In light of the pandemic, we decided to transform our inaugural Women’s Brain Health Conference into a virtual conference series! Our original conference program was broken up into 10 sessions, which were held once a month on Zoom. To ensure participants could make lasting connections, we hosted networking sessions and trainee mentor sessions. Participants were invited to join all of these gatherings, or pick and choose which ones they wanted to attend.
This conference focused on many aspects of brain health (cognitive, mental, aging, disease risk) and highlighted how women have unique health needs and are more susceptible to specific brain diseases. It engaged researchers and stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines to provide a forum where leaders in women-focused brain health research could connect and collaborate to advance future research that can improve the health of women. The overall objective of this conference was to bring attention to the brain health issues that women face and encourage the medical, scientific and commercial communities to address them.
Here is a breakdown of the different type of events that made up our conference program:
Fireside Chat: A deeper conversation between a guest speaker and moderator who deeply explored a topic of interest. Attendees got a chance to engage with the speaker in an interactive Q&A.
Workshop: An interactive presentation that encouraged attendee participation to support deeper learning and connection.
Special Presentation: Non-academic presentations given by members of the public who have areas of expertise outside of those typically found in a university setting.
Hot Topics Symposium: A collection of talks that discussed topics related to current events and new research.
Trainee-Mentor Session: Students had the opportunity to meet and engage with sex and gender experts through informal conversations on diverse topics including professional development and research.
Networking Session: An opportunity for attendees to connect with one another about topics that interested them. Discussions focused on conference presentations or attendees could share new project ideas and ask about each others work. To close our conference we held a Virtual Cocktail Hour where we facilitated a loosely structured conversation around women’s brain health.
Conference Program
Date |
Event |
Speakers |
| September 21, 2020
4-5 pm PDT |
Session 1
Fireside Chat: Rethinking Estrogen, Yet Again: The Science and Politics of Hormone Therapy in Menopause |
Moderator: Dr. Liisa Galea, Lead Women’s Health Research Cluster
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Carol Tavris, Social Psychologist and co-author of Estrogen Matters |
| October 26, 2020
9-10:45 am PDT |
Session 2
Symposium 1: Middle Age, Menopause, and Health
|
Chair: Karyn M. Frick, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Dr. Gillian Einstein, University of Toronto Dr. Farida Sohrabji, Texas A&M University Dr. Neill Epperson, University of Colorado Dr. Kejal Kantarci, Mayo Clinic |
| November 16, 2020
9-10 am PST |
Session 3
Women’s Health Advocacy Mom on a Mission: Getting government to enact a National Perinatal Mental Health Strategy through the power of media and advocacy. Menopause UNSpoken: What is NOT being said when we TALK about menopause (…and how it’s keeping women from living their healthiest midlife!) |
Patricia Tomasi, Journalist & Co-Founder of the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative
Jamie Charlebois, Co-Founder of the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative, RN and Perinatal Mood Disorder Coordinator Shirley Weir, Founder Menopause Chicks |
| December 4, 2020
9-10:30 am PST |
Session 4
Symposium 2: Women and Mental Health
|
Dr. Shau-Ming Wei, NIH/NIMH
Dr. Cindy Lee Dennis, University of Toronto Dr. Benicio Frey, McMaster University |
| December 11, 2020
4-5pm PST |
Session 5
Networking Session: Holiday Virtual Cocktail Hour |
|
| January 21, 2021
11am-12pm PST |
Session 6
Women’s Brain Health Initiative Trainee-Mentor Session: Dr. Gillian Einstein Gender Research Methodology – How To Add Gender To Sex Differences Research and Very Mixed Methods (VMM) |
Mentor: Dr. Gillian Einstein, University of Toronto |
| January 25, 2021
9-10 am PST |
Session 7
Workshop: Mind Over Matter-Fact or Fiction: Understanding Women’s Brain-Mind-Body Connections for Health and Wellness |
Dr. Sherri Hayden, University of British Columbia
Anne Lyle, NeuroHealth Clinic |
| February 11, 2021
11am-12pm PST |
Session 8
Women’s Brain Health Initiative Trainee-Mentor Session: Dr. Karyn Frick Sex in Research – What to Know and How to Get Started |
Mentor: Dr. Karyn Frick, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| February 23, 2021
10-11:30 am PST |
Session 9
Symposium 3: Traumatic Brain Injury
|
Dr. Angela Colantonio, University of Toronto
Paul van Donkalaar, University of British Columbia Okanagan & Karen Mason, Co-founder and Director of Community Practice for SOAR. Andrée-Anne Ledoux, PhD, University of Ottawa & William Panenka, MD, University of British Columbia |
| March 2, 2021
10-11 am PST |
Session 10
Women’s Brain Health Initiative Trainee-Mentor Session: Dr. Robert-Paul Juster Stress and Resilience Neuroscience – Navigating Transdisciplinary Research Approaches That Nuance Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation |
Mentor: Dr. Robert-Paul Juster, University of Montreal |
| March 8, 2021
9-10:30 am PST |
Session 11
Symposium 4: Sex Hormones and Metabolic Regulation
|
Chair: Elizabeth Rideout, Ph.D., University of British Columbia
Dr. Susan Howlett, Professor of Pharmacology and Geriatric Medicine at Dalhousie University Dr. Julia Sacher, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Dr. Sharon Ladyman, University of Otago, New Zealand |
| April 22, 2021
10-11 am PST |
Session 12
Women’s Brain Health Initiative Trainee-Mentor Session: Dr. Sarah Munro Knowledge Translation – Keeping Sex and Gender in Mind |
Mentor: Dr. Sarah Munro, University of British Columbia |
| April 23, 2021
9-10:30 PST |
Session 13
Symposium 5: Reproductive Cycle Effects on Brain and Cardiac Health
|
Chair: Dr. Cindy Barha, University of British Columbia
Dr. Sandra Davidge, University of Alberta Dr. Liisa Galea, University of British Columbia Dr. Emily Jacobs, University of California, Santa Barbara |
| April 29, 2021
10-11am PST |
Session 14
Women’s Brain Health Initiative Trainee-Mentor Session: Dr. Marina Adshade Raise Your Voice! How to Share Your Ideas with the World |
Mentor: Dr. Marina Adshade, University of British Columbia |
| May 17, 2021
9-10:45 am PST |
Session 15
Hot Topics Symposium
|
Chair: Dr. Liisa Galea, University of British Columbia
Dr. Karyn M. Frick, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Dr. Laura Been, Ph.D., Haverford College Dr. Robert-Paul Juster, Ph.D., Université de Montréal Dr. Nafissa Ismail, Ph.D., Université de Ottawa |
| June 10, 2021
4-5pm PST |
Session 16
Networking Session: Virtual Cocktail Hour |
Planning Committee
- Dr. Liisa Galea
- Dr. Marina Adshade
- Dr. Judy Segal
- Dr. Suzanne Campbell
- Dr. Lori Brotto
- Dr. Marit Rehavi
- Dr. Lindsay Richardson
- Dr. Eli Puterman
- Shirley Weir
Partners and Sponsors
The inaugural 2020 Women’s Brain Health Conference is made possible by support from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Elsevier Publishing company, the Women’s Brain Health Initiative and Dr. Elizabeth Rideout, whose contribution was made possible by CIHR’s Sex and Gender Science Chair program. The Trainee Mentor Sessions are brought to you through our partnership with the Institute of Gender and Health Trainee Network. Thank you for your support.
Dr. Elizabeth Rideout
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