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From Science to Solutions: Building Bridges from Discovery Science to Women’s Health
11th Annual Women’s Health Research Symposium Celebrates WHRI’s 20th Anniversary
We would like to invite you to the upcoming Eleventh Annual Women’s Health Research Symposium to be held in-person (at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre on the UBC campus) and virtually (via live-stream) on Friday, March 6, 2026.
The theme for the 2026 WHRI Symposium, “From Science to Solutions: Building Bridges from Discovery Science to Women’s Health” aims to celebrate the work of local investigators who are driving research excellence in the discovery/basic/life sciences within women’s health or by including biological sex as a variable in their work, which will improve women’s health in the long term. The primary audience for this event is researchers, trainees, clinicians and other relevant groups in the research community, including patient and community partners, and offers a forum for sharing new scientific knowledge, knowledge translation, and cultivating collaborations among those passionate about women’s health research. The event will include networking, a poster session, and a separate mentorship and networking event for trainees engaged in women’s health research.
Registration
- Date: Friday, March 6, 2026
- Location: Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre at UBC (Jack Poole Hall)
- Time (main program): 8:00 am – 1:30 pm
- Trainee-focused One Minute Thesis (1MT) presentations session: 1:30pm – 2:15pm
- Mentorship and networking event for trainees: 2:15pm – 3:45pm
- Cost: Free for WHRI Staff or BCWH Foundation Members; $30 for general attendees, $15 for trainees and $10 for virtual attendance.
- Agenda
- Registration: now open through UBC CPD.
Speakers
We are thrilled to announce our confirmed keynote, Dr. Cheryl Wellington, and our confirmed spotlight speaker, Dr. Ariane van der Straten.
Dr. Cheryl Wellington, Keynote
Talk Title: The use of biomarkers to improve the diagnosis of brain injury in survivors of intimate partner violence.
Dr. Cheryl Wellington, PhD, is Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health, UBC. Additionally, she is affiliated with the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries and the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Wellington holds multiple leadership and executive positions, including the Canadian Consortium for Neurodegeneration in Aging, Cure Alzheimer Fund, Canadian Traumatic Brain Injury Research Consortium, Canadian Concussion Network, and the International Initiative on Traumatic Brain Injury Research. Her recent recognitions include being inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2024, receipt of the 2024 Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Research Award, and the 2022 UBC Faculty of Medicine Distinguished Achievement Award.
Dr. Ariane van der Straten, Spotlight
Talk Title: Vaginal formulations: Research gaps and priorities.
Ariane van der Straten, PhD, MPH holds a PhD in Molecular Biology, and a MPH in International Health. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, and an independent investigator and consultant through ASTRA Consulting, Kensington, CA. Over the past 30+ years her research has focused on reproductive health and HIV/STI prevention in cis-gender women globally, spanning the biomedical and socio-behavioral perspectives. She directed the Women’s global Health Imperative (WGHI) program at RTI international until 2020, served as the Chair of the NIH-funded Socio-Behavioral and Structural Working Group for the HIV-Prevention Trial Network (HPTN), and before that for the Microbicide Trial Network (MTN). Concurrently she was part of the Prime Leadership team for MATRIX, a USAID-funded R&D collaborative project for developing new HIV prevention products and Multipurpose Prevention Technologies (MPTs) in cis-gender women. Currently she consults for several organizations, including the Oak-Crest Institute of Science (OCIS), in Monrovia, CA.
WHRI 20th Anniversary Celebration
In 2026, we mark the 20th Anniversary of the Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI). To mark this milestone, we will be holding a special session at this year’s symposium (12:30pm – 1:30pm) to celebrate the WHRI’s 20th Anniversary. This session will include a panel discussion on the current status of women’s health research with a panel composed of key people from the WHRI’s history. Please join us as we reflect on our past journey and look towards our shared future.
Call for Discovery Science Trainee Poster Abstracts and Oral Presentations
The WHRI is now accepting submissions for a trainee poster session specific to graduate students in the basic/discovery/foundational sciences that will take place at the Eleventh Annual Women’s Health Research Symposium on Friday, March 6th, 2026 at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre at UBC.
GOAL: The goal of this year’s symposium and the poster session is to build bridges between the basic/discovery/foundational sciences and women’s health communities at UBC. By improving communication and fostering new connections between these communities, we aim to foster new collaborations and opportunities to advance women’s health.
There will be a dedicated poster session in the morning and presenters can also stand by their posters during the various networking breaks throughout the program.
Poster presenters also have the opportunity to take part in a One Minute Thesis (1MT) session during the event to deliver an oral presentation of their research.
- Date: Friday, March 6, 2026
- Time: 8:00am – 1:30pm (main program)
- Poster Session: 10:10am – 10:45am (and at each networking break)
- One Minute Thesis Presentation Session: 1:30pm – 2:15pm
- Location: Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre at UBC (Jack Poole Hall)
Trainee Abstract Information
Requirements
- Accepted posters and 1MT presentations require an in-person presenter who is registered for the symposium.
- Presenters must be graduate students within the discovery sciences (i.e., biomedical, life sciences such as cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, physiology).
- Poster topics must describe investigations in male and female models (i.e., cells, animals, donor samples) or discovery science projects relevant to women’s health.
Note: Posters can be ‘repurposed’ from previous conferences or presentations within the last several years.
Submissions are due: Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Submissions must include a poster abstract (see guidelines below) or an image of the poster (if previously presented) and a single, static PowerPoint slide for 1MT presentation.
Submissions can be sent to kdewar@cw.bc.ca
Poster Guidelines
Abstract should not exceed 400 words. Please organize your abstract according to the following categories: Background, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions.
The trainee poster sessions will take place during the main program (mid-morning) and at each networking break throughout the event. These poster sessions will follow a traditional/passive poster presentation style and presenters should be available to provide details and answer questions about their poster.
One Minute Thesis (1MT) Guidelines
Participants will have just one minute and a single PowerPoint slide to explain the breadth and significance of the research project that is the focus of their poster to a non-specialist audience. The 1MT session will be held after the main event program (after lunch) and directly before the dedicated Mentorship and Networking Workshop for Trainees.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact Kathryn Dewar, Senior Research Manager, Women’s Health Research Institute.