Women's Health Research Institute, 4500 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC (2025)

12/08/2025

We’ve made it to the end! The final topic in this year’s Misinformation Monday series is compassion — something that should be at the heart of every effort to address mis- and disinformation.

Not everyone who shares misinformation is acting out of malice. While some misinformation is intentionally created to create mistrust, most of what we encounter is well-intentioned, if misguided.

So how can we respond with care?

1. Assume good intent (until proven otherwise)
2. Lead with curiosity
3. Set limits for yourself

Earlier this month, the Provincial Health Services Authority - PHSA hosted its second annual Together Against Misinformation event — a collaboration between PHSA, WHRI, the BC Centre for Disease Control, BC Cancer, and the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute. Around 140 staff, clinicians, and researchers from across the province joined the conversation.

If you missed the event, you can catch up through our full Misinformation Monday: https://whri.org/misinformation-monday-compassion/)

12/05/2025

Join us in celebrating the impact of you, our WHRI community, from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, captured in our 2024-2025 Annual Report. Our Annual Report highlights the people, partnerships, and programming that make our community thrive.

This year’s report recognizes the impact and growth across our strategic goals—showcasing our events, media highlights, and organizational achievements—all contributing to our mission to create new knowledge and evidence-based solutions that advance the health and health care of women.

Thank you for being an essential part of the Women’s Health Research Institute.

Read the full Annual Report: https://whri.org/about-us/reports/ -reports

12/05/2025

The WHRI is very pleased to congratulate Dr. Sandesh Shivananda as the recipient of the inaugural 2025 Women’s Health Research Institute Leveling Up: Women’s and Newborn Health Research Grant.

This competition was funded thanks to the dedicated support of the BC Women's Health Foundation. This grant competition is intended to fund the next phase in the research discovery pipeline and provides support for a previously pilot-tested women’s and/or newborn’s health.

Dr. Shivananda will receive one award of $100,000 for a two-year period. Read more on Dr. Shivananda's impactful research: https://whri.org/announcing-the-2025-womens-health-research-institute-leveling-up-womens-and-newborn-health-research-action-grant-recipient/

12/05/2025

Congratulations to the seven recipients of the 2025 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Grants. This competition was funded thanks to the dedicated support of the BC Women’s Health Foundation. One of the seven awards is related to funding provided to the BC Women’s Health Foundation made possible by the family of Dr. Sue Harris and will support a research project a focused on women’s health (cis and trans inclusive) within the discipline of family practice.

From left to right: Dr. Abiola Adeniyi, Dr. Elisabeth McClymont, Dr. Fatemeh Khorami, Dr. Karen Pike, Dr. Katherine M. Seligman, Dr. Jeffrey Man Hay Wong and Dr. Laura Schummers.

Read the full announcement for the full list of funded projects and teams: https://whri.org/announcing-the-2025-womens-health-research-institute-catalyst-grant-recipients/

12/03/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Lori Brotto, WHRI Executive Director, Director of the UBC Sexual Health Laboratory, and Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, on being named one of UBC’s 10 new Distinguished University Scholars for 2025.

This prestigious award recognizes Dr. Brotto’s outstanding contributions as a researcher, educator, and mentor, and her unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge and innovation in women’s health.

The Distinguished University Scholar awards honour exceptional faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in research and/or teaching and learning.

Learn more about Dr. Brotto’s award: https://ubctoday.ubc.ca/news/december-12-2025/announcing-ubcs-2025-distinguished-university-scholars

12/03/2025

Each year on December 2, we recognize Women’s Brain Health Day—a day dedicated to celebrating progress in women’s brain health and emphasizing the need for research that meaningfully incorporates s*x and gender. This day raises awareness of the unique factors that influence women’s brain health and the importance of understanding both biological (s*x) and social (gender) dimensions in addressing brain health disparities.

This year, we are spotlighting WHRI member Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose, physical therapist, Professor, and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Liu-Ambrose reminds us that brain health is not just about the “neck up”, it is deeply connected to whole-body health. Cardiovascular health and muscle health both play major roles in lifelong brain wellness.

Dr. Liu-Ambrose’s research focuses on understanding how exercise and other interventions support cognitive and mobility outcomes in older adults. Her findings have shaped clinical practice, community programs, and international guidelines that promote healthy aging worldwide.

Stay tuned for the full podcast conversation, coming in January 2026. Access key women’s brain health resources here: https://womensbrainhealth.org/

12/02/2025

December 1 is World AIDS Day, and December 1 to 7 marks Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week. At CIHR, this is a time to reflect on the ongoing impacts of HIV/AIDS in Canada and globally, and to recognize the strength of the communities leading the response.

Read the joint statement from Dr. Chelsea Gabel, Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health (IIPH) and Dr. Charu Kaushic, Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (III): https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/54547.html?hsid=884d4d55-609e-485c-87bd-c1ec2184c019&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=canadian+institutes+of+health+research

12/02/2025

Today, on December 1—World AIDS Day and the start of Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week in Canada—we reflect on the progress made in the HIV response and the work still ahead. This year’s theme, “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” underscores the need for resilient, equity-driven, community-led approaches.

We honour the ongoing impacts of HIV worldwide and within our communities, and recognize the importance of HIV testing, prevention and treatment. This week calls on us to increase awareness and knowledge of HIV and AIDS, strengthen prevention and education programs, address attitudes that hinder care, and reduce stigma and discrimination.

Explore our new article for research resources and featured teams working in s*xual and reproductive infectious diseases. We’re also sharing tools to support learning, advocacy, and continued efforts to reduce HIV stigma: https://whri.org/world-aids-day-2025/

12/01/2025

Welcome to Misinformation Mondays: a 5-part series where we delve into strategies that researchers can use to combat misinformation. Across the series we’ll be sharing resources to help you fight mis- and disinformation online and in your communities. This week’s topic is Consistency & Repetition.

Similar to last week’s topic availability, consistency is simple but effective when used correctly. Consistency is key for allowing people to follow the thread of research, understand where information is coming from, and learn how researchers arrive at scientific findings.

Repetition works just as well for spreading facts as it does for spreading misinformation. That’s why it’s important to consider whether resharing misinformation—even with a fact-check attached—is truly helping. Sometimes, repeating misinformation in order to debunk it can backfire because audiences may remember the falsehood more than the correction.

Learn more on Consistency & Repetition: https://whri.org/misinformation-monday-consistency-and-repetition/

11/28/2025

Our upcoming BC Women’s Research Rounds will feature Dr. Enav Zusman and Fatemeh Khorami from the Contraception & Abortion Research Team – Groupe de recherche sur l’avortement et la contraception (CART-GRAC), who will present “Expanding Access to LARC: Perspectives on Pharmacist Insertion of Subdermal Contraceptive Implants.”

When: Friday, December 12 | 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Location: Zoom

Dr. Enav Zusman and Fatemeh Khorami will discuss key considerations for expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice to include contraceptive implant insertion, outline the training, resources, and regulatory factors needed for successful implementation.

We look forward to seeing you there! Click here for more details: https://whri.org/news-events/bc-womens-hospital-virtual-research-rounds/

11/28/2025

Join the WHRI this December for our CW Research Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, December 10, from 12–1 p.m.

Julia Santana Parrilla, Qualitative Research Analyst at the WHRI, will present “Reflexivity & Relationality: Facilitating Embodied Collaboration.” This session will aim to engage attendees in understanding the value of reflexive, embodied and relational practices.

Julia will center explorations on how these practices facilitate collaboration. The underlying message is that when collaboration is embodied, the knowledge we share and expand upon can be more meaningful.

See you there! Zoom details: https://whri.org/news-events/whri-lunch-learn-series/

11/24/2025

Welcome to Part 3 of Misinformation Monday! In this 5-part series, we explore strategies researchers can use to combat misinformation and share resources to help you address mis- and disinformation online and in your communities. This week’s topic is availability.

Availability is exactly what it sounds like. It’s about making information available and being available to engage and answer questions about topics.

How do you do it? This strategy is especially useful as a complement to other strategies we’ve shared, such as bypassing and pre-bunking. One way to engage in deeper dialogue rather than just posting facts is to share sources or explain why you believe certain information is trustworthy (and other information less so).

Learn more about the importance of availability and key resources: https://whri.org/misinformation-monday-availability/

Women's Health Research Institute

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