Our September 2021 e-blast links to our @WomensResearch podcast series — the most recent of which features a conversation I had, alongside WHRI trainee Kate Wahl, with Professor Timothy Caulfield, best known for his evidence-based approaches to myth busting and science communication. We also introduce our community to Dr. Stephanie Skourtes, who will be joining the WHRI staff as the interim Knowledge Translation manager, while we bid a brief farewell to Nicole Prestley who will be on maternity leave.

Next week, the world will celebrate World Sexual Health Day (on September 4th) and the WHRI will hold our annual celebration on Friday, September 10, featuring a wonderful lineup of WHRI trainees who have been leading research in sexual and reproductive health. I encourage all of you to sign up (free registration via Eventbrite) and support our trainees.

Wishing you all a great start to the Fall term,
Lori

Lori A Brotto PhD, R Psych
Executive Director, WHRI
Professor | Department of OBGYN, UBC
Canada Research Chair | Women’s Sexual Health

Catch up on @WomensResearch

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This month's podcast features Professor Timothy Caulfield in conversation with Dr. Lori Brotto and Kate Wahl. The three discuss misinformation, the role the research community can play in combatting its spread, and the importance of knowledge translation. 

Missed last month's episode? Catch up now on this important discussion between Drs. Jila Mirlashari, Ann Pederson, and Janet Lyons on the role healthcare providers can play in breaking the silence on perinatal violence in British Columbia.

Introducing Stephanie Skourtes

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Stephanie Skourtes, who will be our Interim Knowledge Translation Manager!

Stephanie (she/her) is a qualitative social scientist, educator, and documentarian. With a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia, her work crosses the areas of gender, social class, youth studies, urban studies, and health service delivery. Her research expertise center around gender and structured inequality, and health and wellness related to marginalized women and girls living in urban spaces.

Stephanie has a particular interest in merging the visual and artistic realms with social theory. Towards this end she creates media and knowledge translation projects, documentary in form or content, that showcase marginalized voices and ideas as a kind of social praxis. As an educator , Stephanie has taught and practiced critical pedagogy, popular education, and anti-oppression feminism from community to university levels. She is originally from Portland, Oregon and is a lone mother of two children.

Stephanie will be working Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (half day) at the WHRI and, while on campus, Stephanie will be located in H214E (Nicole’s office).

Connect with Stephanie

Trainee Spotlight:
Elizabeth King

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Elizabeth King is a clinician and postdoctoral fellow currently investigating the menopause experience in women living with HIV across Canada under the supervision of Drs. Melanie Murray and Mona Loutfy.

Her background includes specialty training in Internal Medicine and subspecialty training in Infectious Diseases at UBC, MD at UBC and BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Northern British Columbia. Her research and clinical interests are to better understand and manage the implications of HIV on women’s reproductive health. Dr. King’s research has included reporting on a high prevalence of amenorrhea amongst women living with HIV and recognizing an association between amenorrhea and low bone mineral density in these women.

Currently, her research is focused on better understanding menopausal symptoms for women living with HIV and her preliminary findings suggest these symptoms are commonly experienced and often undertreated for this group. Dr. King is supported by the UBC Clinician Investigator Program, CTN, CIHR Women’s Health and Mentorship grant and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.


Are you a trainee who'd like to be featured in our eBlast? Email whri.communications@cw.bc.ca!

World Sexual Health Day

Join us on September 10th for our annual World Sexual Health Day Celebration! 

From 12pm - 1:30pm PST we'll hear from trainees, students, and other researchers in training about their sexual health research in a fun, rapid-fire format. The event will also feature special guests from Options for Sexual Health.

Join us September 23rd at 5pm PST for our next virtual public event!

The evening will feature presentations led by Dr. Sarah Munro, Dr. Roopan Gill, Dr. Astrid Christoffersen-Deb, and Dr. Patti Janssen, followed by an audience Q&A. 

Register now and help us spread the word!

2021 INTERFACE Summit X

Canada’s Top Digital Health Conference focused on the future of health through technology, innovation and social impact. This is a must-attend event for anyone interested in how digital technologies can help women’s health. 

Discover world-class speakers. Share world-changing ideas. Meet like-minded people. 

What: LIFE: RESTART. From Known to Unknown. The Past, The Present and The Future of Digital Health
When: Oct. 20-21, 2021
Where: Online on Zoom

Check out the speakers at: interfacesummit.com

Use the promo code BCWHRI to save $50 off the regular ticket price. Follow news, updates, alerts @interfacehealth #interfacesummitx