Congratulations to WHRI trainees Jenine Hira and Zeba Khan, who were awarded 2025 ImpactBC Scholarships in Health Care Research & Development for their respective research projects involving patient partners. The ImpactBC scholarships were created via an endowment from ImpactBC, a non-profit organization that works to improve healthcare for people in BC through patient and community engagement.
ImpactBC scholarships are awarded annually to outstanding students in health programs at UBC and UBC Okanagan who have completed a research project or study centering on patient involvement in healthcare decision-making or continuing professional education for healthcare providers.
Jenine Hira
Second-year student, Doctor of Medicine program in the Faculty of Medicine
Jenine built off the HER-BC report’s identification of gaps in knowledge, care, and services for people experiencing menopause. Working with a patient partner with lived experience, Jenine is helping to develop a research agenda that will improve specialized care for complex menopause in British Columbia.
“I’m just super excited and honoured to have the project gain recognition! I would also like to acknowledge the amazing work and contributions from our patient partner, Chris Johnston. She provided valuable insights into complex menopause care, and added an important perspective to the project.”
Zeba Khan
Third-year student, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PhD in Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences program in the Faculty of Medicine
Zeba was awarded a scholarship for her work as lead coordinator on the Period Pain is Real Pain campaign. Zeba co-designed the campaign and the PeriodPain.ca website along with youth patient partners, facilitating workshops and collaborating with healthcare providers to produce resources tailored to youth.
“Receiving the ImpactBC Scholarship in Health Care Research and Development means a lot to me.
It validates the importance of involving patient voices in research, and motivates me to continue turning innovative ideas into real solutions that can make a difference for people living with period pain across Canada.”