Events/Talks & Lectures

SEPTEMBER 25^th 2025 – Andréa Faust

Le Centre d'excellence pour la santé durable des aînés Schouela CEDurable

This presentation will focus on the Simone and Edouard Schouela Center of Excellence for Sustainable Senior Health (Schouela CEDurable) of the McGill Integrated University Health and Social Services Network (RUISSS), based at the Integrated University Health and Social Services Center (CIUSSS) of the West-Central Montreal Island. This center is dedicated to implementing validated interventions aimed at improving the well-being of seniors in the regions served by the McGill RUISSS.

The different areas of intervention (Axis 1: Transformative technologies, artificial intelligence, virtual care, and adapted living environments; Axis 2: Big data and predictive analytics; Axis 3: Communities of practice and education; Axis 4: Autonomy, mobility, and independence) as well as the projects will be presented. Clinical teams, clinicians, and centers will have the opportunity to learn more about Schouela CEDurable and determine if collaboration is possible.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Describe the mission, objectives, and areas of intervention of the Schouela CEDurable Center of Excellence in the context of population aging.

2. Analyze validated clinical and community approaches that promote the maintenance of autonomy and well-being among seniors.

3. Discuss opportunities for interdisciplinary and interinstitutional collaboration to improve clinical practices, knowledge transfer, and innovation.

Andréa holds a bachelor’s degree as well as a research master’s degree in kinesiology. She also completed a master’s degree in project management, which complements her research background by providing her with skills to structure, coordinate, and manage projects effectively and rigorously. Her professional experience has mainly focused on older adults and physical activity, a field that remains central to her interests and fuels her commitment to promoting healthy aging. She is also co-founder of the SAFE foundation and co-creator of Safe Seniors, a web platform of exercises specifically designed for frail seniors to support their autonomy and well-being.

SEPTEMBER 04^th 2025 – Dr. Bertrand Lebouché & Dr. Yuanchao Ma

AI for Person-Centred Care: The MARVIN Chatbot in HIV and Beyond (English)

This presentation introduces MARVIN, a co-designed AI-driven chatbot developed with patients, clinicians, and engineers to enhance self-management in HIV and other chronic diseases. It highlights the urgent challenges in primary care, where patients must manage complex information and providers face burnout and resource shortages.
By embedding patient partnership throughout design, MARVIN fosters trust, privacy, inclusivity, and shared decision-making. The talk underscores the principles of responsible AI — fairness, transparency, sustainability, and equity — as essential for safe and ethical implementation.
Finally, it explores how MARVIN and similar tools can extend beyond HIV, offering human-centered digital companions that modernize care without replacing human empathy.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Understand the challenges of self-management and equity in HIV and chronic disease care, and how AI can help address them.
2. Explore the codesign and implementation of MARVIN, a patient-centred AI chatbot co-developed with people living with HIV, clinicians, and engineers.
3. Apply principles of responsible AI — fairness, transparency, sustainability, and inclusivity — to guide the ethical use of digital health innovations in diverse care contexts.

Dr. Bertrand Lebouché is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University and a clinician Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. Dr. Lebouché's research interests centre on how to improve HIV care and prevention using PROMS and connected medicine and AI-based chatbots, particularly, by meaningfully involving patients in research. Dr. Lebouché holds a CIHR Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Chair in Innovative Clinical Trials. He is a also a recipient of the 2023 CAHR-CANFAR Excellence in HIV Research Award in Clinical Sciences for Canada.
 

JUNE 26^th 2025 – Sydney Wasserman

The right support for the right person, at the right time: Real-world implementation of a stepped care, interdisciplinary post-radiation rehabilitation program for survivors of head and neck cancer

This presentation offers insights into Sydney Wasserman’s PhD thesis work, highlighting the background that brought this project to where it is today and the proposed work for this implementation study. The study has two objectives: 1) To finalize the co-design of a novel stepped care rehabilitation intervention, guided by the ORBIT (Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials) intervention development framework, to increase access to interdisciplinary survivorship rehabilitation support for head and neck cancer patients (TEMPO-ORL: which stands for Tailored, wEb-based, self-Management and Physical activity program - Oto-Rhino-Laryngology), and 2) To evaluate the implementability (i.e., feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity) of TEMPO-ORL.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Identify the key components of a digital health behavioural intervention.
2. Understand the stepped care approach to intervention implementation to ensure the right amount of the right support for the right person.
3. Explore approaches for co-designing digital health interventions with stakeholders in cancer care (including patient partners and clinical partners)

Sydney Wasserman is a registered nurse clinician and current PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Sylvie Lambert. Her research focuses on developing psychosocial behavioural interventions to support self-management among patients and caregivers living with cancer. Drawing on her clinical experience, Sydney is dedicated to improving health equity by optimizing resources and leveraging technology to make healthcare more accessible for all patients and their caregivers. Her work is driven by a strong commitment to empowering individuals to take an active role in their care, particularly through self-management and preventative health behaviour change strategies.

JUNE 19^th 2025 – Dr. Rachel Pope & Dr. Christina Farr

The Microbiome of the Neovagina

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Describe the typical microbiome in transwomen
2. Learn about the basics of HPV in the genitals
3. Learn about a longitudinal clinical and scientific collaboration

Dr. Rachel Pope is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist. After residency, she completed a fellowship in global women’s health, focusing on the repair and reconstruction of obstetric-related vesico-vaginal and recto-vaginal fistulas. She lived and worked in Malawi, in Southern Africa for four years and served as the medical director of the Fistula Care Center and fellowship director for Global Women’s Health at Baylor College of Medicine. She is currently the chief of the Female Sexual Health division and part of the Gender Care program in the Urology Institute at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. She also leads the global health program in the Institute where there is an international collaboration between Urologists and Gynecologists in the US and three centers in West and East Africa. Dr. Pope is the founder of “Our Womanity,” an online platform to empower women to know their bodies and co-founder of “The Menopause Retreat,” an experiential process for women to talk and connect to other women going through perimenopause and menopause. Her clinical practice surrounds female sexual health, vaginal reconstruction and her research interests are in health disparities and social determinants of health.

Dr. Christina Farr is an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Member of the Center for Global Health and Diseases at Case Western Reserve University. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Farr’s research is focused on host-microbe interactions that influence human urogenital health and disease, with a particular interest in cervicovaginal innate immunity and the microbiome. Current research projects in her lab are focused on HIV, cervical cancer, infertility, and transgender health.

JUNE 16^th 2025 – Dr. Karen Bandeen-Roche

Resilience-to-Frailty in Older Adults: A Window on Lifelong Health

The physical resilience concept aims to promote positive outcomes following stressors to older adults. To achieve this aim, we must determine physiologic mechanisms underlying either capacity to respond resiliently, or, when critically dysregulated, frailty. The Johns Hopkins Older Americans Independence Center studies the resilience-to-frailty spectrum: First, its major concepts and research contributions are outlined. Then, we describe the recent Study of Physical Resilience and Aging, which implemented stimulus-response tests to characterize physiological fitness in older adults scheduled for major stressors (e.g., total knee replacement-TKR). We report work to develop physiologic resilience measures from these stimulus-response data and study their associations with functional resilience following TKR, which builds on a recently published pilot study. Our study lays groundwork to better foster older adults’ resilience to stressors and, ultimately, overall health.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Describe the dynamical systems theory of physiological fitness underlying physical resilience (when fit) and frailty (when fitness is lost).
2. Describe the stimulus-response paradigm for studying physiologic resilience capacity as a dynamical system.
3. Describe evidence consistent with the dynamical systems theory noted above, derived in the Study of Physical Resilience in Aging.

Dr. Bandeen-Roche is Professor and Emeritus Chair of the Department of Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). She works at the interface of quantitative and gerontological science. Her gerontologic research aims to understand the causes and delay the course of physical disability, cognitive decline, and frailty in older adults, and promote resilience. Statistically, she specialized in latent variable and multivariate outcome modeling. She leads the JHU Training Program on the Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging and JHU Older Americans Independence Center. She is a Fellow/Member of the American Statistical Association, Gerontological Society of America, and US National Academy of Medicine.

JUNE 12^th 2025 – Dr. Chelsia Gillis

Better prepared, better repaired: An introduction to surgical prehabilitation

This presentation will provide an introduction to surgical prehabilitation. Prehabilitation is a process from diagnosis to surgery, consisting of one or more preoperative interventions of exercise, nutrition, psychological strategies and respiratory training, that aims to enhance functional capacity and physiological reserve to allow patients to withstand surgical stressors, improve postoperative outcomes, and facilitate recovery.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Define surgical prehabilitation and describe its core components, including exercise, nutrition, and psychosocial support.
2. Explain the rationale for prehabilitation and how it supports recovery and improves postoperative outcomes.
3. Identify which patients may benefit most from prehabilitation.

Chelsia Gillis, PhD, RD, CNSC, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Human Nutrition at McGill University and an Associate Member in the Departments of Surgery and Anesthesia. She holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Perioperative Nutrition and serves as Director of Medical Research at the PeriOperative Program at the Montreal General Hospital. Dr. Gillis is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Nutrition Support Clinician®, with an MSc in Human Nutrition from McGill University and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary.

JUNE 5^th 2025 – Dr. Alyson Mahar

Cancer care and outcomes for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities: research and advocacy

This presentation aims to provide an overview of the limited Canadian research documenting inequities in cancer outcomes and care for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and an introduction to the mechanisms that may contribute to these disparities. The presentation will discuss opportunities to address gaps in knowledge and ableism in cancer research and care delivery.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Identify structural and systemic pathways to worse cancer outcomes for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
2. Describe disparities along the cancer continuum for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities from diagnosis to palliative care.
3. Discuss opportunities to engage adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, their families and loved ones, and service providers in cancer research.

Alyson Mahar, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Queen's University. She is a cancer epidemiologist and health services researcher in the Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology in the Sinclair Cancer Research Institute. Alyson is funded by the Canadian Cancer Society as an Emerging Scholar for her research program focused on the equitable delivery of cancer care in Canada (MEGAN-CAN).

MAY 1^st 2025 – Dr. Andrea Knittel

Isn't there a better way? Using research to address disparities at the intersection of perinatal substance use disorders and incarceration.

This presentation describes the epidemiology of pregnancy and substance use in the criminal legal system in the US and Canada and highlights ways that research can be used to mitigate health disparities related to perinatal incarceration for people with substance use disorders (SUD). This includes examples of quantitative and qualitative research using exploratory and descriptive analysis, implementation science, and clinical trial design.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Be able to describe the current state of perinatal incarceration and the overlap with perinatal SUD in the US and Canada.
2. Be able to analyze the gaps in availability of SUD treatment that occur as a result of perinatal incarceration.
3. Be able to identify multiple levels of interventions that might improve MOUD and SUD treatment access for pregnant and postpartum people who are involved in the criminal legal system.

Andrea K. Knittel, MD PhD is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology with tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She serves as the Medical Director for Carceral Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Fellowship Director for the UNC General Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Fellowship. She completed her MD and PhD degrees at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her OB/GYN residency at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Knittel is a clinician and researcher focused on illuminating and mitigating the obstetric and gynecologic disparities facing people who experience incarceration across the life course. In her clinical work, she provides full spectrum OB/GYN care to women, transgender men, and gender expansive people assigned female at intake in the North Carolina state prison system. Her current research work addresses the impact of incarceration on substance use disorders in pregnancy and at midlife, postpartum contraception, and experiences of menopause.

APRIL 24^th 2025 – Dr. Anita Koushik

Lifestyle across the life course and ovarian cancer prevention

Cancer has long been known to be a disease of aging. To optimize research resources in past cancer prevention studies, researchers have generally measured candidate lifestyle and behavioural risk factors in middle-to-older-aged adults. However, there is increasing recognition that exposures even earlier in life may influence future cancer risk. For instance, early menarche is associated with increased breast cancer risk, and human papillomavirus infection, usually first acquired during teenage/early adult years, is a necessary cause of cervical cancer diagnosed decades later. About 4 in 10 cancer cases can be prevented with current knowledge of lifestyle and environmental factors, but this number could be increased with a better understanding of the role of timing of exposures.

One cancer of critical importance to women’s health is ovarian cancer. It has the highest case-fatality of all gynecologic cancers and will be diagnosed in 1 in 71 Canadian women during their lifetime. Primary prevention efforts are hampered because the etiology is not well understood. Only increasing parity and oral contraceptive use are established as modifiable factors associated with risk reduction. Interestingly, both of these “exposures” occur relatively early in adulthood. Conversely, menopausal hormone therapy, which slightly increases ovarian cancer risk, is primarily used later in adulthood (i.e., during perimenopause). Different risk factors may thus have different effects on ovarian cancer risk depending on the specific life periods of exposure.

This presentation will share the results of our research examining modifiable lifestyle factors, namely body fatness and physical activity, in relation to ovarian cancer risk with a formal consideration of exposure timing.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Understand the gaps in knowledge related to cancer prevention efforts and the potential importance of timing of exposure
2. Become familiar with the utility of the life course approach to epidemiologic research when studying cancer etiology
3. Appreciate the implications that knowledge of exposure timing has towards cancer prevention efforts and future research

Since August 2023, Anita Koushik has been a professor in the Department of Oncology at McGill University, a researcher at the St. Mary's Research Centre and the first McGill University Research Chair in Community Oncology at the St. Mary's Research Centre. Previously, she was a professor of epidemiology at the École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal and a researcher at the CHUM Research Centre. She obtained a bachelor's degree in pharmacology from the University of Alberta, a master's degree in community health and epidemiology from Queen's University, a doctorate in epidemiology and biostatistics from McGill University, and postdoctoral training in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Her research programme aims to better understand the etiology of cancer in order to improve primary prevention and risk assessment efforts. Her projects focus on lifestyle factors. She is also conducting research into the identification of modifiable factors likely to improve the prognosis and quality of life of cancer survivors.

APRIL 17^th 2025 – Dr. Jennifer Baumbusch

Family Caregiving in an Era of Healthcare Shortages and an Aging Population

With an aging population and a healthcare system in perpetual crisis, more is being asked of family caregivers who provide a full spectrum of unpaid care for older adults in Canada. In this presentation, Dr. Baumbusch will draw upon her research program and share current research about family caregivers’ experiences of navigating the complexities of the healthcare system, and negotiating their role with healthcare providers. Then, she will discuss strategies for caregiver support across clinical practice, programs and services, and public policy.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Understand the current context of family caregiving in Canada.
2. Recognize the complexities and challenges for family caregivers as they navigate the healthcare system.
3. Identify best practices, evidence-informed programs, and policies that support family caregivers.

Jennifer Baumbusch, RN, PhD, FAAN, FCAN is a Professor at the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia and former CIHR Chair in Sex and Gender Science with a focus on family caregiving for people living with dementia. Her clinical area of expertise is nursing care of older adults. Jennifer’s research program focuses on improving person- and family-centered care for older adults and people with lifelong disabilities. She is an Associate Editor with the International Journal of Older People Nursing and on the Editorial Boards of The Gerontologist and The Journal of Family Nursing.

APRIL 3^rd 2025 – Dr. Marilyn Ahun

Parental mental health and child development - Examining mechanisms and sociocultural differences

This talk presents an overview of Dr. Ahun's research program which uses quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the mechanisms through which parental mental health child development. It will also address the evaluation of health promotion and curative interventions to improve mental health across the lifespan.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Understand the importance of the early childhood period for later life outcomes and disparities in child health and development research
2. Learn about the differences in mediators and moderators of association between parental depression and children’s development across different outcomes and sociocultural contexts
3. Identify effective strategies for leveraging local partnerships to conduct work in global contexts

Dr. Marilyn N. Ahun is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine (Division of Clinical Epidemiology), and an associate member of the Department of Global and Public Health. She’s also a Junior Scientist at the Child Health and Human Development program and Center for Outcomes Research Evaluation at the RI-MUHC. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Honors Psychology (McGill University), she went on to complete a PhD in Public Health and Health Promotion (Université de Montréal) and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Global Health (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). Her doctoral research examined mediators and moderators of the association between maternal depression and children’s cognitive outcomes, whilst her postdoctoral research focused on the implementation of interventions to promote early child development in global contexts. Her current work examines the mechanisms through which parental mental health impacts child mental health and development in global contexts. Her research has been supported by funds from CIHR, SSHRC, the Thrasher Research Fund, and the Society for Research in Child Development.

MARCH 20^th 2025 – Dr. Claire Godard-Sebillotte

Equity in dementia care & communication between hospital and primary care

This presentation will focus on Dr. Godard-Sebillotte’s current research on dementia care and the results from health administrative databases analysis, highlighting possible underdiagnosis and inequities in care related to neighbourhood socioeconomic status.

Dr. Godard-Sebillotte will present an ongoing research project on geriatricians notes transmission to primary care at the MUHC.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Describe suspected inequities in dementia care in Quebec, a universal healthcare system.
2. Describe avenues in dementia care research using participatory and intersectional approaches.
3. Describe the current gap in hospital geriatricians’ communications to primary care in Quebec.

Dr. Claire Godard-Sebillotte is a Geriatrician at MGH and an Early Career Researcher at the RI-MUHC. She has her Masters in Epidemiology and PhD in Family Medicine and Primary Care. Her research program focuses on health service research to improve care trajectories of older adults in situations of vulnerability, especially persons with dementia. Dr. Godard-Sebillotte has a strong expertise in suboptimal care trajectories of vulnerable older adults, including their definition and prevention, with a focus on avoidable hospital use related to gaps in care. She also specializes in health administrative database analysis and the use of cutting-edge causal inference methods for the evaluation of non-randomized interventions. Throughout her career, she has built strong and ongoing collaborations with key stakeholders like the Quebec Ministry of Health, the Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec (INSPQ) and the Alzheimer’s Society.

MARCH 6^th 2025 – Dr. Guillaume Fontaine

Harnessing Implementation Science to Address Health Inequities and Improve Care for Marginalized Communities

This presentation will explore the pivotal role of implementation science in advancing health equity. It will highlight how implementation strategies can be tailored to promote the adoption of evidence-based interventions to reduce disparities, focusing on the intersection of systemic barriers and social determinants of health. The presentation will showcase case studies from real-world interventions addressing issues such as access to care, cultural competence, and equity-driven policy implementation. Attendees will gain insights into leveraging implementation science frameworks to design, implement, and evaluate strategies that address inequities in healthcare delivery and outcomes.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Understand the foundational principles of implementation science and its relevance to advancing health equity in diverse healthcare settings.
2. Analyze the barriers and facilitators to equitable healthcare implementation, including systemic, organizational, and individual factors.
3. Apply evidence-based frameworks and strategies to design, implement, and evaluate interventions aimed at reducing health disparities for marginalized populations.

Dr. Guillaume Fontaine, RN, PhD is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Implementation Science at the Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, and a Principal Investigator at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research. He also serves as a Nurse Scientist for Implementation Science at the Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital. Dr. Fontaine holds an FRQ-S Junior 1 Research Scholar Award, supported by Quebec’s Learning Health System Support Unit (Unité SSA Québec). He is the National Co-Lead of Implementation Science in the CIHR/PHAC Canadian Network on Hepatitis C (CanHepC) and the National Co-Lead of Methods in the CIHR Canadian HIV and STBBIs Clinical Trials Research Network (CTN+). Additionally, he holds visiting appointments at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, and the Centre for Implementation Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He is an Academic Editor for PLOS Global Public Health, and a Guest Editor for the International Journal of Drug Policy.

FEBRUARY 20^th 2025 – Khandideh Williams

Embracing Black Heterogeneity: An intersectional investigation of anti-Black racism and racial discrimination in health care in Montreal, QC

Guided by intersectionality theory, this presentation will cover how perceptions and experiences of anti-Black racism and racial discrimination in health care are complex, and how they may include intra-racial group differences. More specifically, Khandideh will demonstrate why Black people cannot be considered or treated as a homogenous group in health care equity research by describing the within-group diversity of Canada’s Black population, and by explaining complex sociodemographic variations in perceptions and experiences of anti-Black racism. Her work demonstrates why advancing racial health equity requires greater sensitivity from providers and decision makers to variations in Black patients’ health care experiences, towards ensuring that they have access to high quality and equitable health care services.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Define key terms such as equity, discrimination, interpersonal racism and systemic racism.
2. Explain the valuable role of internationality theory in health and health care research.
3. Describe some of the ways in which racism and racial discrimination may manifest in health care encounters.

Khandideh Williams is a PhD Candidate in the Family Medicine and Primary Care program at McGill University. Prior to commencing her graduate studies, she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Immunology from the same institution. Committed to addressing inequities in health outcomes and health care experiences, her doctoral research uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate racial inequities and anti-Black racial discrimination in Canadian health care. Her endeavors also include the development of clinical strategy and health care policy recommendations towards improving the quality of health care experiences among Black communities and other racialized groups in Canada.

JANUARY 30^th 2025 – Dr. Lyndia Dernis

Ecologically responsible operating rooms

This presentation will address the issue of climate change as well as planetary boundaries from the perspective of healthcare institutions. Particular attention will be given to plastic pollution, a recurring problem in healthcare facilities worldwide.
Operating rooms generate more than a quarter of a hospital’s waste, and their energy consumption is 3 to 6 times that of other departments.
These are compelling reasons to discuss solutions for taking action.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Gain an understanding of the planetary crises that healthcare systems will need to face.
2. Recognize the healthcare system's, and specifically operating rooms', responsibility in these crises and their interconnections.
3. Be able to identify solutions or potential approaches to make operating rooms eco-friendlier and more resilient.

Lyndia Dernis has been an anesthesiologist since 2004. Aware of the significant role operating rooms play in producing waste and greenhouse gas emissions within a hospital, she created and leads an action group aimed at actively reducing the ecological footprint of St. Mary’s operating room. She also chairs the Sustainable Care Subcommittee for the CIUSSS West Island of Montreal. Part of her work involves raising awareness among healthcare providers about the impact of plastic waste and endocrine disruptors in medical equipment and finding ways to reduce single-use plastics within her institution.

JANUARY 23^rd 2025 – Dr. Sylvia Santosa

Shared Destinies: How Obesity Echoes Aging

Obesity and aging are interconnected processes with striking biological parallels, each significantly influencing health outcomes. In this talk, the mechanisms through which obesity mirrors the effects of aging are explored, emphasizing how excess weight accelerates the aging process. In doing so, we will explore aging processes in childhood and adult onset obesity. Through this model, we will show that obesity not only increases disease burden and affects life expectancy but also demonstrate the origins of these changes from the cell to the whole body. The mechanisms leading to comorbidities in both obesity and aging are strikingly similar, underscoring the need to rethink our understanding and treatment approaches to obesity and aging.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Identify at least 3 comorbidities of obesity that also occur with aging.
2. List at least 3 overlapping biological mechanisms shared by obesity and aging.
3. Describe 2 characteristics that shift in adipose tissue which promote aging.

Sylvia Santosa, Ph.D., R.D. is a researcher and expert in the field of nutrition, obesity, and metabolic health. She is currently a full professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology at Concordia University and holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Clinical Nutrition. Dr. Santosa has dedicated her career to studying the intricate relationship between adipose tissue, obesity, and metabolic disorders. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in prestigious scientific journals, contributing valuable insights to the field including to how obesity advances ageing. Her work has not only advanced our understanding of how fat tissue function affects the risk of metabolic disease but is also paving the way for more targeted and personalized treatment approaches for obesity-related conditions. Dr. Santosa’s work is funded through grants from agencies including NSERC, HSF, CFDR, and CIHR.

DECEMBER 12^th 2024 – Dr. Muriel Mac-Seing

More equitable diversity in research through the lens of disability and intersectionality

In collaboration with the Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP).

This presentation aims to provide clinical staff, researchers, and students with foundational knowledge to integrate equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) considerations into their work and research, specifically through the lens of disability and intersectionality. This presentation is structured into three sections: 1) an introduction to considerations of EDI and intersectionality, 2) a practical example how these concepts are operationalized and analysed in global public health research, and 3) an interactive session for exchanges and discussions.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Increase their awareness (clinical staff, researchers, and students) about the principles of EDI and the conceptual framework of intersectionality.
2. Foster interest in integrating EDI considerations and intersectional perspectives into their work.
3. Discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in incorporating EDI and intersectionality into their professional practice and research.

Dr. Muriel Mac-Seing is an Assistant Professor in Global Health at the School of Public Health of the Université de Montréal. Her research areas focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights and inclusive climate action for people with disabilities and population groups living in situations of vulnerability. Her work draws upon the critical lens of intersectionality, disability, health equity, and structural determinants of health (including governance, leadership, and policy). Through mixed methods and the intersectionality-based policy analysis framework, she examined the relationships between legislation, health policy, and the use of sexual and reproductive health services for people with disabilities in post-conflict Northern Uganda. Currently, she is implementing the following research projects: 1) a participatory action-research project on sexual education and sexual and reproductive health rights for youth with disabilities in Uganda and youth living in the slums of Bangladesh; and 2) an exploratory project on the intersection of climate change and access to health services by people with disabilities and their animals, through the approaches of One Health and intersectionality in Québec and the district of Gulu, Uganda.

December 5^th 2024 – Dr. Ivan Litvinov

Melanoma and Skin Cancers: Rising Trends and Implications

In collaboration with the McGill Department of Medicine.

Fair complexion, UV exposure and history of sunburns as a child or adolescent remain critical risk factors for this disease. Hence, promoting sun protection in youth is vital to decrease individual risk of Cutaneous Melanoma (CM) in the adulthood. CM's incidence is growing at an alarming rate in Canada. In 2024 alone, ~11,300 new cases will be diagnosed, and 1,300 of CM-related-deaths are expected; about a 3-fold increase in the past three decades. Despite the rapid increase in incidence, many adolescents/young adults remain either unaware of the dangerous effects of sun exposure or apathetic towards sun safety measures knowingly exposing themselves to harmful UV radiation. Unfortunately, previous efforts in Canada (SunSense, BeSunSafe, The Big Burn, etc.) have not produced the desired results. Studies continue to report lack of awareness of CM in the Canadian population. A survey of >3,000 Canadians indicated that <50% of respondents were practicing "safe sun" habits. In comparison to the general population, young adults were least likely to protect themselves from the sun, where only 9% use sunscreen regularly, while 33% never use it. In contrast, in Australia, where public education efforts are more mature, >90% of the population is aware of CM risks and believes that it is a serious disease. Campaigns in Australia that focus on reducing UV exposure in adolescents have proven effective in decreasing the CM burden over time. In the presentation we will discuss CM incidence by postal code in Canada and how weather/environment impacts melanoma risk based on the data form the Canadian Cancer Registry and Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE). We will evaluate changes in CM Mortality to Incidence Ratio (MIR) over time and discuss survey responses of over 70,000 Canadians detailing their sun protection practices over time. We will finally address the existing “sunscreen paradox” of why individuals who are using the most sunscreen have the highest incidence of skin cancers.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Understand the multifaceted impact of UV radiation on skin health and melanoma development, including molecular mechanisms like DNA damage, retrotransposon activation, and their role in influencing behaviors through biological pathways including the skin-brain-gonad axis and endogenous beta-endorphin production.
2. Analyze the epidemiological and environmental determinants of melanoma incidence and mortality, with a focus on geographic disparities, climate factors, and the protective or harmful effects of variables such as temperature, UV exposure, and rainfall.
3. Evaluate reported through surveys individual beliefs and behaviors in relation to sun exposure and melanoma awareness and understand how these trends changed over time. Evaluate the impact of "sunscreen paradox" on melanoma risk.

Dr. Litvinov is an Associate Professor in the Division of Dermatology of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of McGill University. He earned his Ph.D. degree in cellular and molecular medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and his medical degree at McGill, completing dermatology residency training at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Prior to joining the faculty at McGill, Dr Litvinov practiced as an Assistant Professor of dermatology at the University of Ottawa between 2015-2017.

During 2019-2021, Dr Litvinov served as regional director (Quebec) of the Canadian Dermatology Association and during 2021-2023 as the president of the Skin Research Group of Canada. He currently serves as the treasurer of the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphomas and as the treasurer of the Canadian Dermatology Foundation.

He is active in cutaneous research, particularly studying cutaneous lymphomas, keratinocyte carcinomas, and melanoma, and his research is supported by various grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Dr Litvinov directs a translational research laboratory within the cancer research program of the MUHC-Research Institute and a complex medical dermatology clinic at the Glen Site of the MUHC. He also directs a skin cancer diagnosis and treatment clinic for solid organ transplant recipients. In 2020, Dr Litvinov received the Early Career Award in Cancer from CIHR and the 2019 President Cup Award for his contributions to dermatology and research.

NOVEMBER 28^th 2024 – Dr. Jennifer Ritonja

Working Against the Clock: Night Shift Work as a Potential Carcinogen

Night shift work is a prevalent work schedule in Canada and worldwide, particularly within the healthcare sector. Despite the classification of night shift work as a "probable carcinogen" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2007, the relationship between night shift work and cancer risk remains complex. While epidemiologic studies suggest long-term exposure increases the risk of multiple cancer types, including breast and prostate, results across studies are not consistent. In addition, the mechanisms by which night shift work may increase cancer risk are not well understood, hampering the development of effective prevention strategies. In this talk, Dr. Jennifer Ritonja will showcase the current epidemiologic evidence on the association between night shift work and cancer risk, with a particular focus on breast cancer risk. Possible biological mechanisms, risk mitigation strategies and areas for future research will also be discussed.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Evaluate the current epidemiologic evidence linking night shift work to various types of cancer, with a particular focus on breast cancer risk.
2. Identify the potential biological mechanisms through which night shift work may influence cancer development.
3. Discuss possible risk mitigation strategies to prevent risks associated with working a night shift schedule.

Dr. Jennifer Ritonja is a postdoctoral fellow in the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology at McGill University and St. Mary's Research Centre. Her area of research specializes in identifying modifiable risk factors for cancer in women. She holds an MSc and PhD in epidemiology from Queen’s University where her graduate work focused on investigating the adverse health impacts of working night shifts in women for diseases such as breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. Jennifer's current postdoctoral work examines the impact of body fatness and physical activity on ovarian cancer risk using life course epidemiologic methods.

NOVEMBER 21^st 2024 – Dr. Sylvie Lambert

The TEMPO Canadian Cancer Trial: advancing self-management for men with prostate cancer and their caregivers

TEMPO, which stands for a web-based, Tailored, sElf-Management PrOgram, was developed to support men with prostate cancer and their caregivers. Initially piloted through a randomized controlled trial, TEMPO demonstrated promising improvements in coping skills, communication, and physical activity levels among participants. This presentation will outline TEMPO’s initial development and pilot study findings. We will then introduce the latest, large-scale sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) examining TEMPO’s efficacy and cost-effectiveness compared to usual care. This multi-stage, SMART seeks to evaluate the delivery of TEMPO using a stepped-care approach on anxiety and quality of life outcomes for patients and caregivers. Attendees will gain insights into the methodology and anticipated impacts of this unique program, designed for self-directed use without healthcare professional involvement.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Understand TEMPO’s development and pilot findings: explore the foundations of TEMPO, including feedback from preliminary studies and the pilot trial, which informed the program’s self-management tools for patients and caregivers.
2. Describe the objectives and design of the national trial: gain insights into the structure of the latest SMART design for men with prostate cancer and their caregivers.
3. Appreciate the role of lay guidance in self-management programs: understand the rationale and anticipated benefits of introducing lay guidance for non-responding participants and its hypothesized impact on anxiety and overall program effectiveness.

Prof. Sylvie Lambert is an Associate Professor and Associate Director of Research at McGill University's Ingram School of Nursing. She also holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Illness Self-Management Support Interventions for Patients and Their Family Caregivers. Her research focuses on developing and evaluating sustainable self-management interventions for patients with cancer and other chronic illnesses, as well as their caregivers. Prof. Lambert has been recognized for her contributions to research. In 2024, she received the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) Research Excellence Award. Throughout her career, Prof. Lambert has secured more than $7M in funding. Notably, she was awarded a $300,000 health equity research grant from the Canadian Cancer Society for a project aimed at improving communication between cancer patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and clinicians. Her presentation today will be focusing on her recent CIHR project grant for $761,000. Prof. Lambert has an extensive publication record, with over 127 peer-reviewed articles and more than 100 conference presentations. Her work has significantly advanced the fields of patient education, caregiver research, and self-management interventions, contributing to improved outcomes for patients and their families.

NOVEMBER 7^th 2024 – Marie-Christine Boulianne & Adrian Mares

From Law to Practice: PIAs in Research at COMTL

This conference will examine the implications of the new Act respecting health and social services information, also known as " Bill 5," on research activities at the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (COMTL). We will address the new legal framework for Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs, known as " EFVPs " in French) in the context of research, offering a pragmatic perspective on their implementation.

We will explore the crucial role of PIAs (" EFVPs ") in obtaining authorizations to access health and social services information (HSSI) without the consent of the individuals concerned, as well as the evaluation criteria used by the competent authorities. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the new legal requirements, authorization processes, and best practices for ensuring the protection of HSSI in their research projects. The presentation will focus on practical advice and concrete strategies to effectively navigate this new regulatory landscape.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Understand the new legal framework established by Bill 5 for Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs/EFVPs) in healthcare research at COMTL.
2. Identify the requirements and processes for obtaining authorization to access health and social services information (HSSI) without patient consent.
3. Apply best practices and practical strategies for protecting health and social services information in research projects within the new regulatory context.

Marie-Christine Boulianne is a key professional at the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS-ODIM), where she supports research initiatives and ensures compliance with personal data regulations. She brings extensive experience in health services administration and specializes in implementing Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) under Quebec's Law 25. Prior to this role, Marie-Christine was a project coordinator in mental health research for the CRISP group at the Douglas Institute. Her work focuses on promoting ethical research practices and robust data governance in the health sector.

Adrian Mares is a professional at the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (COMTL), where he works in the field of personal information protection. He focuses on the operational implementation of data protection policies, conducting privacy impact assessments (PIAs, known as EFVPs in French), and managing confidentiality incidents. Adrian actively participates in staff training activities and coordinates the Committee on Access to Information and Protection of Personal Information (CAIPRP). Previously, he was a research professional for the research and information management component at the Health Technology and Intervention Methods Assessment Unit. His approach is grounded in his training and professional experience in document and information management, allowing him to bring a comprehensive perspective to information protection in the health sector.

OCTOBER 24^th 2024 – Émilie Provost

Nurse Practitioners in Mental Health, What Exactly Can They Do?

This presentation will cover the following:

Brief history of Nurse Practitioners in North America; the role of a Nurse Practitioner in mental health in Quebec right now; legal limitations of the role; what can NPs in mental health bring to the table?

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Have a better understanding of the Nurse Practitioner’s profession and professional responsibilities.
2. Identify the legal limitations of a Nurse Practitioner in Mental Health.
3. Identify what these professionals can bring to the table in terms of opportunities for the health sector.

Emilie Provost is a Nurse Practitioner in mental health, currently working at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and in the private sector. She works with clients affected by schizoaffective disorder-bipolar type and bipolar disorder in the public while she sees a general psychiatry clientele in the private sector. She partakes in research regarding the treatment of bipolar disorders. Mme Provost also contractually teaches at the nurse practitioner Master's program at the Université de Montreal and supervises students during their internships.

SEPTEMBER 5^th 2024 – Isabelle Leblanc

"Too much pain doctor!”: Training clinicians to detect expressions of psychological distress in patients of diverse ethnocultural groups

Clinicians often struggle with identifying psychosocial stress presenting as somatic complaints. It is even harder in a transcultural context. This presentation will outline a research project aiming at creating a teaching module for clinicians on that topic. It will present finding from the research as well as the next steps to create a module for clinicians and residents from the Department of Family Medicine.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Recognize the difficulty of assessing psychosocial distress in a transcultural context
2. Identify 3 strategies to elicit psychological aspect of pain
3. Be familiar with different presentations of psychosocial distress

Dr. Isabelle Leblanc is a primary care family physician who came to medicine after training in anthropology and literature. She completed her medical studies at the University of Ottawa and her residency at McGill. In her position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, she has taught bioethics, interprofessional communication and social health issues to both students and residents in family medicine. She practices and teaches in Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal.

AUGUST 28^th 2024 – Anthony Albers

Pain Control Following Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Randomized Study Comparing Spinal Anesthesia Adjuncts vs. Fascia Iliaca Block vs. Pericapsular Nerve Group Block vs. Local Anesthetic Infiltration

This presentation will cover the following:

Background and Introduction: pain management with use of nerve blocks post hip replacement.

Study Methods and Design: four arm randomized control study.

Results: local anesthetic infiltration leads to higher patient satisfaction, lower perceived pain and lower opiate consumption.

Implications for Patient Care and Treatment: the surgical team should prioritize the use of local anesthetic infiltration over the use of Fascia Iliaca or PENG blocks in order to improve post-operative pain control and reduce costs.

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Understand the levels of satisfaction with pain control after hip replacement.
2. Determine the efficacy of three nerve blocks (LAI vs. FIB vs. PENG block) vs. no adjunct (spinal anesthesia only) in post-operative pain control in patients who undergo an elective, inpatient primary hip replacement.
3. Learn about opioid consumption for pain management after surgery.

Dr. Anthony Albers completed his medical school and orthopaedic residency training at McGill University, followed by subspecialty training in adult hip and knee reconstruction at the University of British Columbia. He holds a position of Associate Professor of Surgery at McGill University and is actively involved in teaching medical students, residents and fellows. He is also the current Director of Orthopaedic Research at St. Mary's Hospital. Dr. Albers has received numerous teaching awards, including the McGill Division of Orthopaedic Surgery Educator of the Year for 2018; the Harvey H. Sigman Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award in 2020; and the Robert Turcotte award in 2022. His clinical focus includes all facets of hip and knee arthroplasty, of which he performs 350+ per year, including partial knee replacements and complex revision surgeries. He strives to deliver optimized care in a bilingual environment, leading his patients to the best possible functional outcomes.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 - Kristen Reidel

 Development of educational resources for the telerehabilitation of mobility aid users and their caregivers

Our goal is to foster open dialogue and build meaningful connections between the community and our researchers. This event offers a unique opportunity to strengthen collaboration and bring community knowledge closer to health research.

St. Mary's Research Centre is part of the St. Mary's Hospital Centre, a facility of the Centre universitaire intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'Île de Montréal. SMRC's Community Conferences aim to disseminate academic and scientific research throughout Côte-des-Neiges and Montreal, ensuring that the knowledge gained is shared with the communities we serve.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

This conference features a keynote speaker :

• Kristen Reidel (Kristen Reidel, OT(c), MSc (Epidemiology)
  Research Professional
  Laboratoire de la Professeure Claudine Auger
  Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Réadaptation (CRIR) du Montréal métropolitain &
  Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal (IURDPM) - CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal

Click here to participate via Teams. 

MARCH 28, 2025 -  St. Mary's Orthopaedics

Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis

Our aim is to foster open dialogue and build meaningful connections between the community and our researchers. With the expertise of our SMRC Orthopaedics team, this event offers a unique opportunity to strengthen collaboration and bridge the gap between community knowledge and health research. 

The St. Mary's Research Centre is part of the St. Mary's Hospital Centre, a facility of the Centre universitaire intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'Île de Montréal. CRSM's community conferences aim to disseminate academic and scientific research throughout Côte-des-Neiges and Montreal, ensuring that the knowledge gained is shared with the communities we serve.

This conference features two keynote speakers :

• Dr. Anthony Albers (Associate Professor in the McGill Department of Surgery; Associate Scientist at St. Mary's Research Centre)

• Dr. Jennifer Mutch (Associate Professor in the McGill Department of Surgery; Associate Scientist at St. Mary's Research Centre)

Click here to participate via Teams. 

MARCH 13, 2025 -  Farah Messekher

A Look at the Reality of Caregivers in the West Island: A Survey of 700 Caregivers

Our aim is to foster open dialogue and build meaningful connections between the community and our researchers. With a strong foundation in caregiving research at SMRC—spanning from interventions supporting caregivers' mental health to studies on caregiving roles in chronic illness—this event offers a unique opportunity to strengthen collaboration and bridge the gap between community knowledge and health research.

The St. Mary's Research Centre is part of the St. Mary's Hospital Centre, a facility of the Centre universitaire intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'Île de Montréal. CRSM's community conferences aim to disseminate academic and scientific research throughout Côte-des-Neiges and Montreal, ensuring that the knowledge gained is shared with the communities we serve.

This conference features a keynote speaker :

• Farah Messekher (Caregiving Coordinator, CIUSSS-ODIM) who will present the topic “Regard sur la réalité des proches aidants dans l'Ouest de l’île: sondage auprès de 700 PPA” (Lecture will be given in French)

Click here to participate via Teams. 

OCTOBER 31, 2024 -  Alexandra Sabin

Co-create solutions to meet the needs of caregivers and seniors

Our aim is to foster open dialogue and build meaningful connections between the community and our researchers. With a strong foundation in caregiving research at SMRC—spanning from interventions supporting caregivers' mental health to studies on caregiving roles in chronic illness—this event offers a unique opportunity to strengthen collaboration and bridge the gap between community knowledge and health research.

The St. Mary's Research Centre is part of the St. Mary's Hospital Centre, a facility of the Centre universitaire intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'Île de Montréal. CRSM's community conferences aim to disseminate academic and scientific research throughout Côte-des-Neiges and Montreal, ensuring that the knowledge gained is shared with the communities we serve.

This conference features a keynote speaker :

• Alexandra Sabin (Founder, Siaana Tech) who will present the topic “Organizational and technological innovation: co-constructing simple, practical solutions for caregivers and people losing their autonomy” (Lecture will be given in French)

Click here to participate via Teams. 

May 8 2024 -  Dr. Louise Potvin and Dr. Anita Koushik

Wellness and Behavioural Interventions

The SMRC Community Conferences aim to link research, communities and healthcare professionals, encouraging the exchange of knowledge. This Community Conference will focus on the theme of Wellness and Behavioural Interventions, encouraging action on the social determinants of health (such as tobacco and physical activity) to improve health outcomes.

Join us on May 8, 2024 for an in-depth look at healthy behavior indicators and how local environments affect food insecurity.

Refreshments will be provided. 

Register here to participate in person. 

Click here to join via Teams. No RSVP required for online participation. 

OCTOBER 23rd 2023 -  Sylvie Lambert, Ilja Ormel, Nina Morena & Nicholas Meti

SMRC Breast Cancer Research: Putting Patients First

To commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the St. Mary's Research Centre is holding a community conference on October 23rd at 12pm on the 4th floor of the Hayes pavilion. The conference will feature an exclusive discussion with St. Mary’s researchers dedicated to enhancing the quality of care for breast cancer patients. Our distinguished speakers include Sylvie Lambert, Ilja Ormel, Nina Morena and Nicholas Meti. The discussion will be moderated by Ari Meguerditchian, Scientific Director of the SMRC.

For those who are unable to attend in person, we are pleased to offer virtual attendance via Zoom.

MAY 23 2025 -  1st Canadian Symposium on Managing Toxicities of Emerging Cancer Therapies CAN-TOX)

REGISTER HERE. 

Join us at CAN-TOX, a premier hybrid event dedicated to advancing the management of toxicities associated with cutting-edge cancer therapies, including checkpoint inhibitors, cell therapies (CAR-T and BiTEs), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

This dynamic symposium unites leading experts across disciplines to explore:

• The mechanisms driving therapy-related toxicities
• Cutting-edge diagnostic tools
• Evidence-based, multidisciplinary management strategies
• The latest breakthroughs in toxicity research

Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to engage with thought leaders, gain actionable insights, and enhance your expertise in this rapidly evolving field of oncology care.