Mind the Gap: Hormonal Contraceptives and Brain Health
Mind the Gap: Hormonal Contraceptives and Brain Health—Session 5: Trainee Symposium
November 23, 2022, 10:00 am to 12:30 pm
This trainee poster session is part of our virtual "Mind the Gap: Hormonal Contraceptives and Brain Health" series, which brings attention to the brain health issues that women+ face and encourage the medical, scientific and commercial communities to address them. In this session, we will hear from trainees presenting their findings on Endogenous and Exogenous Hormones in Women+'s Health. We will then hear from five speakers in a Young Investigator Data Blitz on topics related to hormonal contraceptives and the effects on vascular health, as well as the prefontal cortex.
Agenda
10:00-10:05—Welcome Remarks
10:05-10:20—Speaker 1: Jesse Lacasse “How 'Androgenic' Forms of Oral Contraceptives Alter Cognition in Women”
10:20-10:35— Speaker 2: Jennifer Williams "Heart-Brain Connection in Women: Contraceptive Hormones and the Peripheral Vasculature"
10:35-10:50—Speaker 3: Margot Morssinkhof "Differences in Insomnia and Depressive Symptoms in Oral Contraceptive Users and Non-Users"
10:50-11:00—Break
11:00-11:30—Trainee Poster Session
11:30-11:45— Speaker 4: Laura Gravelsins "Hormonal Contraception and Cognition: Considering Genes and the Influence of Endogenous Ovarian Hormones for Clinical Translation"
11:45-12:00—Speaker 5: Rachel Gilfarb "Hormonal Contraceptive Exposure During Adolescence Impacts the Prefrontal Cortex and HPA Axis Response of Female Rats"
12:00-12:15—Peoples Poster Award Voting / Speaker Q&A
12:15-12:20—Closing remarks
Individual Event Cost
General Public: $15
Students: $10
We offer you the option of registering for individual events or signing up for the entire series. Video recordings of our conference sessions will be sent to all registrants following each event. Click here to learn more about the conference, or register for this individual event below.
Speakers | Bios |
 | Jesse Lacasse Talk Title: How 'Androgenic' Forms of Oral Contraceptives Alter Cognition in Women Bio: Jesse Lacasse is a Ph.D. (c) at Concordia University's Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology in Montréal, Quebec. His research focuses on the effects of hormonal contraceptives on the brain and cognition both in women and in female rats. |
 | Jennifer Williams Talk Title: Heart-Brain Connection in Women: Contraceptive Hormones and the Peripheral Vasculature Bio: Jennifer Williams is a PhD candidate at McMaster University, supervised by Dr. Maureen MacDonald. Her research focuses on the role of endogenous and exogenous sex hormones on peripheral vascular function and structure in premenopausal females, and the underlying mechanisms governing vascular responses. She is also fascinated by the intersecting roles of sex and gender in vascular disease progression.
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 | Margot Morssinkhof Talk Title: Differences in Insomnia and Depressive Symptoms in Oral Contraceptive Users and Non-Users Bio: Margot is a fourth-year PhD Candidate at the departments of Psychiatry and Endocrinology at the Amsterdam UMC and OLVG Hospitals in Amsterdam. She studies the effects of exogenous hormone use on depressive symptoms, insomnia and sleep quality, and she specifically looks at effects of oral contraceptives and gender-affirming hormone use. In her further career, she plans to pursue a career in which she can promote scientific knowledge on the effects of gender, sex and sex hormones on mental health. |
 | Laura Gravelsins Talk Title: Hormonal Contraception and Cognition: Considering Genes and the Influence of Endogenous Ovarian Hormones for Clinical Translation Bio: Laura Gravelsins is a PhD Candidate in the Einstein Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Gender, and Health. She is broadly interested in the influence of ovarian hormones on brain health. During her Master’s degree, she examined the effects of oral contraceptives on memory. Her current research investigates cognitive and structural brain changes in women with risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (surgical removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes) prior to natural menopause, a group of women who are high-risk for developing later life Alzheimer’s Disease. Through her work, she strives to identify factors that protect against cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases in women.
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 | Rachel Gilfarb Talk Title: Hormonal Contraceptive Exposure During Adolescence Impacts the Prefrontal Cortex and HPA Axis Response of Female Rats Bio: Rachel Gilfarb is a 5th year PhD Candidate at the Ohio State University in the lab of Dr. Benedetta Leuner. Broadly, she studies how female-biased experiences (like pregnancy, motherhood, and hormonal contraceptive use) affects the brain and behavior. Rachel plans to pursue a career in science policy where she can best inform policy affecting public health and women's healthcare. |
Moderator | |
 | Katherine Moore, University of British Columbia Director of Operations & Strategic Initiatives at the Women's Health Research Cluster. |