthy aging in women living with HIV | Dr. Hélène Côté, Ph.D. Professor, University of British Columbia & WHRI |
| Transforming healthcare through asynchronous trauma-informed care (TIC) education | Dr. Dana Ross, M.D. Assistant Professor, University of Toronto & WCRI |
November 21, 2023
Resolving Women’s Pain: research-Driven Innovations
| A novel approach to optimizing labour analgesia using Programmed Intermittent Epidural Bolus (PIEB) | Dr. Allana Munro, BSc Pharm, M.D., FRCPC BSc Pharm, MD, FRCPC, Anesthesiologist (IWK Health) and Associate Professor (Dalhousie University) |
| Transforming healthcare through asynchronous trauma-informed care (TIC) education | Dr. Erin Kelly, M.D. M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Alberta & WCHRI |
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome other complex chronic diseases: Advances in diagnosis and treatment | Dr. Luis Nacul, M.D., Ph.D. Director of the Complex Chronic Diseases Program (CCDP), BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre & WHRI |
| Rapid access to care for people living with pain: Creation and implementation of the Power Over Pain portal | Dr. Rachael Bosma, Ph.D. Ph.D., Co-Director, University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain & WCRI |
September 19, 2023
Research for precision women’s health and personalized medicine
| Dedifferentiated and sarcomatous mullerian cancer – development of precision preclinical models to facilitate precision oncology | Dr. Cheng-Han Lee, MD, Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of Alberta |
| Genetic risk for major depressive disorder and loneliness in sex-specific associations with coronary artery disease | Dr. Jessica Dennis, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia |
| Population-based screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancers | Dr. Mohammad Akbari, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of Toronto |