Trainee Members

Amanda Acauan, a 2nd-year Psychology student at Douglas College in British Columbia has always been interested in women's physical and mental health. This fascination was solidified after experiencing a Health Psychology course, when she made the decision to pursue her career as a Health Psychologist. Amanda's intention is to focus time and effort in rethinking health care systems, underscoring the importance of an IPC approach in these settings, and working through promotion of healthy behaviours with an emphasis on women's perspectives.

Feranmi Adebiyi

Undergraduate Student

University of British Columbia

Khadijat is a Ph.D. Candidate at Elaine Marieb College of Nursing. She is committed to helping hospitals and health systems build a culture of excellence that delivers exceptional patient-centered care. Khadijat obtained her Master’s in Nursing from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Her research has focused on understanding the experiences of families experiencing stillbirth to improve health provider-patient communication, after-death care practices for stillbirth families, and social support for families whose babies have died.

Sara is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychiatric Genetics at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Canada, under the supervision of Dr. James Kennedy. Her research is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the womenmind initiative. With a deep interest in advancing women's mental health, Sara’s work focuses on the genetic and molecular aspects of psychiatric disorders, particularly Bipolar Disorder (BD) and suicide risk.

Hello! My name is Zahra Shahriyari Afshar. I am a UBC Vancouver Undergraduate student specializing in Clinical, Forensic, and Health Psychology with a minor in Biology. I recently have embarked on my journey towards medical school in hopes of becoming an Orthopedic surgeon in the future. I am deeply passionate about the global health and humanities crisis and have founded and supported my very own Red Cross Club at my high school.

I am a student of Community Health and Epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. My training in global health, community health, and anti-oppressive methodologies allow me to engage respectfully with communities to build respectful, authentic partnerships with an emphasis on equitable outcomes. I draw on my experiences as an immigrant in Canada, while being mindful of my relative privileges and power dynamics in the spaces I navigate– both within and outside academia.

Iqra Akram is a PhD Scholar in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Her academic training includes a BSc (Honors) in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Arid Agriculture University, Pakistan and an MSc in Public Health from the University of Debrecen, Hungary. Iqra’s research interests span a wide spectrum, reflecting her diverse expertise. Her areas of focus encompass nutritional epidemiology, food and social eating, social determinants of health, and mixed methods research.

Saiful is starting his PhD at the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. He is part of the FOCAL research team that is fighting against cervical cancer worldwide. His overall research goal is to improve women's health by contributing to the elimination of cervical cancer through the lens of prevention. He completed his Master of Science (MSc) degree from the University of Saskatchewan (USASK).

Melina is an Epidemiology Ph.D. candidate and research assistant at the University of Toronto. She is also a reviewer for the Canadian Journal of Undergraduate Research. Melina previously studied at the University of British Columbia, where she completed her B.Sc. in Biology (2018) and M.Sc. in Population and Public Health (2021). Melina has worked as a research assistant at the UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research and the Human Early Learning Partnership, based at UBC.

Yanaira (Yanay) Alonso-Caraballo hails from Puerto Rico. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology-Biomedical Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce in 2013. Her academic journey led her to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she conducted her research under the guidance of Dr. Carrie Ferrario, graduating in 2019.

Adriana Angarita Fonseca is a postdoctoral fellow specializing in sex and gender in cardiovascular epidemiology at McGill University. Her career journey has been shaped by a multidisciplinary background encompassing physiotherapy, epidemiology, biostatistics, and population health. Adriana's career goals are to drive innovative and impactful research in sex and gender in cardiovascular health, specifically focusing on women's heart and brain health.

I am a Liu Scholar and a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia's School of Community and Regional Planning. My interdisciplinary research relies on quantitative and qualitative methods approaches to gain planning and policy insights for women's food and nutrition security, amid high food prices. My research to date has focused primarily on Pakistan, and other lower-middle income Global South countries, particularly those in South Asia.

Ravia is a second-year Master of Public Health student at the University of Waterloo. She has professional and research experience in health equity, digital health interventions, mental health, user-experience and design. She is also a Project Coordinator in research and development, on the futures innovation team at lululemon.

Sophie Arseneault is a long-standing advocate for health equity. Serving as a Board Director for Fòs Feminista's International Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice, she supports youth-led approaches to regressive policies impeding on the health and well-being of vulnerable communities.

Bhavya is a fourth-year undergraduate student of Psychology at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is broadly interested in the neurobiological mechanisms and sex differences associated with perinatal and infant mental health, and parent-child relationships more generally. She is currently working on her Honours thesis, which is focused on sources of risk/resilience in the context of fetal programming of neurodevelopment and psychopathology.

Research keywords: menopause, metabolic health, reproductive longevity, PCOS

Has earned a B.Sc in Midwifery and a master's degree in epidemiology with an endometriosis focus

My current research focuses on women’s heart and brain health in cardiovascular autonomic disorders. I primarily conduct research in patients with 1) Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome; a chronic disabling disorder characterized by hemodynamic instability that primarily affects young females (90-95%), and 2) neurogenic orthostatic hypotension; a debilitating condition that affects older adults and people with neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s disease), neuropathies (e.g., diabetes), and neural injuries (e.g., spinal cord injury).@jacquie__baker

I am a second year PhD student in clinical psychology at UBC Okanagan, supervised by Dr. Susan Holtzman. Broadly, my research interests include: the role of self-compassion and mindfulness in mental health, emotion regulation, depression, and the impact of trauma and stress on formal and informal caregivers' mental health. In my previous roles as a registered nurse, I have worked extensively in the areas of mental and sexual health. I am passionate about reducing the stigma associated with mental health issues and advocating for increased access to mental health services in Canada.

Ashley A. Balsom is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Regina. She is also currently a SSHRC doctoral fellow. Ms. Balsom is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Gordon in the Women’s Mental Health Research Unit. She is interested in exploring evidence-based interventions adapted for women experiencing infertility, exploring women’s coping and resiliency when experiencing transitions in their lives, and exploring the influence of infertility on sexual function.

Chinmayi is a student pursuing neuroepidemiology and medical humanities at Columbia University in New York City. She is a researcher at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Stanford Medicine with interests in cognitive neuroscience, brain injury, and stroke.

Kristianni is a PhD clinical psychology student at De La Salle University, Philippines. Her research interests are exploring the Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) experience among young adult Filipino women, resiliency, emotion regulation, and mental health of menstruating young adults with existing clinical disorders and exploring evidenced-based mindfulness for menstruating young adults. Outside of work, she is a photography enthusiast, loves traveling, and prefers coffee over wine. 

Lexia Bao is a fourth year undergraduate student at UBC. She’s currently a member of the Viau Lab researching stress-induced sex differences and will begin her co-op term at the lab in September.  

Eunice is a Founding Member of the Coalition of African, Caribbean, and Black Nurses in British Columbia. As a health care professional (RN) who has worked in a materially under-resourced country in the Global south for several years, Eunice brings a passion for women’s health research. Specifically, she has worked as a counsellor for pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS and their partners which has piqued her interest in issues of nurse/patient empowerment in relation to achieving quality nursing care.

Deniz  completed the Affective Disorders MSc program at King’s College London with distinction (equivalent to 4.0 GPA). She is currently  a Neuroscience PhD student and Neuropsychiatry researcher at McMaster University. Deniz is a resourceful, hardworking, and focused young professional who can effectively multi-task in challenging situations to meet critical deadlines. She is eager to grow as a researcher and become an academic.

Dr. Benham is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences. Her research focuses on the interplay between endocrine disease, physical activity and cardiometabolic health. 

She is currently a 5th-year graduate student working towards her PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University under the mentorship of Dr. Heather Bimonte-Nelson. She is interested in the role of ovarian hormone changes across the lifespan in influencing the trajectory of healthy cognitive aging in females. Her current research uses rodent models to evaluate the cognitive and neurobiological outcomes associated with variations in the menopause experience, including surgical alterations of the reproductive tract.

Ayan Biswas is an undergraduate student with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at Jadavpur University. Find Ayan on Twitter and LinkedIn.  

Puja Biswas's research interests focus on understanding sex-difference in energy metabolism regulated by insulin-signaling pathway. Using Drosophila (fruit fly), Puja Biswas is doing her PhD study at Rideout Lab to better understand how males and females maintain their stored fat. Puja Biswas completed her BSc and MSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. She completed her 2nd MSc from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, exploring fat synthesis pathways using mouse cell lines.

Naseeb is an MSc student at the UBC School of Population and Public Health. She previously completed an honours degree in philosophy at UBC, and is interested in questions related to values, justice, and health found at the intersection of public health and philosophy. Her thesis examines different perceptions of healthcare equity in the context of cancer care funding in British Columbia. She is currently assisting with the SSHRC Insight project “Distinct Concepts of Diversity and their Ethical-Epistemic Implications for Science”, lead by Dr. Daniel Steel at the W.

Jessica Booth is an Undergraduate Science student at the University of British Columbia studying Behavioural Neuroscience. She plans on testing and developing medication and medical procedures oriented to the betterment of women's health. Currently, she is investigating impulsivity in bipolar, stimulant users and gamblers to develop procedures for biological treatments. She hopes to continue her investigation in medicine and mental health to improve the standard of treatment for minority groups.

Alana Brown is a PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Gillian Einstein. Alana strives to use her training in statistics, functional and structural neuroimaging, and neuroendocrinology to understand the effects of ovarian hormones on cognition, sleep microstructure, and brain health. She studies these factors in women with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (surgical removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes) prior to spontaneous/natural menopause.

Anna Brugulat-Serrat is a Ph.D in Biomedicine (mention of Cum Laude) and a Clinical Neuropsychologist. In 2019 she was selected as an Atlantic Fellow for Equity Brain of Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) based in the Memory and Aging Center (University of California, San Francisco). Currently, Brugulat-Serrat is a post-doctoral researcher in the Neuroimaging Research Group in the Alzheimer´s Clinical Research Program at the Barcelonabeta Brain Research Center.

Noelia Calvo is a Linguist and PhD in Psychology from Argentina. She is now working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Einstein lab. Dr. Calvo researches risk and reserve proxies in dementia. She is particularly interested in the role of language, ethnicity and biological sex in Alzheimer’s disease. To understand the interactive effects of different social determinants of health, Dr. Calvo uses behavioral data (quantitative and qualitative) together with neuroimaging techniques, and multivariate analysis.

Celine is a final year PhD Candidate in the Centre for Neuroendocrinology at the University of Otago, New Zealand. She completed her BSc (Hons) in physiology while in Ireland and is currently undertaking a laboratory exchange at UCLA in Los Angeles. Celine research interests are around understanding how estrogen treatment, specifically estrogen's signaling effects in the brain, can regulate protective effects against metabolic dysfunction during menopause.

Pia Campagna is a final year PhD Candidate in the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Neuroimmunology Genomics and Prognostics group at the Central Clinical School, Monash University. Her doctoral work aims to improve personalised disease management and long-term outcomes for people with MS using genomics. This involves identifying pharmacogenetic biomarkers, epigenetic prognostic biomarkers, and potential therapeutic targets that stop disease progression by characterising pregnancy-related epigenetic changes in women with MS.

Allison is currently completing her Ph.D. working under the co-supervision of Dr. Anita Cote (TWU) and Dr. Victoria Claydon (SFU). Allison completed a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Maryland and Master of Science in Kinesiology majoring in Exercise Physiology at Indiana University.

Michelle Carter is a PhD student at the UBC School of Nursing and a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatry at St. Paul’s Hospital. She aims to strengthen perinatal mental health (PMH) services to support the complex and evolving needs of birthing people and their families. Her focus is on the development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based nursing care practices.

Alana Castle is a Master of Public Health Student in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, graduating in December of 2024. She has served as the Research Project Assistant for two NIH-funded studies at the Women's Biobehavioral Health Laboratory, the MsBrain2 Study (P.I.s Dr. Rebecca Thurston and Dr. Pauline Maki) and the RISE Study (P.I. Dr. Karen Jakubowski), since 2021. Alana obtained her BSc in Psychology and certificates in Global Health and the Conceptual Foundations of Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh.  

Gilciane Ceolin

Postdoctoral Researcher

University of British Columbia

Danica Chang is a Medical Student at the University of Alberta, conducting clinical research under the supervision of Dr. Sofia Ahmed and Dr. Sandi Dumanski at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on contraception, sexual function, and reproductive health in young women with chronic kidney disease and aims to help improve clinical treatment in this high-risk population. Danica graduated in 2022 from the University of Calgary with a MSc in Medical Science and remains motivated to pursue her goals of becoming a leader in women’s kidney and reproductive health.

Maria is a highly skilled Biochemist and Biotechnologist with a focus on neurodegenerative and age-related diseases. In her current role as a lab manager, she upholds laboratory safety standards and promotes accessibility practices while mentoring and training students. Maria's expertise lies in advanced imaging and data analysis, enabling her to design and execute innovative translational research projects. She has a proven track record of developing data-driven strategic solutions to discover targeted drug treatments.

Shanzeh is a UBC Pharmacy student who is passionate about justice, advocacy and women's health research!IG: @sc_7801X: @therealshanzehc

Celena's research is focused on understanding the sex differences in growth and body size at a cellular level. As a PhD student in the Rideout Lab at UBC, she works with the mighty fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). She is investigating mitochondrial function and protein synthesis in adipose tissue to find mechanisms that might contribute to the sex difference in growth and body size.

Kayonne is currently a first year sociology masters student at UBC, working under the supervision of Dr. Gerry Veenstra. She completed her undergraduate training at McMaster University, where she received her B.Sc. in the Life Sciences and B.A in the Health Studies. Her research interests exist in the nexus between race, gender, class and health. She is largely interested in the social/structural determinants of health, and the interplay between social and health inequities.

Dr. Patricia Clement is a postdoctoral researcher at the Ghent University Hospital in Belgium. Her work focusses on the variability of perfusion of the healthy brain, including age and gender related differences. Currently, she is investigating the physiological fluctuations of perfusion in the female brain, throughout the natural menstrual cycle and when using hormonal anticonception.

I am a passionate Biotech student who has developed a deep fascination for immunology, infectious diseases, and pathobiology. Throughout my academic journey, I have discovered the complexity and the incredible potential of immunology to transform healthcare. This fascinationhas propelled me towards a career in biotechnology. 

Exploring gender, relationship power equity and youth-engagement among young men and women growing up within HIV hyper-endemic settings in South Africa

I am a Master's student in the CELL program studying how maternal stress alters the activity of microglia during embryogenesis, leading to neurodevelopmental disorders.Publications:Collins, Q. P., Grunsted, M. J., Arcila, D., Xiong, Y., & Padash Barmchi, M. (2023). Transcriptomic analysis provides insight into the mechanism of IKKβ-mediated suppression of HPV18E6-induced cellular abnormalities. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, 13(4), j

Kathryn Corbett is a first-year resident physician at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. She is conducting research in women’s health among nephrology patients under the supervision of Dr. Sandra Dumanski. Specifically, her research is focused on better understanding sexual dysfunction in women with chronic kidney disease to inform the clinical discussion and management of these symptoms. Before coming to Calgary, she completed her medical school training at the University of Toronto and earned an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University.

Ravena Cordeiro de Macedo

Undergraduate Student

University of British Columbia

My long-term research goal involve the development of a comprehensive understanding of key brain mechanisms and how their alterations contribute to mental disorders. My academic training and research experience to date have provided me with an excellent background in behavioral neuroscience in both preclinical and clinical settings. As an undergraduate at Sapienza University, I conducted research on the efficacy of novel pharmacotherapies for the treatment of Rett syndrome behavioral and physiological alterations in rodent models, under the supervision of Dr.

Jordyn is a first-year Master's student in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine awarded a CIHR CGS-M award at the University of Alberta. Working under the supervision of Dr.Taniya Nagpal, Jordyn is passionate about understanding health stigma from lived experiences in pregnancy especially among marginalized populations such as women of colour. Her current thesis will focus on exploring urinary incontinence-related stigma among women of colour and understanding how this may be an unspoken barrier to effective treatment options.

Tabitha Craig is a PhD student in the Cerebrovascular Health, Exercise, and Environmental Research Sciences (CHEERS) Laboratory at the University of Victoria. Her research focus is on the impact of sex hormones on cerebrovascular endothelial function and arterial stiffness in response to environmental and physiological stressors.Twitter: @Tab_craig2

Andrew D'Souza is a postdoctoral research fellow at The University of Alberta. His doctoral work focused on the impact of biological sex, gonadal aging, and sex hormones on the sympathetic neural regulation of blood pressure.  His current research is comprised of both basic and clinical work. The basic arm seeks to better understand whether sex-specific differences in the pulmonary system contribute to the greater prevalence of fainting in women.

Julia Dahlby is a physiotherapist and PhD student at the University of British Columbia. After five years of treating patients with mild traumatic brain injuries, she took her passion for neurological rehabilitation back to academia and joined Dr. Lara Boyd's Brain Behaviour Lab in 2021. Funded by CIHR, her research focuses on the underrepresentation of females and women in stroke research, and furthering our understanding of how rehabilitation interventions may need to differ for the different sexes and genders.Twitter - @JuliaDahlbyPT

Sanna Darvish

PhD Student

University of Colorado

Hallie Dau, MPH is a PhD student at the at the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. Her research focuses on the impact of cervical cancer on women and families in low- and middle-income countries. She is supervised by Dr. Gina Ogilvie. Hallie previously completed her MPH at the George Washington University where she focused on global maternal and child health.

Miguel de la Flor García was graduated in Veterinary Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid. During his degree, he collaborated with the Departments of Genetics and Physiology and did internships at the “National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research” (INIA) and the “Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research” (CIBMS). Moreover, he delved into the developmental neurobiology field during his final degree project.

Ismália De Sousa is a doctoral candidate in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia, under the supervision of Dr. Sally Thorne, Dr. Sandra Lauck and Dr. Thalia Field.

Aysan is a senior undergraduate student conducting research in health-policy. With years of experience in migration studies, she is currently conducting studies in the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights and access in immigrant and newcomer women communities in British Columbia. Currently working in the digital health intervention field at the BC Center for Disease Control, Aysan hopes to collaborate and lead health interventions to increase utilization of health resources in newcomer and hard-to-reach communities in BC and Canada.

Shannon is an undergraduate student at McGill University in her last year of her Bachelor’s of Science majoring in Kinesiology. She is beginning her Master’s degree in the Cardiovascular Health and Autonomic Regulation Laboratory with a profound interest in women and transgender cardiovascular health.

Holly Anne Dempster, BSc (Hon), MSc, is a medical student at Memorial University of Newfoundland (graduating class of 2021).

Alysha is a first year PhD student in Human Nutrition at UBC under the supervision of Dr. Tamara Cohen. Her research focuses on understanding the role biological sex and gender norms have on teens' dietary habits to create more inclusive food literacy program for youth. By creating more inclusive programs, all teens can be encouraged to adopt and maintain dietary habits that support life-long health. Alysha has a background in health promotion and epidemiology through the training of her Masters. She is also versed in metabolisms and nutrient needs from the training of her Bachelors.

I am a fourth year Behavioural Neuroscience (BSc) student at UBC. I currently work as a research assistant under the supervision of Dr. Daniela Palombo at the Memory & Imagination Lab. We are exploring the lived experiences of women who have gone through IVF treatments and seeking to understand how the memory of negative fertility events can relate to aspects of psychological and relational well-being.  

Aneet graduated with a MSc in Nursing from the University of British Columbia in December of 2022. She is now an instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. 

Yuchen Ding

Master's student

BC Cancer Research Centre

Joselyn is a biologist interested in DOHaD and placental role during perinatal infections. She is currently completing her Master's degree at Nagoya City University, in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Science.@JoselynDionisio

Dollina completed her undergraduate studies in computing science and molecular biology & biochemistry at Simon Fraser University and is now a PhD student in bioinformatics at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests lie in developing computational techniques to analyze high-dimensional genomic data and identify biomarkers that tailor patient care. Her PhD research explores the potential utility of the vaginal microbiome individually and in combination with cell-free DNA for improved screening and detection of endometrial cancer.

Dr. Justine Dol is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-funded postdoctoral fellow at IWK Health (Nova Scotia Canada) working with Dr. Christine Chambers. Her research program is focused on using digital health technology to empower parents by equipping them with the information, support, and confidence they need during the perinatal period, in their parenting journey, and in the context of pain management to improve health and well-being for the whole family. Dr.

Becky has worked and developed educational governance frameworks and regulatory legislation at provincial and national levels and currently holds a Manager role in licensing and compliance with Alberta Health. Obtaining her first paramedic credentials in 1980 as an EMT-A followed by Advanced Care Paramedic in 1997 she worked clinical practice in EMS ground, flight, and integrated fire/ems settings, eventually moving into clinical education leadership roles.

I began my education in this field with my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation degree (First Class Honors). Since then, I have developed my skills and knowledge by getting certified as an Exercise Physiologist (CSEP-CEP), specializing in applied women's physiology, and yoga teacher training. Currently, I am an MSc student at the University of Calgary, specializing in Health and Exercise Physiology. My project focusses on menstrual cycle tracking methods, machine learning/prediction analytics, femtech, and mHealth.

I am in the second year of my doctoral degree at the University of Victoria majoring in clinical neuropsychology. I completed my Master's of Science in Clinical Neuropsychology also at the University of Victoria in the summer of 2021. My interests are primarily in the effects of exercise and sports concussions on executive function, especially with my own personal experience as a university athlete (UNBC Timberwolves Women’s soccer). I hope to examine the role of estrogen and the menstrual cycle in elite female athletes' cognitive functioning throughout a season.

Keri Durocher is a PhD Candidate at Western University in London, Ontario, and a Registered Nurse. After practicing in postpartum and pediatric care areas for approximately a decade, Keri is now exploring patient and provider perceptions of the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative for her PhD research. The aim of this work is to find further interventions that will support breastfeeding for women.

Alicia Duval is a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at McGill University, specializing in neuropsychology. Her doctoral research focuses on the impact of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes. She is particularly interested in exploring mindfulness-based interventions for individuals with PCOS.Twitter: @aliciamarieduval

Tarrah is a PhD Student in Translational Medicine (Department of Medicine) at Queen's University. She works in the Ormiston Lab and focuses her studies on understanding the mechanisms behind the sex paradox in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, a deadly disease that implicates the cardiovascular, pulmonary and immune systems. She previously explored sex differences in arterial stiffness for her MSc work in the Cardiovascular Stress Response Lab at Queen's University.

Sahar Fazeli

Postdoctoral Fellow

McGill University

Linkedin: Dr. Keera Fishman

Originally from Nova Scotia, Erin graduated with an Honours degree in Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2020. She is now an MA student in the Clinical Psychology program at UBC. With a special interest in body image, her research largely focuses on discovering novel methods for improving sexual and relationship well-being in couples transitioning to parenthood and promoting evidence-based sexual education.

Elan Fortin-Eglitis

Undergraduate Student

Josephine as a researcher, is interested in broad areas like virtual reality in nursing education and practice, women's mental health, perinatal mental health, father's involvement in immigrant childbearing families, healthy behaviours of school-age children, neonatal pain relief, neonatal hypoglycemia, gender-inclusive language, and promotion of breastfeeding support. She actively takes part in knowledge translation and mobilization through National and International meetings and conferences. She is multi-linguistic and speaks Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Arabic.

Catie is a medical student at the University of British Columbia. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of McGill. 

Romina is a PhD student in Neuroscience at the University of Toronto and CAMH under the supervision of Dr. Liisa Galea in the Laboratory of Behavioural Neuroendocrinology. Broadly, Romina wishes to investigate reproductive periods and the neurobiological underpinnings that increase stress vulnerability and depression in females, and subsequently their offspring. Her research focus is on postpartum depression (PPD) and whether immune modulations improve antidepressant efficacy in a rodent model of PPD and increase stress resilience in offspring.

Avonae Gentles

Graduate Student

Narantungalag Gerelt-Od

Master's student

University of British Columbia

Meggie Gilmour is a dedicated healthcare professional with a passion for mental health research, especially for women. She is a registered nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Ottawa and is currently working towards a Master of Science in Health Systems at the Telfer School of Management. With a keen interest in advancing mental health services and support for women, she is committed to contributing her expertise, experience, and passion to forward-thinking organizations within the healthcare landscape.

I am a second-year MSc student in Community Health Sciences (health services research) at the Cumming School of Medicine, UCalgary. My research focuses on mental health outcomes for caregivers of youth with neurodevelopmental and substance use disorders though the lens of social/structural determinants and health equity. I have lived experience as a caregiver and as a front-line community health worker in a high-acuity setting. 

I am a graduate student researching sport-related concussion in female athletes through neuroimaging and clinical outcomes with consideration of hormonal contraception and hormone levels.@BrynaGoeckner

Alexa is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Jenna Gillen in the Exercise, Nutrition and Health Lab. Her research focuses on understanding how exercise and nutrition can be used to improve cardiometabolic health in women, and mitigate the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Alexa is currently undergoing research to help characterize the long term exercise improvements in pre- and post-menopausal women.

My primary research investigates the influence of ovarian hormone deprivation on brain health. I study memory, and its relationships to sleep disruption, oxidative stress, and brain structure, in middle-aged women with prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (surgical removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes) prior to spontaneous (natural) menopause. This is a group of women who experience an abrupt, early decline in ovarian hormones and are at a high-risk for developing later life Alzheimer’s Disease.

Kelly is a PhD student in the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences program, at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Her research focuses on women’s experiences of the healthcare system, as both providers and receivers of care. As an Ontario Women’s Health Scholar (2022), Kelly has been recognized for her rigorous qualitative research on women first responders, as well as her previous and future potential as a women’s health researcher.

Harman is a second-year Master of Public Health student interested in centering capacity bridging between underserved communities and researchers to reduce health inequities. She is passionate about amplifying the experiences and voices of individuals with intersectional identities in health research so that these folks can meet their health and wellbeing needs.

Nabilah is an MSc student at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She recently graduated with a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on the route of post-menopausal estrogen administration and cardiovascular risk. Nabilah hopes to become a leader in women's cardiovascular health research and improve patient outcomes.

I'm a Master's student in Dr. Liisa Galea's lab at the Institute of Medical Science at University of Toronto. I'm passionate about increasing our scientific knowledge of women's health issues and better understanding the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms of neurological disorders, like depression, that affect women at much higher rates than men. At the Galea lab, I am studying sex differences in negative cognitive bias, a key, and often treatment-resistant, symptom of Major Depressive Disorder.

Amané is a first-year M.A. student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan, supervised by Dr. Maya Libben. Her undergraduate thesis, completed at McGill University, examined the effects of voluntary emotion regulation on the postauricular reflex, a psychophysiological measure of the appetitive response. Amané’s Master’s research will investigate the ways that technology and e-mental health can increase accessibility to eating disorder services and treatments.

Sarah Harris is an endometriosis researcher and freelance journalist. She has done her BA in Journalism & Sociology from Cardiff University and is currently completing her Masters in Public Health at the University of Nottingham. She is soon to begin her PhD which will examine factors that contribute towards delayed endometriosis diagnosis. She also regularly writes about issues related to women's health for national and international publications. 

Clare Heggie is a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick and the Research Coordinator for Wellness Within, an organization that supports women and gender diverse people who have experienced criminalization. She has been involved in a number of research projects focusing on the sexual and reproductive health experiences, needs, and outcomes of incarcerated and criminalized people, and is currently coordinating a project examining abortion and contraception access in prisons.

Carina was trained in psychology and holds a PhD from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, in which she focused on white and gray matter brain alterations in patients with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a syndrome associated with a 30% risk to develop schizophrenia in adult life. In this and other projects, she cooperates with the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory (PNL), Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA.

Orli Hellerstein

Undergraduate Student

Dr. Hippman is a postdoctoral research fellow with the BC Women's Reproductive Mental Health Program, the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and the University of Calgary Faculty of Nursing. Her fellowship is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Health Research BC, the Killam Trusts, the University of Calgary Eyes High Program, and the BC Women's Health Foundation, and her research work is additionally supported by generous gifts from an anonymous donor and iA Financial Group.

I am a PhD student in the UVic Behavioural Medicine Lab. My dissertation is on the promotion of tailored physical activity among postpartum individuals with lumbopelvic pain.

Parnian Hossein Pour is a Master of Public Health candidate in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact at McMaster University and a practicum student at the Muraca Perinatal Epidemiology Research Lab (PERL). She has obtained an honours Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences from Queen's University. Her work at PERL is focused on characterizing the risk factors for cervical injury during childbirth and advancing health equity in maternal outcomes.

Yuting is a researcher specializing in microfluidics, analytical chemistry, biosensoring, and electrochemistry. She has expertise in surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and blood sample preparation. In addition to her scientific pursuits, Yuting has experience in venture capital, blending her technical knowledge with business acumen. 

Sarah Anne is a final-year PhD Candidate studying Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics at UNC Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on the development of novel non-hormonal contraceptive technologies for both women and men.@SarahAnneSci

Jodie is a first year PhD student at the University of Roehampton. She is currently studying disparities in the care of Endometriosis patients by comparing sample groups, under the supervision of Dr Astrid Hauge-Evans and Dr Patrick Brady. She graduated in 2019 with a Master of Science. Her aim is to identify where there are gaps in care of Endometriosis patients to improve health related quality of life.

Holly is a postdoctoral scientist with a dual appointment at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI/RFMH). She received her PhD from West Virginia University in Dr. Miranda Reed’s laboratory. There, she studied glutamate’s role in Alzheimer’s disease pathology using novel microelectrode array technology. She is now in Dr. Christine Denny’s laboratory, where she recently received a K99/R00 to study the sex-specific impact of anxiety on Alzheimer’s disease progression.

For the past 20 years I have dedicated my life both in academia and as an activist to deepening my understanding and responsibility to embracing social justice with an intersectionality framework. As a PhD student I hope to continue to address issues of inequity and lack of diversity in the many systems that our world unfairly privileges some groups over others. I plan to do so, by publishing articles addressing intersectionality and social justice as well as provide anti-oppression trainings for systems.  

Faith Jabs is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of British Columbia. She is also a research study coordinator in the UBC Sexual Health Laboratory and currently works on a randomized control trial for testing the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based group therapy treatment for women with Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder. 

I'm a 3rd-year student studying Cognitive Systems, with a keen interest in Women's Health Research, particularly focusing on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). I'm fascinated by the intersection of technology and psychology, exploring how it influences our lives both positively and negatively. My goal is to use my knowledge to advance research in women'shealth and leverage technology for a better world.

I’m Kiranjot from Prince George, BC and I just finished my BSc Honours in Psychology at the University of Northern British Columbia. Currently, I am an MSc student in the Psychology program at UNBC. My research interests include female behavioural neuroendocrinology, specifically looking at the effects of ovarian hormones on cognition. In addition, I am passionate about advocating for mental health and learning about feminist and clinical psychology.

Amy Johnston is a PhD candidate in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, and a doctoral trainee at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. She holds a Master of Science with a specialization in Health Services Research and a Master of Biomedical Technology, both from the University of Calgary. Her doctoral research focuses on women’s cardiovascular health, specifically, long term cardiovascular risk associated with a history of high blood pressure disorders of pregnancy.

Ellen Jopling is a doctoral student in the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Lab at the University of British Columbia. Her program of research examines the impact of stress on wellbeing across the lifespan through the integration of affective, cognitive, and biological measures.

I am pursuing a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto. My research in Dr. Laurie Zawertailo’s lab at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health investigates the effects of ovarian hormones on tobacco smoking treatment and cessation.

My name is Megan Kadzirange and I am an international Undergraduate student from Zimbabwe, studying Psychology at the University of British Columbia. My interests include global and public health, particularly women's health in rural, low-income and/or Indigenous communities. Additionally, I am passionate about creative and academic writing, and how both can be used to make research more accessible to diverse audiences.

Cindy Kalenga is PhD student within the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary with a focus on women’s cardiovascular health. Her research project investigates the role of the route of administration of exogenous estrogen - in the form of contraceptives and hormone therapy - and cardiovascular risk in women. Cindy serves as the student moderator for Libin Cardiovascular Journal Club and was recently appointed the Lead for the CIHR Sex and Gender Based Analysis in Health Research Trainee Network. 

Vasileia Karasavva is a Vanier Scholar and a PhD student in clinical psychology at the University of British Columbia. Her research program explores multiple facets of cyber aggression with a special interest in technology-facilitated sexual violence. She is passionate about understanding who is affected by it, why some choose to perpetrate it, and most importantly the ways we can better support those who experience it.@vkarasavva

Jalisa graduated from the University of Waterloo with a BMath in Biostatistics and BA in Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies. She is now a PhD student at UBC in Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences, where her research focuses on endometriosis and infertility.

Dr. Shahin Kassam holds a PhD in Nursing from the University of Victoria and comes from a clinical public health nursing background with focus on women living with emotional, mental, and physical sequelae of forced migration. As the successful candidate for a grant-funded Postdoctoral Research Fellowship within the UBC School of Nursing, Capacity Research Unit, (supervisor: Dr. Vicky Bungay), Dr.

Jasleen Kaur received her BSc (Honours) from University of Calgary in 2022. Her honours research focused on examining the rates and predictors of anxiety and depression among partners of pregnant individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, under the guidance of Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen.

Natalie Kearn is a third year Bachelor of Health Sciences Student at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario with a keen interest in Women's Health. She conducts research in the Department of Medicine and Department of Biomedical Sciences at Queen's University.

Hannah Kearney

PGY-3 Psychiatry

University of Toronto

Bibiana is a current masters student in UBC's Reproductive and Developmental Sciences program. She works under the supervision of Dr. Lori Brotto for UBC's Sexual Health Lab. She is currently studying how mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy can help couples improve their sexual health after prostate cancer. She is also creating patient education materials based on these therapies.

I have a background in Medicine with a master's degree in public health and currently in my first year MSc in Community and Population Health Sciences. Dedicated, passionate, and result-driven Public Health Specialist. Have over 8 years of relevant experience in research design and public health interventions with excellent communication & presentation skills and the ability to work independently whilst delivering timely results.

I am a PhD student in the laboratory of Dr. Deborah Sloboda. My research is in the field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. Specifically, my research investigates how exposure to maternal obesity impacts future immune responses to infection.

Jahin Ali Khan is a PhD Candidate in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics program at Western University. Using health administrative data, she is studying sex and gender differences in the risk of psychotic disorders among migrants in Ontario.

I am Sakshi Kharbanda, an incoming graduate student in Medical Sciences. I am passionate about reproductive and sexual health in marginalized communities.

Maya Koblanski is a passionate and motivated undergraduate in her third year of Behavioural Neuroscience at UBC. She has worked in the Viau Lab for the past year and a half researching sex differences in stress coping responses, recently under an NSERC USRA, and is now starting her directed studies research project.  

Caroline is currently a medical student in the joint MSc/MD program at the University of Calgary, conducting research under the supervision of Dr. Sandra Dumanski. She is exploring the impact of controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) on perceptions of body image with the aim of optimizing patient-oriented COS treatment. During her master's thesis, Caroline focused on the role of the placenta in shaping fetal heart, brain, and facial development. Caroline aims to further advance women's health research and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes.

Marta is a graduate student in the clinical psychology program at UBC. Her research interests centre around understanding processes contributing to sexual well-being in individuals and couples. She is particularly interested in using longitudinal data analytic techniques to better understand factors that influence the development of sexual problems over time, with a particular focus on sexual pleasure and genito-pelvic dysesthesias.

I'm a PhD student at the SWPS University in Warsaw, Poland, under the supervision of Dr. Izabela Krejtz and Dr. Monika Kornacka. My current research project focuses on the relationship between female hormones, anxiety and cognitive functions.

Sydney graduated from Colby College in the spring of 2021 with a B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience. While at Colby, Sydney worked in the Glenn Lab, a behavioral neuroscience rat lab, as a research assistant and later conducted a senior thesis examining psychomotor stimulant sensitization as a function of estrus cycle stage and biological sex. Sydney is currently pursuing a PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience at Temple University, studying the effects of early life adversity on maternal behavior under the mentorship of Dr. Debra Bangasser.

Amrita Kumar-Ratta is a PhD Candidate in Human Geography at the University of Toronto. She is also pursuing collaborative specializations in South Asian Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and in Global Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Jacynthe L’Heureux is a doctoral student in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Wei Zhang focusing on health economics. Her work includes publications on caregiving, labour force participation and the measurement of work productivity loss. Her research centers around the intersection of health and work with a special lens to the role of gender. She is keen on understanding the unique perspectives of women and the challenges they face in their workplaces.

Jesse is a PhD student in Behavioural Neuroscience at Concordia University in Montreal. He is a researcher at the Centre for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, where he examines the effects of steroid hormones on cognition.

Madison Lackie, a Master’s of Science student in the UBC Reproductive and Developmental Sciences program, working primarily out of the Women’s Health Research Institute at BC Women’s Hospital. Her research interests focus on postpartum depression and the use of technology to support healthcare.

Having graduated from Concordia University with a BSc in Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology and a specialization in Athletic Therapy, I am pursuing my studies at UBC through the Women+’s and Children’s Health Sciences program. My master’s thesis, under the supervision of Dr. Anita Coté and Dr. Christine Voss, will focus on women+ specific health issues related to physical activity and exercise. Through my graduate studies, I am looking to develop actionable tools that healthcare professionals can use to improve women+ athlete’s health.

I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Prior to this, I gained a first-class BSc (hons) in Psychology from Newcastle University and a PhD from the University of Bristol, where I worked between the School of Psychological Science and the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit. 

Bonnie Lee is our Events & Communications assistant, Trainee Cluster Lead, and Trainee Member. She is a Neuroscience PhD Candidate at the University of British Columbia studying with Dr. Liisa Galea in the Laboratory of Behavioural Neuroendocrinology.

Jonathan Lieberman is currently a PhD student in the Neuroscience program at McMaster University. His research focuses on studying the neural mechanisms of PTSD including the effect of sex as a biological variable and exploring the use of real-time fMRI neurofeedback as a therapeutic intervention.

I am a Master’s student in Dr. Liisa Galea's lab, focusing on the intersection of sex and APOE genotype in hippocampal plasticity and cognition during middle age, with a particular interest on the role of the complement system. Both sex and APOEε4 genotype are significant risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Notably, females with AD typically exhibit more severe neuropathological changes and cognitive decline compared to males.

I am currently a medical students passionate about women's health and public health, among other topics! I have had the privilege of being involved in multiple pediatric and gynecologic research projects throughout my undergraduate and medical degrees, and I enjoy networking with other trainees and researchers in my community and at conferences.

Kyara is a first year Master’s of Public Health student at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, specializing in the social and behavioural health sciences stream. She is also a research associate at the Artificial Intelligence for Justice Lab in Toronto. She completed her Honours BA in Sociology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC in 2022. Her research interests broadly include women's health, family health, and gender-based violence, and the intersections of the social determinants of health on these areas.

Vanessa is a medical student at McMaster Medical School, and is interested in psychiatry.

Alex is a second-year MSN student at UBC Okanagan. She is also currently practicing as a Registered Nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver in cardiology and cardiac surgery.  Alex’s research passions include applying technology to improve patient self-care and improving women’s health equity with population-based data. Alex’s thesis research is focusing on improving heart failure patient self-care through gamified education. She is also a recipient of the CIHR Women’s Health Clinical Mentorship Grant.

I am a Ph.D. student in the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health at the University of Oxford, and I work closely with the Biobehavioral Pain Innovations Lab at Boston Children's Hospital to collect data on individuals with pain. My professional aspirations involve women’s health education and advocacy. I am passionate about exploring the role of stress, trauma, and resiliency on women’s bodies and brains, as proposed in my recently published Pain-Stress Model (PMID: 32273840).

Felix Ma

PhD Student

University of British Columbia

Christie MacLeod is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at McMaster University. Her clinical and research work takes place at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton in the Women's Health Concerns Clinic and Mood Disorders Clinic. Her research aims to explore potential neural mechanisms for the sex-related difference in prevalence of depression. As women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression when compared to men, characterization of sex-related differences in the cerebral cortex can aid in prevention and treatment strategies tailored specifically for women.

My research interests broadly lie in understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of stress resilience and vulnerability, particularly as they relate to neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression. Unfortunately, despite the fact that women are more likely than men to develop depression and other stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, female subjects continue to be largely excluded from preclinical research.

I am a researcher and activist with a background in Psychology, Criminology, and Health Promotion.  I am originally from Burundi and moved to South Africa as a refugee in the late 1990s.

Kerry (she/her) is a Registered Nurse with certified practice in reproductive health (contraceptive management and sexually transmitted infections). She completed her Masters of Nursing from the University of Saskatchewan in 2019, exploring fertility intentions and family planning experiences within the 2SLGBTQ community. She began a PhD in the School of Nursing at UBC in 2021, under the umbrella of sexual health. Her research interests include gender equity, reproductive justice, sexuality, sexual health, and pleasure.

Rory A. Marshall is a paramedic working with British Columbia Emergency Health Services and a PhD Student at the School of Health and Exercise Sciences in the Faculty of Health and Social Development at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Rory earned his Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Business at Vancouver Island University and his Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. He has also had international paramedic experience practicing in New Zealand and Central America.

Magdalena is a Neuroscience Ph.D. student at the Neuroimaging Group of the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón of Madrid, Spain. Her research focus is to unveil the structural and functional plasticity of the human parental brain. Through longitudinal neuroimaging studies, she seeks to characterize the brain remodeling in both women and men during their transition into parenthood and determine how such adaptations can deviate from normality and cause mental health problems.  

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Translational Addiction Research Laboratory at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. I previously completed my PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University Toronto. My research program focuses on understanding how both sex and gender influence cannabis and other substance use, with a particular emphasis on incorporating sex/gender science into clinical and public health approaches to improve substance use health.Social media: @justinrmatheson

Holly Mathias, MA, is a PhD student, Vanier Scholar and 2023 Trudeau Scholar in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. Holly holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Global Development Studies and English Literature from Queen’s University, and a Master of Arts in Health Promotion and Certificate of University Teaching and Learning from Dalhousie University.  Holly’s doctoral research examines unpaid family support for people who use drugs in rural Canada through a gender lens.

My research focuses on the impact of ovarian hormones on the brain and behavior, particularly in context integration and mind-body connection. I am deeply motivated by improving the lives of understudied women and gender diverse individuals through this understanding.

Emily McKay is a Registered Nurse pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing at the University of British Columbia. Emily currently works at the Women's Health Clinic at BC Women's Hospital. She is also a Graduate Academic Assistant for Dr. Ojukwu, and works on several research studies centered around HIV care for African/Caribbean/Black women, intimate partner violence, and teenage pregnancy.

Alice is an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia. She has been awarded the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Summer Program Advancing Research Knowledge & Skills (SPARKS). Alice's research lies in understanding changing contraceptive use (oral contraceptive pills, LNG-IUS, non-hormonal IUDs, tubal sterilization) and its relationship to endometrial, breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancer rates.

I am an undergraduate student in the final year of my BSc. in Kinesiology at McGill University. I am currently a research volunteer in the Cardiovascular Health and Autonomic Regulation Laboratory (CHARLab), where I help conduct research on how perimenopausal women's sympathetic nervous system responds to stress and its implications on cardiovascular health. I work closely with Ph.D. candidate, Jinan Saboune and her team, specifically helping run the necessary software during tests and the data analysis process.

Sonia (she/her/hers) is a MA student in the Clinical Psychology program. She has been conducting research in the field of sexuality using psychophysiology and eye-tracking methods since 2016. Her master’s thesis will explore modifiable factors that promote individuals’ and couples’ sexual well-being, with the goal of developing evidence-based interventions aimed at bolstering sexual health and well-being.

Kaylee Misener is a Ph.D. candidate in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) supervised by Dr. Maya Libben. She has been conducting research in the areas of eating disorders and body image for 8 years. Her undergraduate honours thesis, completed at UBCO, investigated whether an implicit measure of disordered eating could be used to assess cognitive distortions among individuals who exhibit eating disordered symptoms as compared with post-symptomatic and control groups.

Hana Mitsui-Hotz is an undergraduate student in the final year of her BSc. in Kinesiology at McGill. She is currently doing a research practicum in the

Ahmad Mohammad

PhD Student

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Maria Moncaleano

Trainee Psychometrist

Baycrest Hospital

I am a sociologist interested in exploring social inequalities, social determinants of mental health, & mental health disparities at the intersection of gender and sexual orientation. My work involves using statistical and machine learning modeling to analyze such intersectional inequalities & disparities. The ultimate goal of my research is to generate meaningful insights that can inform policies and interventions, fostering mental health equity at the population level.

Negar Mousavi

Graduate Research Assistant

BC Centre for Disease Control

Toktam is an incoming medical student at UBC, having graduated from UBC in 2023 with a major in Biology and a minor in Health and Society. She has worked in the Berman Lab on public health projects related to COVID-19 decision-making in BC and in the Bamji Lab on neuroscience research studying myelin-affected neurological models. Toktam served as Vice President of Young Women for STEM at UBC and has a deep passion for making a meaningful impact in support of communities that have been and are currently systematically marginalized.

My interest in human nutrition research started during my undergraduate studies. I completed my MSc in Human Nutrition at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, in 2015. The main focus of my master thesis was the comparison of iron and zinc supplementation on anemia in Chilean childbearing-aged women. As part of a Canada-Chile Leadership Exchange Scholarship, awarded 2014, I participated in a collaborative project between Drs Yvonne Lamers and Gilberto Kac (Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brazil).

Harsheen Multani

Medical Student

Medicine

University of Limerick

Elle's research explores the impact of sex steroid hormones on brain structure and function, leveraging neuroimaging to interrogate how menopause shapes neural circuitry underlying working memory. She is also interested in how reproductive disorders, such as endometriosis and PCOS, influence the brain and cognition. In addition to incorporating aspects of the human condition specific to women in her research efforts, Elle is driven by the critical need for the inclusion of women and other underrepresented individuals as scientists in the field of neuroscience.

Dilnaz is a second-year undergraduate student at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, studying Health Sciences. She is in love with reproductive biology and embryology.

Anisha came to UIC in 2020 as an MD/PhD student in UIC's Medical Scientist Training Program. Currently, Anisha is completing the PhD phase of her dual-degree training under Dr. Eisenlohr-Moul in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the CLEAR lab. Prior to joining the CLEAR lab, Anisha graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a major in Public Health Studies, concentrating in biostatistics.

Shawna Narayan is a graduate student researcher with the CREDA Study in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia. Her research explores the experiences ethnic minorities have with anxiety and depressive resources to help support the creation of culturally responsive e-mental health services. She has an interest in the development of quality mental health care for marginalized populations.  

Kaitlin Nelson is a focused graduate student pursuing a master's in experimental medicine at UBC. With an undergraduate background in Kinesiology, she works as a Research Coordinator at the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research. Outside academia, Kaitlin finds solace in nature.Instagram: @katiesweetpea

Dr. Elizabeth Nethery is a post-doctoral research fellow and perinatal epidemiologist with a broad interest in the impacts of research evidence on clinical practice. She received her PhD from School of Population and Public Health at UBC and is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research at UBC. She is also a Registered Midwife (non-practicing) in BC, Canada.

Le Tam Nhan is a research scientist with a comprehensive understanding of cell and molecular biology. She has extensive experience in various biochemical and cell-based assays, focusing on gene and protein expression in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. Le Tam Nhan is proficient in experiment design, planning, execution, and statistical analyses for quantitative and qualitative research projects.

Elaha Niazi is an undergraduate student studying Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. Her passion for improving women’s health led her to join the Ahmed-Dumanski lab, where she is currently investigating the effect of in-vitro fertilization on cardiovascular outcomes, as well as examining period product and contraceptive access across Canada and the United States. Elaha also volunteers with her university's Women’s Resource Center and engages in women’s health-focussed community outreach, dedicated to advocating for women’s cardiovascular, reproductive, and mental health.

Juliet Nwafor is a Doctoral Researcher at The School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Prior to this, she worked as a Research Assistant at Lagos Business School, where she contributed her quota to management research.   She also worked as a Human Resources Intern at the Economic Commission West African States. She received her bachelor's and master's degree in Sociology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She also spent an exchange semester at Sciences Po Paris.  

Elsie (she/her) is a registered social worker and a doctoral student at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health.  Elsie is committed to Black feminist, anti-racist and decolonial praxis-centered approaches, and uses critical qualitative and arts-based research methodologies to explore the way structural, intersecting oppressions impact Black women's health. 

Candace Oghide is a 2nd year Masters student in Nursing from McMaster University. She has a clinical background in community women's health, HIV inpatient, and sexual assault/domestic violence. Candace is passionate about health equity and working with marginalized women. Candace's research interest is in sexual and reproductive health, with a focus on African, Caribbean, and Black-Canadian women.

As a maternal and child health nurse and a doctoral student at the University of South Florida College of Nursing, USA, I am currently conducting research to enhance perinatal mental health interventions. My focus lies on exploring the needs, preferences, and access to care among perinatal adolescents in order to create culturally adaptive and sustainable solutions.

I am a Lecturer at Department of Nursing Sciences, University of Nigeria. I am currently in a PhD program at University of British Columbia School of Nursing. My dissertation is focusing on adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

Irina Oltean holds a Master of Science from the University of Waterloo with a focus in pediatric epidemiology. They worked as a Research Coordinator in surgery and pathology at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario prior to starting their PhD at McMaster University, in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact. Irina is a 2022 recipient of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Doctoral Research Award.

Godwin completed his BSc in Biochemistry in Ghana, and currently in his final year of the MPhil Human Nutrition and Dietetics program. He has a keen interest in maternal and child nutrition, and has extensive experience in community-based interventional studies which seeks to positively impact the dietary behaviours of women and children. Godwin aims to become a dietitian and a professional in any institution where he can utilize his skills in his skills promoting maternal and child health.

Endometriosis is a gynaecologic condition that affects 10% of women, and 50% of those women have deep dyspareunia (pelvic pain with deep penetration during sexual activity). This pain negatively affects sexual function and relationships. Factors that play a role in deep dyspareunia may be peripheral (e.g., location of endometriotic nodules) and/or central (e.g., pathological sensitization at the level of the brain and spinal cord).

Victoria is an MSc student in the WACH program at UBC. She graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences Degree in 2022. During this time, she completed an Honours thesis with Dr. Angel Foster. This research used a mixed-methods approach to explore how COVID-19 affected abortion access in Canada. Following her bachelor's, she continued to engage in health research as a research assistant (RA) in Dr. Sarah Munro's lab at UBC where she worked on the Ask Us Study, the Story Project, and the CART Access Project.

Xinru is currently a Master of Food Science student at the University of British Columbia. She also holds an undergraduate degree in life sciences and psychology.

Meejin is currently completing her M.Sc. at McMaster University’s Muraca Perinatal Epidemiology Research Lab (PERL).

I am a research assistant working with Dr. Paul Yong’s Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis research team. I completed my undergraduate studies at UBC majoring in Microbiology and Immunology and recently began my MSc journey also at UBC with School of Population and Public Health. 

Badal is a first-year MSc student in Medical Science at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, under the supervision of Dr. Sofia Ahmed. His research focuses focuses on highlighting the importance of incorporation of sex- and gender- based considerations in hypertension and cardiovascular care. Badal recently graduated in 2022 from the University of Calgary with a BSc in Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology and remains motivated to become a leader in women's heart health research, and utilize his various research skills to improve the quality of care for patients.

Kamala is a third year Ph.D. candidate in Informatics (Human-Computer Interaction) at The Pennsylvania State University. Her research is situated at the intersection of women’s health and technology with a specific focus on pregnancy after loss. Attending to the rising interest in designing interventions for pregnancy and maternal health, alongside the ongoing call to question the stigmatization of women’s bodies, her research centers a common but tabooed experience of pregnancy after loss.

Leah Sarah Peer is a Medical Student, Global Health Fellow and a Graduate with a Specialization in Biology & a Minor in Human Rights. She is the Founder & Executive Director of the Peer Medical Foundation (PMF), an aspiring youth-led international not-for-profit organization advancing health equity, diversity & inclusion. She is also the Host of the Peer Med Podcast, an initiative under PMF intertwining medicine, an ever changing science of diagnosis and treatment with conversations about issues in healthcare where lives are on the line.

I am currently researching the effects of oral contraceptives on autonomic function, specifically investigating physiological responses to reflex activations in healthy women (chemoreflex, mechanoreflex and metaboreflex). I am also investigating the effects of the menstrual cycle and sex differences.

Cognitive neuroscientist interested in women's brain health, mixed methods, and sex and gender science. My primary research interest is in the effects of ovarian hormones on cognition, with a focus on category learning across the menstrual cycle. I have previously studied cognition in women with early estradiol deprivation, and in polycystic ovary syndrome. 

Hi! I'm Danielle. I recently completed my PhD at the University of Oxford, where I studied and phenotyped widespread pain in women living with chronic pelvic pain, and conditions such as endometriosis. As a Postdoctoral Researcher, I use epidemiology to study period pain in adolescence and understand both its causes and impact on chronic pain later in life.

Naomi is an MSc student in the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences program based in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She previously completed an Honours BSc in Neuroscience and Psychology at McMaster University and is interested in reproductive health, mental health, and racial and ethnic disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. Under the supervision of Dr. Gillian Hanley, her thesis examines the association between maternal depression and treatment with an SSRI antidepressant on early childhood development.    

As a data scientist I value advancements that provide more data to dissect and discover. However, as a biologist I know that it is essential to have a deep understanding of the underlying biology to gain deep insights about the value of this data. With a decade of experience on the bench and five years of experience behind the screen I hope to bring the two together to advance medical research.

Shayna is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Manitoba with a background in psychology, biology, and health studies. Clinically, she is passionate about supporting people experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy and postpartum, including those who have had traumatic birth experiences or a perinatal loss. Beyond her clinical work, Shayna conducts research focused on determining the unmet mental health support needs of women and birthing people experiencing perinatal mental health concerns.

Evelina Pituch is a CIHR Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Health and Society at the University of Toronto Scarborough, supervised by Dr. Hilary Brown. Dr. Pituch is an occupational therapist by training and her program of research aims to improve the perinatal supports for parents with disabilities. She holds a PhD in Rehabilitations sciences and a bachelor’s-professional master’s in occupational therapy from the University of Montreal.

I am currently a 4th-year medical student in Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia, but born and bred in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. I have a keen interest in obstetrics and gynaecology and have plans to sub-specialize in gynae-oncology. I will be planning my specialty training in the U.K. upon graduation. I am a university ambassador for InciSioN MY, currently attending virtual international conferences hosted by WHO, G4 Alliances, Woman In Global Health, etc., to broaden insights on Global Surgery and raise awareness of gender equity around the globe.

I am a graduate student in the department of Microbiology and Immunology at UBC. My research focuses on vaccine development for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), an STI that disproportionately affects women. I am interested in the connections we can make between women's/global health, immunity, vaccinology, and public health awareness/education. 

Twitter: @JellinaP

Laura Pritschet is a graduate student working with Dr. Emily Jacobs in Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She leverages techniques from network neuroscience and neuroendocrinology to explore how sex steroid hormones impact human brain function across hormonal transition periods. The goal of her research is to improve the utility of sex hormones as markers of vulnerability for neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders that are disproportionately skewed towards women.

Neelam Punjani is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta. She has received her BScN and MScN at Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery from Karachi, Pakistan. Shortly after, she began working actively within the community advocating for young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights. Her current topic of research for her Ph.D. is inspired by seeing countless young girls in her home country unable to express themselves related to their sexuality.

Nursing student, BCIT nursing

Hi! I’m Tanvi Puri, a Ph.D. candidate in the Galea Lab. I’m interested in figuring out how pregnancy, and the hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy, can affect cognition, stress resilience, and neurogenesis across different ages. My projects also investigate the changes in molecular mechanisms underlying neuro plastic changes and behavior, and will allow us to identify possible future targets for precision medicine. I got my B.A. in Neuroscience from Washington University in St.

My thesis investigates the effects of maternal postpartum antidepressant exposure, and how this pharmacological treatment affects both the mother and offspring in a rat model of postpartum depression. And whether there are dietary interventions (such as folate/folic acid) can be an effective treatment for PPD. My expertise includes knowing a lot about the impressionism period of art although I am really bad at painting impressionism and a lot better at painting post-impressionism, Greek mythology, and comics particularly the Batman universe.

Whitney Qualls

Graduate Student

Simon Fraser University

Jana is a first-year Neuroscience MSc student at McMaster University. She previously completed her HBSc at the University of Toronto, specializing in Neuroscience, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Biology. Prior to starting her graduate studies, she worked in clinical research at SickKids on various projects investigating biomarkers in neuropsychiatric disorders. She is interested in understanding immune and inflammatory processes involved in mood disorders, particularly through conducting sex- and gender-based analyses (SGBA).

Thish is a senior undergraduate student studying Molecular Biochemistry and Philosophy at UBC Okanagan. She is passionate about health equity, policy, and leveraging quality improvement science for the enhancement of women’s health. Her research areas of interest include the study of interpersonal factors affecting smoking cessation in young women and patient reported outcomes-based analyses of clinical interventions. 

Susmitha Rallabandi

Researcher

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Dr. Varinder Kaur Randhawa is completing her critical care fellowship training at the University of Toronto, having completed MD-PhD, internal medicine, core cardiology, heart failure-transplant cardiology and post-doctoral clinical, quality improvement and translational research training at the University of Toronto, Western University and Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Currently pursuing a PhD in Molecular Medicine in Dr. Antoine Louveau's lab, dept of Neurosciences at Lerner Research Institute. Our lab specializes in Parkinson’s Disease in minority populations, specifically in the Latin American population. My thesis investigates the association between female health factors and the severity of Parkinson’s disease in these women.

Dr. Bianca Ribeiro de Souza is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology | Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OVCARE), Vancouver, BC, Canada. Her research is focused on Gynecological Cancers, Immunology, and Biomarker Discovery. Dr. Ribeiro is mainly researching the least studied and understood form of ovarian cancer and Endometroid Ovarian Carcinoma.

My research focuses on the effects of diet and metabolic status on learning and memory and sex differences in these effects. I finished my BSc and MSc in Pharmacology at the University of Gothenburg (Gothenburg, Sweden) and completed my PhD at the Institution for Neuroscience and Physiology and the University of Gothenburg in January 2020 under the supervision of Dr. Karolina Skibicka.

Victoria is a MSc student in Medical Science at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. Under the supervision of Dr. Sofia Ahmed, her research focuses on the association between sex related differences and dialysis adequacy in both peritoneal dialysis and the home hemodialysis population. She recently graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Nursing and received her Registered Nurse designation. Her clinical and research experience sparked her interest and drive to improve patient care and focus on patient-oriented research. 

Renee Rietveld

School of Nursing

University of British Columbia

Renee Rietveld

School of Nursing

University of British Columbia

Shie is a PhD student in the Brain Behaviour Lab, under the supervision of Dr. Lara Boyd. Shie's passion for stroke research began while working as an occupational therapist in an inpatient neurological rehabilitation unit in Tel-Aviv. Her doctoral work aims to investigate stroke in women, and specifically, the effect of sex hormones and past pregnancies on stroke risk and recovery in women. Although women account for 60% of stroke-related deaths, they are often under-represented in stroke research.

Dr. Katerina Rnic received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Western Ontario and completed her clinical internship at the Calgary Clinical Psychology Residency. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Joelle LeMoult’s Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (DAS) Lab and in Dr. Raymond Lam’s Lab in the Department of Psychiatry. She is also a Clinical Psychologist at the Vancouver CBT Centre.

Dr. Sara Rodrigues is Director, Applied Research at the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. Her current program of research focuses on the social determinants of mental health of CAF and RCMP Veterans, with a focus on women's mental health and aging. She is a co-founder of The Athena Project at the Atlas Institute, a community building and research initiative for women Veterans.

Raquel Rodriguez is a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology student at McGill University who is deeply committed to advancing healthcare, with a particular focus on women and marginalized communities. Recognizing the unique struggles faced by these groups, including transgender and gender-diverse individuals, fuels her passion for promoting inclusive and equitable healthcare practices. In addition to her academic pursuits, she serves as a pediatric physician assistant, dedicated to contributing to clinic healthcare and advocating for comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Hani Rukh E Qamar is the Founder of Canadian Advisory of Women Immigrants (CAWI) and a BSc. Psychology and Neuroscience student at McGill University. She is a research collaborator at University of Regina on the impacts of COVID-19. She is the President of UAEM McGill and she is involved in McGill Global Health Programs. She is passionate about empowering womxn immigrants, providing access to medicine, mental health and global health.

Prasoona is pursuing her PhD in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UPES Dehradun, India, focusing on postpartum depression with a specialization in psychopharmacology. She holds a master's degree in clinical research and is conducting her doctoral studies under the guidance of Dr. Jyoti Upadhyay, Dr. Mukesh Nandave, and Dr. Jodi Pawluski. Her research centers on identifying natural multitarget-directed ligands for managing postpartum depression.

Chantal Rytz is a PhD Candidate at the University of Calgary.

Jinan Saboune is a Ph.D. student in the Cardiovascular Health and Autonomic Regulation Laboratory (CHARlab) at McGill University. Her research looks at the neurovascular changes that occur during a very critical phase in a woman's life: peri-menopause. As women age and transition into menopause, they lose most of their estrogen content, which makes them more susceptible to cardiovascular dysfunction. The goal of her research is to look at these complex hormone fluctuations, that are being exhibited during this phase, and how they contribute to worse cardiovascular outcomes. 

I am a psychology undergraduate from University of Delhi. I have recently completed a research project on COVID-19 and mental health of doctors. I wish to pursue I/O Psychology.

As a Food, Nutrition, and Health Science student at UBC, I have always been passionate about women's health research, recognizing the critical need to address women's unique challenges. As I've grown, I've noticed an incredible lack of support and research in treating and diagnosing maternal, hormonal, and mental health issues. Volunteering at the Women's Health Research Centre at UBC offers an opportunity to deepen my understanding and contribute to much-needed research in this underdeveloped field.

Julia Santana Parrilla (she/her) received her MSc from UBC's School of Population & Public Health in 2020. Her Thesis project “Anxiety and depression during pregnancy: primary antenatal care provider perspectives” provided qualitative descriptions of how anxiety and depression are addressed with pregnant people. Participants (Registered Midwives, Family Physicians, Obstetrician Gynecologists) emphasized the need for perinatal mental health to be integrated in funding, research, policy, and practice priority-setting.

I am a Clinical Fellow in mood disorders in the Department of Psychiatry at University of British Columbia. My research interests include novel imaging methods to visualise brain inflammation and microstructural changes in bipolar disorder. In addition, I am also interested in newer therapies in bipolar disorder.

Sadaf is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia working as a research assistant at the Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis Lab supervised by Dr. Paul Yong. Her research interests explore the symptoms of endometriosis-associated pain affecting women’s health. Current standard treatments for endometriosis are limited in their effectiveness for pelvic pain, which may be due to the lack of understanding of how endometriosis causes pain.

Amandine graduated as an osteopath (M.Ost) from the British College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM, London) in 2021, before completing an MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of Exeter in 2022. Currently, Amandine is pursuing a Ph.D. at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), where she is looking at the role of hormones in ADHD in girls and women. Her research interests encompass women's health, mental health, and paediatric health.Twitter - @AmandineSnquier

I am a registered general nurse (major paediatrics) with more than 7 years clinical experience.  Currently, I am academic editor for PLOS ONE. Moreover, I am chair committee member for Global Alliance for Newborn Care (GLANCE).

I am a third-year Biology major at the University of British Columbia and an aspiring cardiothoracic surgeon. I have a broad range of interests, including health care, gender equity, filmmaking, and music. Currently, I am a certified First Responder, hoping to pursue paramedicine. I also recently directed and produced a film for the ConnectHer Film Festival, addressing period poverty, child marriage, and a lack of girls' education. I have a keen sense of curiosity, so my research interests have no bounds!

Anam Shahil-Feroz is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto. She has received her BSc Nursing and MSc Health Policy and Management from Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Shortly after, she began working actively within the community to address health systems issues of access, affordability and quality of healthcare services particularly in the field of maternal and child health. Her current topic of research for her Ph.D.

My current research interests focus around astrocytes and cognition. These non-neuronal cells, best known for their roles in metabolism, structural support, and glutamate recycling, have been historically understudied. Recently, evidence has suggested they are involved in myriad behaviours and cognitive processes. My particular interests in this area are in the encoding processes of memory formation. Previous to this, my research has focused on sex differences and sex hormones in learning and memory and the underlying mechanisms therein.

Maria is a medical student at McMaster University. She completed her BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia in 2021. She was a research assistant in the Soma Lab where she was particularly interested in investigating the roles of estrogens in social behaviour. Maria assisted Cecilia Jalabert with her PhD project investigating local sex steroid synthesis in the brain.

I completed my undergraduate work in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour at McMaster University. Before that, I worked briefly as an analyst at a bank, and completed a degree in English literature.

Carling Smith's research interests revolve around understanding sex differences in the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Pursuing her graduate studies in the Rideout Lab at the University of British Columbia, Carling aims to elucidate how insulin producing cells of the endocrine pancreas in male and female mice respond differently to stress.

I have over 25 years of experience in Nursing. Throughout my career, I have advocated tirelessly for nurses’ rights and protections, focusing especially on nurses facing workplace violence. Currently, I am doing PhD in Nursing from the University of Toronto (UofT) with a Collaborative Specialization in Global Health (CSGH). My field of study is “Critical perspectives in health and healthcare” and my PhD research focuses on “Violence in the healthcare sectors”. My PhD study aims to provide a workable, researched-based, implementable workplace violence (WPV) reporting system.

Laura is a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University in the lab of Dr. Sabra Klein. She received her Ph.D. in molecular virology, where she focused on understanding how RNA viruses manipulate and alter host metabolism during infection to support viral replication. In Dr. Klein's lab, Laura's research focuses on understanding the metabolic drivers of sex differences in vaccine-mediated immunity and viral pathogenesis.

I am currently a third-year student pursuing a BComm with a focus in Economics, Finance and Management from the University of Toronto.I previously worked a summer intern, providing research service and data analysis services for the University of Calgary and the Dalhousie University. 

Noah is a current master's student in the School of Biomedical Engineering at UBC and a recent graduate with a Bachelor's in Medical Laboratory Science from UBC. His research focuses on scalable manufacturing of biomedical technologies and micro-nanofabrication. Noah is currently working with a team of graduate students and clinicians on a low-cost advanced surgical management model for postpartum hemorrhage, with applications for readiness training in residency programs, rural health, and lower-middle-income countries.

Diverse health professional dedicated to enhancing the lives of those in the queer community. My research interests include broadly, intimate partner violence related traumatic brain injury in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. I completed my undergrad and masters in concussion based practice at Brock University. I have a rich background in concussion rehab specifically in survivors of human sex trafficking.

Arati Swaminadhan

Graduate Research Assistant

BC Children's Hospital Research Institute

Shayda is a graduate student at the University of British Columbia in the combined Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy (MD/PhD) program. She has a keen interest in HIV, women’s health, and endocrinology and will be exploring the impacts of HIV infection and social factors on hormonal dysregulation and chronic disease in women living with HIV.

Since 2020, I've been working as a research trainee alongside Dr. Anita Cote, focusing on cardiovascular disease in women. My research explores non-traditional sex-specific risk factors often overlooked in women's health. Currently studying medicine at UBC's island medical program- and absolutely loving it!

My research interests lie in the field of nutrient requirements, optimal nutrition and identifying populations at increased risk of nutrient deficiency. My project focuses on vitamin B12 in pregnant women and their newborns. Vitamin B12 is important for the healthy growth and brain development in the fetus and newborn, as well as for maternal health.

Sophia completed her B.Sc. in Honours Life Sciences Biology at University of Waterloo in the co-operative education program. Her current research interests focus on women's health-related quality of life and health equity as it pertains to breast oncology and reconstruction, from identifying barriers for inclusive cancer care to investigating clinical integration of machine learning nomograms to predict the need for post-mastectomy radiation therapy.

Guad is a graduate student in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC, and her graduate research is based at the BC Centre for Disease Control. Under the supervision of Dr. Inna Sekirov and Dr. Mel Krajden, she is investigating the antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 infections in prenatal women to understand how pre-existing immune responses to endemic coronaviruses can affect their immune response, as well as how these may impact perinatal outcomes. Guad completed her BSc in Biology in 2020, and her undergraduate work involved antibody and herpesvirus research.

Emilie completed her Medical Genetics MSc. at UBC in 2022 and is currently a clinical research coordinator. She is affiliated with the departments of medical genetics and cardiology under the faculty of medicine, co-supervised by Dr. Anna Lehman and Dr. Tara Sedlak. She is conducting clinical research at the intersection of sex/gender differences, genetics and cardiovascular disease and is motivated to continue her academic pursuits in research through interdisciplinary collaborations to advance her career in precision medicine.

Tishani Thiviyakumar

Graduate Student

McMaster University

Ali received her B.A. (Hon’s) in Psychology in 2016 from the University of British Columbia Okanagan and is now a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Program at UBC. The overarching goal of her research is to better understand resiliency factors related to Major Depressive Disorder in order to inform intervention. She is currently examining the role of emotion regulation strategies in psychological and biological responses to stress in participants with MDD. 

Samantha Trevaskis is a PhD Candidate supervised by Dr Sonya Deschênes. Samantha's research focuses on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), mental illness and health behaviours associated with the presentation of women's symptoms. Her research will utilise ecological momentary assessment to investigate the presentation of PMDD symptoms for women over the course of their menstrual cycle and use this methodology to identify which health behaviours are beneficial for women with PMDD.

Luzia Troebinger completed her PhD at the UCL Functional Imaging Laboratory under the supervision of Gareth Barnes and Sven Bestmann. While she focused quite heavily on electrophysiological data in her early career, she always had a strong interest in psychopharmacology, neuroendocrinology and their clinical applications. She initially pursued this interest during her first postdoc, which involved projects at the University of Tromso in Norway and at Goldsmiths College in London, where she studied the effects of nicotine on visual attention using EEG.

Sandra Tsoenemawu Sikanku is a Ghanaian Special educator and an advocate for Persons with Disabilities with her specific interest in the education for the Visually Impaired. Currently, she is a first-year Special Education PhD student in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education in the University of British Columbia which is ranked among the world's best universities.

Hsing-Fen is an an occupational therapist. She started her post-doctoral research in August 2023 at Uppsala University,  where she examines at perinatal mental health and child development.Publications:(1) doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03568-2 ,(2) doi.org/10.1037/dev0001362, (3) doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072839

Keila Turino Miranda is a first-year PhD student at McGill University studying polycystic ovary syndrome and cardiovascular outcomes in transgender men on exogenous testosterone. Keila sits as Chair of the Young Investigator Forum of the 2023 Canadian Hypertension Congress and is active in her role in Hypertension Canada as Student Representative of the Membership Committee and Guideline Committee. Further, Keila is the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Consultant for Can-SOLVE CKD, a CIHR SPOR network. Keila completed her MSc at the University of Calgary supervised under Dr.

I am a third year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of British Columbia. My research has focused on forensic psychology issues, specifically focusing on discrimination in the justice system. My clinical work has focused on neuropsychology in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

I am an international medical graduate from Nigeria, currently on my journey to practice here in Canada. I am a CPSBC-licensed clinical trainee doing clinical observerships in the family medicine. I am a women's health advocate, I would love to get involved and join this beautiful community.

Paul Vander is a PhD candidate in the lab of Dr. Stephanie Correa at UCLA. His work focuses on revealing the neuroendocrine pathways through which estrogens exert their protective effects on metabolism and energy expenditure.

Makenna Vanegas

Undergraduate Student

University of British Columbia

Dr. Amy Vassallo is a Research Fellow in the Global Women’s Health Program at the George Institute for Global Health and committed to using evidence and innovation to improve population health. Her current research focusses on understanding sex and gender based bias and data gaps in health and medical research; and implementation of evidence based approaches to address this, including policy reform.

Sol is an emerging research leader in the fields of clinical exercise physiology, cardiac rehabilitation (CR), and sex and gender considerations. She has published over 20 manuscripts with co-authors from more than 10 countries. Her novel work has significantly benefited the cardiovascular disease and CR communities.

Fourth-year undergraduate student at UBC majoring in Microbiology and Immunology. Experienced in clinical psychological research. Currently working on a systematic review of the effect of culture on childhood cancer survivors. Previous work analyzed the correlation between Quality of Life and childhood survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). A self-motivated 1st generation Filipino student with a passion for volunteering with vulnerable populations and advocating for women’s health, permitting unique perspectives essential to research.

Mai Wageh is a second-year Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular Exercise Physiology and Muscle Aging Lab as well as the Protein Metabolism Research Lab, supervised by Dr. Gianni Parise and Dr. Stuart Phillips, respectively. Her M.Sc. work looked at multi-ingredient protein supplementation and resistance training in healthy young men and women, and the stark sex differences in the response to acute exercise led her to investigate sex differences in muscle damage as part of her current Ph.D. work.

Kate Wahl is a researcher interested in new strategies for moving evidence into health policy and practice. As a PhD student in the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences program at the University of British Columbia, she uses qualitative methods to develop and evaluate approaches for sharing research evidence with stakeholders including the public, healthcare providers, and policy makers. Her current focus is on advancing the health of women and gender diverse people, and she is investigating patient decision aids, education programs, and storytelling in this context.

Bhairavi Warke is a PhD Student in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University. Her doctoral work focuses on Designing Interactive Self-care tools for Women experiencing Perimenopause and Menopause aimed towards real-time tracking and management of symptoms which may help in possible early detection or prevention of chronic conditions and promote overall well-being. 

Dr. Lianna Wat’s research interests focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying how males and females regulate energy metabolism differently. Lianna completed her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology in Dr. Elizabeth Rideout’s lab at the University of British Columbia. During her PhD, Lianna identified novel functions for metabolic genes and pathways that contribute to how males and females regulate fat storage differently. This work led to publications in PLoS Biology (Wat et al., 2020) and eLife (Wat et al., 2021). 

My research focuses on global health challenges for women and vulnerable populations. I have published three national level articles and two national patents. I am currently the Fellow of Royal Academy of Medicine and the Royal Society of Public Health. I am also a member of the Global Health Institute of Northwestern University, USA.

Mirjam Wever

Postdoctoral Researcher

Leiden University

I am currently pursuing my PhD in Dr. Tom Velenosi's lab in the UBC faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. My work focuses on the use of analytical techniques to guide the development of precision therapeutics for triple negative breast cancer in preclinical models. I am passionate about women's health and science communication, and excited to be involved in a community of female researchers helping to further the impact of our work.

Elise completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Miami in Exercise Physiology. She is currently in the final stages of completing her MSc in Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University under the supervision of Dr. Ada Tang. Elise’s research interests include examining sex-and gender-based differences in physiological and psychosocial markers of cardiovascular health in individuals with stroke.

I am a clinical cardiovascular physiologist, currently a postdoctoral fellow at UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD). Although spanning a range of different conceptual approaches and methodologies, my research is increasingly focused on the investigation of sex-based differences in the autonomic control of the heart in health and disease. At ICORD, with supervisors Dr. Chris West and Dr.

Jennifer Williams is a PhD candidate in the Kinesiology department at McMaster University. She belongs to the Vascular Dynamics Lab, supervised by Dr. Maureen MacDonald, and focuses her research on women's cardiovascular health. Her primary research examines the short- and long-term impact of hormonal contraceptives on vascular function and structure, along with underlying regulatory mechanisms.

Sophia Witterick-Laskin

Undergraduate Student

Jeff is the current Reproductive Infectious Diseases Clinical Fellow and CTN Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia. After obtaining his Doctor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, he completed his Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency at the University of British Columbia. He graduated with the Yamuna Kalyanpur Prize for embodying kindness, compassion, and being in the top 10 percentile academically of the residency program.

Sarah is currently a medical student at UBC and continues to advocate for women's health through medical student initiatives including the Women's Health Initiative and the Community Women's Initiative. Sarah completed her BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience at UBC and worked in the Galea lab (2015-2019) throughout undergrad and prior to medical school. In her free time she enjoys being outdoors rock climbing and hiking!

Maggie Woo Kinshella (@MaggieWooK on Twitter) is the Global Health Research Coordinator with PRE-EMPT (PREgnancy Evidence, Monitoring, Partnerships and Treatment), IMCHA (Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa) and BEMEQ (Burden Ethnographic Modeling Evaluation Qaujilisaaqtuq) projects in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pathology at UBC.

Madeline is a PhD student working under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Rabin at University of Toronto and Sunnybrook Research Institute. Her doctoral research aims to understand how sex differences risk and protective factors contribute to female vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease. Madeline's research leverages sensitive neuropsychological measures, mutlimodal neuroimaging, and longitudinal modelling to characterize early cognitive and brain changes in Alzheimer's disease.

My name is Tessa Woodside, and I am an undergraduate student going into my third year of life sciences at Queens University! I am spending my second summer as a research trainee working with Drs. Sandra Dumanski and Sofia Ahmed in their lab at the University of Calgary, with the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. My primary research focus is on chronic kidney disease and its complications. However, I am especially interested in women's health and am keen on learning more!

Melissa is an IMH Marshall postdoctoral research fellow working with Dr. Honer in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC. Her project focuses on the impact of nonfatal overdose on the brain for individuals living in precarious housing in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and the use of both retinal and brain imaging to assess microvasculature damage associated with hypoxia. Women in this cohort may be particularly at risk due to a variety of pharmacological, biological, and social factors. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience at UBC under the supervision of Dr.

Stephen is an exercise physiologist with expertise in integrative cardiopulmonary physiology. His research program focuses on cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, their relationship to exercise capacity and tolerance, and the modifying influences of sex, normal ageing, and chronic disease. Current work aims to elucidate mechanisms that regulate left atrial, pulmonary vascular, and right ventricular function, and understand how heart failure impacts lung function and contributes to dyspnea on exertion. @TheWrightHeart

Sandy completed her Bachelor’s degree in Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences with Honours at the University of British Columbia. She then worked for a couple of years as a research coordinator at BC Children’s Hospital before heading back to UBC to pursue her degree in medicine. Sandy’s current research focuses on sexual pain and distress in patients with endometriosis.  

Joyce Xi is a Biomedical Engineering student at the University of British Columbia. She is passionate about developing sex-specific treatments in biomedicine and applications of genetic engineering. Currently, Joyce works in Dr. Elizabeth Rideout's lab on several projects to investigate sex-linked differences in metabolism and fat storage using fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model organism.  

Jody Xu

Undergraduate Student

University of British Columbia

Overall objective of my research project will focus on sex difference and the effect of estrogens on adult neurogenesis and hippocampus-related cognition in rodents. Firstly, I am looking at sex differences in cognitive flexibility and the effect of estrogens on the ability of memory encoding with examining neural plasticity and learning related cell signaling pathways. Secondly, I am looking at sex differences and the role of estrogens on adult-born neurons in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus.

Julia Yates is a first year PhD Student at Western University whose research focuses on health-promoting behaviours of equity-deserving populations, such as women experiencing gender-based violence. As an equity researcher, my methods are grounded in an intersectional lens wherein I focus on how the various mechanisms of marginalization impact health and wellbeing.   

Kendra is in her second year of the combined Master of Physical Therapy and PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences program supervised by Dr. Kristin Campbell. Kendra completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Victoria in 2018, and her Master of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences with the Clinical Exercise Physiology Lab. Her current research focuses on how to minimize the prevalence of upper limb dysfunction after breast cancer surgery using physiotherapy.

Dr. Kaitlin M. Zaki-Metias is a fourth-year diagnostic radiology resident and incoming chief resident at Trinity Health Oakland Hospital/Wayne State University School of Medicine in Pontiac, Michigan. Originally from Winnipeg, MB, she currently resides in Windsor, ON with her husband and dog Henry. Following residency, Dr. Zaki-Metias will join the Breast and Abdominal Imaging fellowship program at Western University, after which she plans to return to Winnipeg for practice. Dr.

Angela has finished her third year in honours Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences at UBC. She is currently a research assistant in the Cembrowski lab at UBC, where she's using highly multiplexed fluorescent in situ hybridization to map the anterior thalamic nuclei at a single-cell, single-molecule resolution. She will be working as a data scientist during her co-op year, analyzing state-of-the-art “Big” transcriptomic data in mouse models of traumatic brain injury, and using this analysis to identify susceptible genes, pathways, and cell types.

Jennifer is an undergraduate student at UBC currently completing her BKIN. She is currently a research study coordinator at UBC Sexual Health Research for the JUNIPER project, which is examining the differences in neural correlates of sexual response between women with and without sexual interest and arousal disorder (SIAD). She hopes that findings from this project can be utilized to inform targeted and effective treatments for SIAD. Jennifer is also a research assistant at the UBC Centre for Rural Health Research on the Rural Surgical and Obstetrical Networks project.

Natasha received her BA in Psychology with High Distinction from UBC and is currently a clinical psychology grad student at Queen’s University, working under the supervision of Dr. Meredith Chivers. She is working towards becoming a clinical psychologist specializing in sex research. Her clinical interests are sexual health, sexual dysfunctions, compulsive sexual behaviour, paraphilias, chronic illness, body dysmorphia, and depression/suicide.

Dr Rebecca Zivanovic is a mother, mental health clinician and clinical researcher. She works primarily in the areas of concurrent disorders and reproductive mental health - with particular interest in how reproductive health, sexual health and supported parenting can be improved for those with mental health and substance use disorders.

Dr. Enav Zusman is a PhD student in the Women+ and Children's Health Sciences program at the University of British Columbia, working under the guidance of Dr. Tim Oberlander and Dr. Robert Platt. Her research interests include pharmacoepidemiology, perinatal epidemiology, reproductive health and mental health. The primary focus of her PhD research is investigating the associations between prenatal serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant exposure and the development of affective disorders in childhood and adolescence.