
The Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI) is very pleased to congratulate the recipients of the 2025 Graduate and Fellowship Research Awards in Women’s Health. This competition was supported thanks to the dedicated funding provided by the BC Women’s Health Foundation.
The WHRI launched this award in 2020 with a goal of creating a funding opportunity specific to our outstanding trainee community. This award provides salary support to WHRI-affiliated graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are engaged in women’s and/or newborn health research under the mentorship of a WHRI member.
With the generous support of the BC Women’s Health Foundation, the WHRI funds three awards through this funding opportunity — one award at the Master’s-level (valued at $30,000), one award at the Doctoral-level (valued at $40,000) and one award at the Postdoctoral Fellowship-level (valued at $65,000).
Fellowship level Award Recipient

Recipient
Dr. Atefeh Najafi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Biology, University of Victoria
Project Supervisor
Dr. Nicole Templeman, Assistant Professor, Biology, University of Victoria
Project Title
Decoding the impact of preventing insulin hypersecretion on ovarian and uterine function with age: Implications for female reproductive health and longevity.
Project Aims
With longer life expectancies, women spend many years in the postmenopausal state, marked by higher vulnerability to chronic diseases. Studies suggest that later onset of natural menopause may confer modest protection against all‑cause mortality, whereas early (<45 years) or premature (<40 years) menopause is linked to higher all‑cause morbidity. Thus, strategies that extend reproductive lifespan are critical for mitigating the adverse health effects of the postmenopausal state. The insulin/insulin‑like growth factor‑1 pathway is one of the pivotal nutrient-sensing pathways that plays a significant role in lifespan and chronic hyperinsulinemia drives cellular senescence in human liver and adipose cells, suggesting insulin excess may similarly accelerate aging in reproductive tissues. This raises the question of whether reducing insulin hypersecretion may slow aging processes in reproductive tissues, ultimately preserving ovarian and uterine function and improving long-term health outcomes. This project aims to use a mouse model to investigate how hyperinsulinemia modulates ovarian and uterine function with age, and whether reducing insulin levels can mitigate these effects to preserve female reproductive health.
Doctoral-level Award Recipient
Recipient
Vienna Cheng, Graduate Student (PhD), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia
Project Supervisor
Dr. Mary De Vera, Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia
Project Title
Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Pregnancy: Patterns of Use and Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes
Project Aims
Inflammatory arthritis (IA), including rheumatoid arthritis, affects females more than males, and often strike during the childbearing years. Uncontrolled IA during pregnancy has been associated with adverse maternal outcomes (e.g., pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes) and neonatal outcomes (e.g., preterm birth, congenital anomalies). Therefore, treatment is often necessary throughout the perinatal period to manage disease and minimize risk to the mother and baby. Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD) are targeted therapies that have revolutionized IA management by reducing inflammation and slowing progression in ways previously not achievable with conventional therapies. Despite growing guidance on the safety of bDMARDs in pregnancy, evidence suggests the rate of bDMARD discontinuation in pregnancy remains high. Understanding the impact of treatment discontinuation—along with its predictors (e.g., IA disease type, pregnancy trimester)—on maternal and neonatal outcomes is critical for identifying intervention targets and reducing the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. This project aims to better understand perinatal patterns of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs use and their impacts on maternal and neonatal health.
Master's-level Award Recipient
Recipient
Denise Zhu, Graduate Student (MSc), Women and Children’s Health Graduate program, University of British Columbia
Project Supervisor
Dr. Lori Brotto, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia
Project Title
eSense-AI: Evaluating the Accessibility and Effectiveness of AI-Chatbots in an Online Intervention for Female Sexual Dysfunction
Project Aims
This study aims to take advantage of the new and growing benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) by refining a customizable large language model-based chatbot to provide on-demand support to augment an existing acceptable, feasible, and efficacious online treatment for sexual difficulties in women. The significance of this project spans both digital health innovation and the study of human-technology interactions. Evaluating AI-chatbots informs the potential for a more accessible, engaging, and personalized digital health future. If successful, this approach could significantly reduce barriers to care, making large-scale interventions more feasible and potentially reaching broader populations of women, including those from underserved communities or with limited access to sexual health care. Additionally, examining how customization influences user experiences can offer valuable insights into the ways human-technology dynamics are built, particularly in a healthcare setting, thus illuminating the evolving role digital agents occupy in our lives.