Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters: Winners!

We want to thank everyone who took the time to fill out our diversity survey, share what you worked on in 2020 and provide revisions to our GCRC application. Your support was critical to our success—thank you. We also want to thank the University of British Columbia for providing us with the funds needed to continue catalyzing and disseminating multidisciplinary research on women's health throughout Canada and abroad. These funds have allowed us to expand our services, so stay tuned for more updates...

Our most recent blog reviews results from a study that examines the extend to which stroke resesarchers include sex-and gender-based considerations in their exercise trials. Check it out!

International Women's Day: UBC Day On The Hill
In honour of International Women's Day, Trainee Co-Lead (Bonnie Lee) co-authored a blog alongside WHRC's lead (Dr. Liisa Galea) to capture their experience advocating for women's health research in Canada's capital. Read more to learn how we are working to shape future policies in Canada. 

Apr 6: A Socio-Ecological Approach to the Study of Hormones and Behaviour: Impacts for Women's Health

This event is part of our Women's Health Seminar Series. Attend 90% of this series and receive a certificate! Presenter: Dr. Annie Duchesne, Ph.D. University of Northern British Columbia, Department of Psychology

12-1pm PDT Register here

Apr 8: Women's Brain Health Initiative Trainee-Mentor Session

This event offers an intimate setting where trainees can connect with Dr. Sarah Munro (University of British Columbia) to ask her about knowledge translation as it relates to sex and gender-based research. 

10-11 am PDT Register here.

Apr 12: Sex Cells!

Join the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, the Women’s Health Research Cluster and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience for this free workshop on how to implement SGBA+ into your own research. This event includes a 30 minute breakout room session where you can talk to an SGBA+ expert about your project and/or burning questions.

9-11 am PDT  More information / register

Apr 12: Love, Life, and Family: Safer Conception Care for HIV Sero-Different Couples Who Desire Children in Uganda

This event is part of our Women's Health Seminar Series. Attend 90% of this series and receive a certificate! Presenter: Dr. Angela Kaida, Associate Professor, Health Sciences, SFU

12-1 pm PDT Register here

Apr 19: Microglia and Motherhood: Linking the Neuroimmune System to Plasticity of the Maternal Brain and Postpartum Depression

This event is part of our Women's Health Seminar Series. Attend 90% of this series and receive a certificate! Presenter: Dr. Benedetta Leuner, Associate Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience, The Ohio State University

Apr 23: Women's Brain Health Conference—Symposium 5: Reproductive Cycle Effects on Brain and Cardiac Health

How do brain networks reorganize themselves across the menstrual cycle? Can pregnancy complications impact maternal and child cardiovascular health? Does pregnancy change our brains long after birth? Register to hear three renowned speakers answer these questions and more.

Funding
 

L’Oréal Canada For Women in Science Fellowships

This year, two fellowships valued at $20,000 each will be awarded to female postdoctoral researchers in the fields of Life Sciences and Engineering/Pure and Applied Sciences. Candidates must conduct their research at a Canadian host institution or organization. Due April 14, 5:00pm EST Read more, apply here. 

The Heart-Brain Connection Impact Award

Brain Canada and Heart & Stroke have come together to provide this multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, integrative research competition that will investigate the complex interactions between the heart and the brain by leveraging the power of collaboration and innovation in Canada’s research community. Two teams will receive up to $2.9 million each. Register your team by April 8th. Read more.
 

NIH: Understanding and Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination on Minority Health and Health Disparities

This initiative will support (1) observational research to understand the role of structural racism and discrimination (SRD) in causing and sustaining health disparities, and (2) intervention research that addresses SRD in order to improve minority health or reduce health disparities. $300,000-$1,000,000/project available. LOI due July 20. Read more. 

Other

CIHR: Seeking Institute Advisory Board Members

Institute Advisory Board (IAB) members provide advice on health research priorities. They also consider how best to shape and implement health research strategies in line with these priorities, and to accelerate the flow of knowledge into health benefits. IABs meet at least twice a year. Members are reimbursed for travel and accommodation. Apply by April 12th to share your perspectives and help shape Canada’s research landscape: ow.ly/c3QK50DR9xD
 

Sex and Gender Training Modules: Seeking Feedback on Update!

The CIHR Institute for Gender and Health are updating their Sex and Gender Training Modules and are soliciting feedback through this survey. This is a perfect opportunity for experts and non-experts to tell them what you want to see!


Study Recruitment: Coronavirus Crisis Competence

The Center on Sex*Gender, Allostasis and Resilience (CESAR) is currently looking for adults 18 years and older to complete a 20 to 40 minute anonymous and confidential online survey. The survey can be completed in French or English. They want to better understand how the sex and gender of individuals affect their adaptation to the COVID-19 crisis. By completing the survey, you could win one of 10 prizes of $100. Participate here.

Research

The “sex gap” in COVID-19 trials: A scoping review (Schiffer et al., 2020)

Involving pregnant individuals in clinical research on COVID-19 vaccines (Bianchi, Kaeser & Cernich, 2021)

Meta-analytic evidence against sex differences in infants’ preference for prosocial agents (Margoni, Block, Hamlin, Zmyj & Schmader, 2021) 

News

The Case for Affordable Child Care (The Walrus)

“The pandemic has exacted a steep toll, on women and single mothers most. Over March and April, 1.5 million women in Canada lost their jobs. The number of mothers who worked less than half their usual hours due to personal circumstances, such as caring for children or reducing shifts, has increased by 70 percent since the pandemic, according to Statistics Canada.”

The Story Behind Power Gap: We Set out to Expose Pay Disparity, But Found it Went Deeper Than Money (The Globe and Mail)

The Female Problem: How Male Bias in Medical Trials Ruined Women’s Health (The Guardian)

Online Learning

Women’s Health After Motherhood

FutureLearn is a learning platform that offers courses on a wide variety of subjects by drawing on the expertise of academics across the world. Try out their Women’s Health After Motherhood course for free or pay to receive a certificate of achievement. Some courses are accredited.

2021 YWCA Women of Distinction Award

Dr. Lori Brotto, Co-Lead of the WHRC and Executive Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute, has been nominated for this year’s YWCA Women of Distinction Award in the Research, Sciences, and Technology category! We're so proud of all she has done for the field of women’s health and are honoured to have her on the team.

UBC Killam Research Prize

Dr. Gina Ogilvie was recently awarded the UBC Killam Research Prize in the Applied Science, Medicine, Sciences category. Bravo Gina!

We’d like to formally welcome the following new members to our cluster. We’re happy to have you working alongside us to support women’s health!

• Dr. Kristen Zuloaga, Associate Professor at the Albany Medical College (USA)

• Aneet Dhaliwal, Masters student at the University of British Columbia (Canada)

• Luzia Troebinger, PDF at the University College London (UK)

• Dr. Elizabeth Keys, Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia Okanagan (Canada)

• Gwyndolin Vail, PDF at Rutgers University (USA)

• Kelly Pickerill, Research Coordinator at the University of British Columbia (Canada)

• Dr. Troy Roepke, Associate Professor, Rutgers University (USA)

• Laura Gravelsins, PhD student at the University of Toronto (Canada)

• Dr. Reda Elbadawy, Professor at Banha University (Egypt)

• Sandy Wu, Medical Student at the University of British Columbia (Canada)

• Silvia Victoria Navarro, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Dartmouth College (USA)

• Sydney Penner, undergraduate student at Simon Fraser University (Canada)

If you feel passionate about the work we are doing and are in a position to give, consider making a one-time or monthly donation. 100% of proceeds will be used to promote women’s health research across public, government and academic domains.