I am very happy to announce the recipients of the 2021 WHRI Graduate and Fellowship Awards in women’s health research! Thanks to the support of the BC Women’s Health Foundation, for the second year in a row we have been able to fund deserving trainees who have already and will continue to pave the way for excellence in women’s health research. Please take the time to read about their important research in this month’s e-Blast. 

I also want to recognize that yesterday was World AIDS Day and point out that globally 37.7 million people are living with HIV with 53% of them identifying as women. As declared by Dr. Neora Pick, Medical Director of the Oak Treet Clinic at BC Women’s Hospital, we need to continue to advocate for:

• Equitable rapid global access to medications, vaccines and health technologies.
• Respect human rights and dignity of all, especially people living with HIV &COVID-19
• End gender discrimination norms, violence, and the huge gaps in education women face in large parts of the world.
• This World AIDS Day 2021 is a reminder that global inequalities affect ALL of us. It’s time for actions-to end stigma, racism, violence and gender discrimination: end all inequalities, which will end AIDS, Covid, and all pandemics that thrive on inequalities and affect us all.

Announcing the Graduate and Fellowship Award in Women’s Health Recipients

We are very pleased to congratulate Dr. Nikki Salmond (left) and Dwayne Tucker (right), recipients of the 2021 Graduate and Fellowship Research Award in Women’s Health.

This competition was funded thanks to the dedicated support of the BC Women’s Health Foundation.

Learn more about their projects at the link below.

CST Research Corner

Do you have questions about how the Clinical & Systems Transformation (CST) project will impact research on the C&W campus? 

BCCHR has launched a new page all about the upcoming changes, including the October 6 Town Hall recording, further FAQs including the CST research roles, and a link to the form where non-PHSA employees can now request access. 

If you have a resource or information you would like to share with your peers, please email comm@bcchr.ca.

SmartMom

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Episode 14 of the @WomensResearch podcast is now live!

In this episode we get to hear from Dr. Patricia Janssen and the team behind SmartMom, a prenatal education program delivered via text message. 

Journey Through the BCC3 Study

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a swift shift to online recruitment for many research teams. In many cases, it also restricted or limited the opportunity to connect with potential participants face-to-face. 

The British Columbia CARMA-CHIWOS Collaboration (BCC3) study team is developing a series of videos for potential participants that can help put faces to their names and explain in simple terms what participating in the study entails.

"Our team recognized that many women may be unfamiliar with the process of participating in the research process and, understandably, it can be daunting to take part in a research study for the first time," says Shayda Swann, a trainee working with the team. "With this series of videos, the first of which we are premiering for World AIDS Day, we hope to familiarize future and current participants with our study and to show them exactly what it looks like to be a study participant and where our research takes place."

Beyond the Stories

The Gynecologic Cancer Initiative is launching a video series titled Beyond the Stories, funded by the Michael Smith Health Research BC. Through this project, they aim to share timely evidence-based information on prevention, diagnostics, treatment and survivorship in gynecologic cancer that is created with patients, and for patients.

The first video, Advancements in Hereditary Cancer Research, is out now on YouTube! This video features Rose Lee, a survivor of both triple-negative breast cancer and high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Now knowing about her BRCA1 mutation, Rose shares how important that knowledge was for her family. Dr. Janice Kwon and Dr. Lesa Dawson discuss how changes in hereditary cancer research would allow for Rose’s story to be different now. 

Cannabis Research Working Group

You are invited to join the Cannabis Research Working Group. This working group is a small, ongoing cannabis research group with members across the oak street campus (BCCHR, BCMHSUS, WHRI). The group meets every two months to navigate cannabis research opportunities, resolve challenges surrounding cannabis research, and build collaborations. These drop-in meetings are open to anyone with interest in cannabis research, including staff and trainees. 

Next meeting: Friday, January 14 from 12-1pm via zoom: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/61928886580?pwd=VkJ1TENHcE9pMVJpUC81RzFXeFlFZz09 

Meeting ID: 619 2888 6580
Passcode: 204228 

To be added to the working group email list, please contact Marissa mgibbbard@bcchr.ca.

Wear Red Canada: Join the team!

The Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance (CWHHA) is a volunteer organization of over 100 healthcare professionals and patients from across Canada, working to develop and disseminate evidence-informed strategies to transform clinical practice and enhance collaborative action on women’s cardiovascular health in Canada.

Wear Red Canada is celebrated annually across Canada on February 13th to raise awareness about women’s heart health. Virtual and in-person events are held across the country to serve as a reminder for all people in Canada, but especially women, to be mindful, curious, and proactive in the management of our heart health and wellness.

The CWHHA is currently planning their fourth annual Wear Red Canada day, to be held on February 13, 2022, and invite all to join their western committee team and alliance. They welcome all healthcare professional, trainees, allied healthcare professional from all levels and different specialties (all genders are welcomed). The CWHHA also welcomes women with lived experience to be an integral part of their organization. If you know any women with lived experience, please forward this call to her. 

Each planning committee will be responsible for various tasks within their respective region including promotion, planning community events, connecting with political offices, approaching companies/organizations to help light up buildings in red, and helping to disseminate our key messages about women’s heart health.

Time commitment is estimated at 3-5 hours a month, including monthly one-hour virtual planning meetings and any tasks leading up to Wear Red Canada on February 13.

Check out their website for more information about Wear Red Canada and their successes to date: WearRedCanada.ca.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Western committee lead (Dr. Najah Adreak, najahaldreak@gmail.com).

Have your say!

Hogan’s Alley Society invites you to share your thoughts and opinions about the COVID-19 Vaccine. 

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the lack of race-based data about how Black people in BC are being impacted has made addressing health inequities very difficult. 

In partnership with the University of British Columbia, a survey is being conducted to understand and report on vaccine intentions among People of African Descent in BC. It is a first step in developing a dataset on Black communities’ health and wellbeing in the province and is funded by British Columbia Immunization Committee (BCIC). Your voice matters! Please follow the link here to share your anonymous perspective:
https://rc.bcchr.ca/redcap/surveys/?s=PKNY7KMY4P