The Pan-Canadian Women’s Health Coalition (PCWHC) is launching KEystone Conversations, a new series of informal knowledge exchange sessions designed to connect researchers across shared areas of work in women’s health. Bringing together members of the PCWHC, NWHRI innovation grantees and other partners, these conversations will create space to exchange insights, explore common challenges and spark collaboration. Guided by participant facilitators, each session will foster open dialogue, peer learning and new opportunities for partnership in a relaxed, interactive format.
On June 17 at 12 p.m. EDT, our first KEystone conversation will explore how stigma continues to shape experiences in women’s health and what it takes to support more informed, empowered patient advocacy. Bringing together researchers and partners, this informal session will create space for open dialogue on where stigma shows up most in care, how it shapes access and outcomes, and how it can be challenged.
Bringing the Human Back into Research: Meaningful Research Relationships with Inuit Communities in Nunavut
The next edition of the PCWHC Grand Rounds welcomes the Inuit Perinatal Health Hub! On June 24 at 12 p.m. EDT, the Hub will share insights associated with meaningful and relational research engagement with Inuit communities. Join us for an engaging session on how research can be grounded in lived experience, dialogue and reciprocity.
Through conversation and storytelling, speakers and participants will reflect on what it means to engage in research within Nunavut communities, how northern communities experience health and social systems, and the role of the Inuit Perinatal Health Hub in fostering collaborative, community-based work.
The discussion challenges extractive approaches that tokenize and treat communities as sources of data. It will emphasize the importance of relationships based on distinct histories, identities and experiences. Particular attention will be given to the differences between building relationships in Nunavut compared to southern contexts, and to the importance of bringing humanness, accountability and care into research.
Earlier this spring, leading researchers, clinicians, innovators and changemakers from across the country gathered in Toronto for two days of conversation, collaboration and action. Co-hosted by the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH), Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC), the Partnership for Women’s Health Research Canada (PWHR) and the Pan-Canadian Women’s Health Coalition (PCWHC), the Vitally Important Summit highlighted persistent gaps and under-researched areas in women’s and gender diverse people’s health.
PCWHC Coalition members reflected on this landmark event:
When women’s health is underfunded and understudied, the impact is systemic. This podcast featuring Dr. Lori Brotto of the SHAPE Hub and Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) Executive Director Amy Flood, examines how research gaps shape care and how evidence can drive policy change and better outcomes.
Development and validation of a clinical assessment tool to improve detection of brain injury in intimate partner violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health issue characterized by physical, sexual, psychological and/or emotional aggression by a current or former intimate partner. Brain injury is often a critical consequence of IPV. Dr. Paul Van Donkelaar and his team are working on developing and validating a clinical assessment tool to improve detection of IPV-related brain injury. They recently published a prospective study representing the initial phase of the project, focused on tool development. The clinical tool is currently being refined, after which the team will proceed to the validation phase of the project. Read the full research article describing the prospective study.
Automating data acquisition and data processing pipeline via artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to allow at-home use of a novel breast cancer screening method employing bra-based elastography imaging
Mathematical models can provide valuable insights into the behavior of soft tissue. Dr. Elijah Van Houten and his team use these models to identify stiff regions within the breast, which can be a highly sensitive indicator of breast cancer. By comparing mathematical models with measurements of how the breast deforms during movement, they can effectively “see” variations in tissue stiffness, through a process similar to seismology of the breast. Importantly, these techniques are only as accurate as the data that inform them, and generating high-quality data automatically remains a significant challenge. With this project, the team has developed novel deep learning techniques to automate data acquisition systems, ensuring accurate data to drive their models without requiring highly trained technicians. This will allow women to use this system in the comfort of their own homes, or in remote locations without easy access to health care services.
A breakthrough solution to effectively prevent preterm birth
Antenatal inflammation threatens newborn health by driving preterm birth, restricting fetal growth, and damaging major fetal organs. Placenta-associated bacteria propel IL-1β inflammatory responses, resulting in preterm birth. Currently available IL-1β inhibitors block protective signaling pathways. Dr. Sylvain Chemtob, Dr. David Olson, Dr. Christiane Quiniou, and Dr. Kelycia Leimert designed and tested a proprietary allosteric modulator peptide, rytvela, that inhibits IL-1β while preserving cytoprotective pathways, safely prolonging gestation and protecting major fetal organs under various inflammatory conditions that lead to premature birth. Rytvela is far superior to currently administered tocolytics, which provide no benefit to the fetus, and is effective when administered in both preventive and therapeutic settings. Discussions with regulatory agencies are planned in preparation for pre-IND meetings. this research has led to the creation of a start-up company: https://livmorbiosciences.com/.
Dr. Andrea Murphy at Dalhousie University’s College of Pharmacy is conducting a research study on pharmacists’ perspectives on providing menopause care and looking for participants.
Study purpose: Menopause is a common and impactful life transition, yet access to care remains variable and underutilized. Pharmacists are increasingly involved in supporting patients with menopause-related symptoms. This study aims to understand pharmacists’ acceptability of identifying and managing menopause care, in order to inform future education, practice development and policy.
What participation involves: Participation consists of completing an anonymous online survey (via REDCap) that will take approximately 20 – 30 minutes. The survey includes Likert-scale and optional open-ended questions about your perspectives and experiences.
Eligibility criteria: You may be eligible to participate if you:
If you are interested in participating, you can access the survey here. If you have any questions about the study, please contact the research team, or Dr. Andrea Murphy, at [email protected].
Submit your Hub updates or activities by the 15th of each month to be featured in our newsletter! Submissions can be made through our intake form or by contacting Deborah Dahan, Senior Knowledge Mobilization Officer. You can also add events to our calendar at any time.
Let us know what your Hub is up to — we would love to highlight your work!
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Published:
June 9, 2026
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