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

10/24/2025

Let’s Talk Menopause!

This Menopause Awareness Month, we’re spotlighting the Mapping Menopause Project—a province-wide initiative working to close knowledge gaps and improve care for people experiencing menopause.

In collaboration with healthcare providers, researchers, and people with lived experience, we’re developing a “Research Agenda for Menopause and Midlife Women’s Health”. The Mapping Menopause survey will help inform this agenda, guiding future research and supporting evidence-based care at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre.

BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre offers menopause resources, a dedicated Complex Menopause Clinic, and a bi-monthly ‘Hot Topics Webinar Series’, created in partnership with the Women’s Health Research Institute and the BC Women's Health Foundation.

Participate in the Mapping Menopause Survey today: https://whri.org/our-initiatives/mapping-menopause/

Explore the Complex Menopause Clinic at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre: https://www.bcwomens.ca/our-services/menopause-midlife-health/complex-menopause-clinic

10/23/2025

Join public health leaders, researchers, and policymakers at the Health Security Forum: Strengthening Global Health Security Through Collaboration and Innovation, hosted by the University of British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, in partnership with the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Pacific Public Health Foundation.

▪️Wednesday, November 5, 2025

▪️12:00 PM – 6:00 PM PT

▪️ Virtual (Zoom webinar)

Explore critical issues shaping our future: Indigenous rights in health security, post-COVID preparedness, vaccine readiness, misinformation, One Health strategies, and coordinated responses to global threats.

Register today to access the livestream, keynote presentations, expert panels, and on-demand recordings: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ubc-cdc-global-health-security-forum-virtual-tickets-1685687961069?aff=oddtdtcreator

10/22/2025

Dr. Lori Brotto, WHRI Executive Director and Director of the UBC Sexual Health Laboratory , was featured on CTV Your Morning Vancouver in October to discuss the lesser-known effects of menopause on the brain.

Watch the full interview: https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/video/2025/10/09/your-brain-on-menopause/

10/21/2025

WHRI member Dr. Jessica McAlpine was recently featured on CityNews, sharing expert insight on how stigma and shame can cause people to delay medical attention for gynecologic cancers such as cervical, ovarian, and endometrial.

She emphasized that seeking care early—as soon as something feels off—not only supports timely diagnosis and treatment but also helps normalize conversations with healthcare providers and reduce stigma.

Gynecologic cancers are often highly treatable when detected early, and new advances in screening are making early detection more accessible than ever.

Learn how Dr. McAlpine’s research is improving gynecologic cancer care and supporting vulvar cancer survivors: https://whri.org/in-the-media-dr-jessica-mcalpine-on-gynecologic-cancer-awareness/

10/21/2025

Shirley Weir, founder of Menopause Chicks and collaborator on the HER-BC and Mapping Menopause research projects, recently spoke with both Global News and CTV.

In her interviews, she addressed common misconceptions about menopause, shared strategies for self-advocacy to your health care provider, and offered guidance on managing menopause symptoms in the workplace while encouraging open, supportive conversations with employers and colleagues.

Watch both interviews and explore MenopauseChicks’ resources: https://whri.org/in-the-media-shirley-weir-on-the-impacts-of-menopause/

Menopause Chicks with Shirley Weir

10/20/2025

The AWS outage from this morning has been resolved, and Eventbrite is back online to register for the Digital Health Research Seminar with Taryn Ellens on November 6, 2025.

However, there may still be service delays. If you are unable to register, please check back later today to secure your spot: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/beyond-the-binary-technology-trust-and-indigenous-data-sovereignty-tickets-1823649537859?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-source=cp&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing

10/18/2025

Today on Menopause Awareness Day, we join the global movement to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and improve care for individuals experiencing menopause and perimenopause.

Historically, menopause has been under-researched and often overlooked in healthcare. However, this is beginning to shift. Increased awareness and growing dialogue have highlighted the essential need for research, education, and care that reflect the lived experiences of those going through this transition.

One of the recommendations from the Women’s Health Research Institute’s HER-BC (Health and Economics Research on Midlife Women in BC) study was to develop a collaborative, community-driven research agenda to address menopause related knowledge gaps.

The Mapping Menopause Project is a direct response to that call. The Women’s Health Research Institute and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre are collaborating with researchers, clinicians, healthcare decision-makers, and a public task force to engage community voices and experts. Together, this project will help shape a provincial Menopause Research Agenda that reflects the lived experiences of menopause.

Let’s Talk Menopause! This World Menopause Day, share your experience and complete the Mapping Menopause Survey: https://whri.org/our-initiatives/mapping-menopause/

10/17/2025

A new study co-authored by Dr. Allison Ezzat, WHRI member and researcher with the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, explores how female runners choose their shoes—and how current designs may not meet their needs.

Despite advances in footwear technology, most research and design still focuses on men, often following a “shrink it and pink it” model rather than accounting for the structural and mechanical differences of women’s feet.

➡️Learn what female runners shared about their experiences and what this means for injury prevention and future shoe design for women runners across the lifespan: https://whri.org/in-the-media-womens-perspectives-on-running-shoe-design/

BC Children's Hospital Research Institute

10/16/2025

BC Women’s Research Rounds: Menstrual Health – A Life Course Perspective

Dr. Marie Klingberg-Allvin, Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, and Professor in Reproductive Health at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, recently presented at BC Women’s Research Rounds on “Menstrual Health – A Life Course Perspective.”

Her talk explored what menstrual health is, introduced the menstrual life course perspective, and highlighted key research areas that can inform policy change and help address the taboos and stigmas surrounding menstruation.

Watch Dr. Klingberg-Allvin’s full presentation on the WHRI YouTube channel to gain valuable insights on menstrual health across the life course: https://youtu.be/tHrAbX7Pd4A?si=LOMJHfeix68i1twx

10/11/2025

The WHRI congratulates Dr. Wendy Norman (pictured R) and the Contraception & Abortion Research Team – Groupe de recherche sur l’avortement et la contraception (CART-GRAC), based at UBC, on receiving funding from Health Canada’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund to support the CART Access Project.

This national project will improve equitable access to abortion by developing tools for healthcare providers and resources for under-served populations, including Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, youth, migrant, and those with disabilities and/or complex health concerns

Dr. Norman, Director of CART-GRAC, UBC Professor and WHRI member, joined Health Minister Marjorie Michel (pictured L) in Montreal last week for the announcement — part of a $13M federal investment in sexual and reproductive health services across Canada.

Congratulations to Dr. Norman and the CART-GRAC team on this achievement. Learn more about how this funding will advance patient care: https://www.med.ubc.ca/news/ubc-researchers-lead-national-project-to-strengthen-access-to-abortion-care/?utm_campaign=news&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social

Contraception Access Research Team

10/10/2025

Let’s Talk Menopause!

October is Menopause Awareness Month—a time to reduce stigma, close knowledge gaps, and advance research that improves care and well-being for people experiencing menopause.

The HER-BC (Health and Economics Research on Midlife Women in British Columbia) study— led by the WHRI in partnership with the BC Women's Health Foundation and Pacific Blue Cross, is the first of its kind in the province. It engaged over 2,000 participants to explore the significant health, social, and economic impacts of menopause. One of the key recommendations from the HER-BC study was to develop a shared research agenda that centers the voices and priorities of those most impacted.

In response, the Mapping Menopause Project was launched to bring together community members, healthcare providers, and researchers to identify and prioritize these menopause-related gaps. This collaborative process will guide the development of a provincial Menopause Research Agenda to inform future research, policy, and care.

Participate in the Mapping Menopause Survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5bzMJsVZoFFMLqe

Read the HER-BC Report: https://whri.org/our-initiatives/her-bc/

10/09/2025

Join us on Wednesday, October 22, from 12 – 1 PM for our next CW Research Lunch & Learn session. 📚🧠

This CW Research Lunch & Learn features Carola Munoz, Shanlea Gordon, and Sally You (from L to R) from the Women’s Health Research Institute and BC Children’s Research Institute research teams, as they discuss: “Who Does What? Clarifying Clinical Research Roles at BCCHR & WHRI.”

This session will explore the different clinical research roles and how researchers can apply for support for their work.

More info via the link in bio. See you there! 🎉

BC Children's Hospital Research Institute

Women's Health Research Institute

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