Women's Health Research Cluster

Dad’s mental health matters year‑round. Up to 10 % of new fathers face postpartum depression . It’s time perinatal care screened & supported dads too . New WHRC blog ↓ #PaternalMentalHealth #PerinatalCare ow.ly/e3tU50Wvk2B

🚨 #MultipleSclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) disproportionately affect women, yet research on #sexdifferences is scarce.

Learn more about what we currently know & recommendations for achieving personalized care: karger.com/ndd/article/...

“Family can be the first line of defense against postpartum depression.”
Beulah Suleman is mapping how extended kin support shapes perinatal mental health for African immigrants. Read more here: ow.ly/EyFv50WlUSj
#PerinatalMentalHealth #ImmigrantHealth #WomensHealth

New blog post: The Invisible Disability of Ehlers-Danlos and Hypermobility.
Why early diagnosis matters, how it affects women’s health, and what it really means to live with EDS. ow.ly/FojE50WhsBn
#EDS #hypermobility #womenshealth

Menstrual cycle phase and steroid hormone concentrations (progesterone-to-estradiol ratio) have also been shown to influence alcohol consumption patterns in AUD.

More awareness and nuanced approaches to research will be key to improving AUD care 🙏

Progesterone serum levels correlate negatively with craving in female postmenopausal in-patients with alcohol use disorder: A sex- and menopausal status-separated study - PubMed We provide first evidence that progesterone levels correlate with craving in females with AUD.

We also need to overcome oversimplified approaches! Within sex/gender factors and experiences require dedicated research to understand sex and gender contributions in AUD.

Premenopause and higher progesterone are associated with low craving in females with AUD 👉 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33571605/

This relationship is true in men but in in women, alcohol consumption was actually associated with lower BMI. Differences in alcohol consumed might contribute to this finding. This underscores the importance of conducting and analyzing studies based on sex and gender to inform treatment.

Why are following sex and gender equity in research (SAGER) guidelines critical to follow?

Higher alcohol consumption has been associated with higher body mass index. But it turns out it isn’t that straight forward…

Despite these differences, sex and gender considerations are not sufficiently reflected in clinical practice guidelines of AUD.

Moreover, women and gender minorities remain underrepresented in AUD research. This limits the ability to translate research findings into effective, personalized care.

Despite these differences, sex and gender considerations are not sufficiently reflected in clinical practice guidelines of AUD.

Moreover, women and gender minorities remain underrepresented in AUD research. This limits the ability to translate research into effective and personalized care.

Heavy episodic drinking and alcohol is use disorder (AUD) prevalence is higher among men than women. AUD also affects men and women differently (e.g. different durations between use and dependence, risk of co-morbidities, and withdrawal symptoms, and other health outcomes).

Happening now! ⭐️

During this hybrid #WHSS event, Dr. Bern Lenz will be sharing the latest insights and future directions in sex- and gender-informed care for alcohol use disorder. Follow along for the highlights!

⚡ ONE WEEK LEFT! Need $$ for an upcoming women’s health or sex/gender conference? WHRC trainees can score $250 for their travel. Apps close June 20, 5 pm ET. Get it done: ow.ly/QKi850VRbko

New #BehindTheScience blog 🚨 Dr. Yanaira Alonso Caraballo shows how hormones & life stages reshape the female brain’s reward circuits and why that matters for opioid relapse risk. Read more 👇 ow.ly/wcZF50W4ffX #WomenInSTEM #AddictionResearch #FemaleBrain

Congrats to WHRC member Shiza Hirani
—Youth Advisor & Global Youth Ambassador—on earning the RCE Saskatchewan ESD Award! Her Youth MentorNet Café mentors marginalized teens, opening doors to scholarships and success. 👏🌱

Had a great time presenting my latest work on effects of pregnancy and AD risk on functional connectivity in middle age at #OSSD2025 🧠⚡️

Thank you @ossdcomm.bsky.social @whrcluster.bsky.social @camhnews.bsky.social #womenmind for hosting this fantastic Pre-Meeting and the opportunity to speak!!

International Day of Action for Women's Health is a reminder to see what you can do to help women+ around the world gain and preserve access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Visit may28.org to learn more!

#WomensHealthMatters #SRHR4All #May28

✈️ Conference costs piling up? Trainees can grab $250 toward travel or registration for women’s-health & sex/gender meetings. Ten-minute form, free membership. Closes June 20. Apply: ow.ly/m6rV50VRaV5
#PhDLife

Save the date! 🗓️ We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Bernd Lenz on June 19 at 1 PM EDT for a talk on sex- and gender-informed care in alcohol use disorder. womenshealthresearchcluster.com/events/progr...

#WomensHealth #WHSS #womenmind

Spotlight on #WHRC member Tarrah Ethier! The Queen’s U PhD student just won ~$5k to probe how immune pathways + sex hormones drive the “sex paradox” in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Follow her journey @TarrahEthier. #WomenInScience #CardioResearch

WHRC Trainee Travel Awards are OPEN! Up to 20× $250 CAD grants to help members present or attend women’s health / sex-gender conferences. Membership is free and so’s the application. Deadline June 20, 5 pm ET. Apply 👉 ow.ly/whSw50VRaHj
#AcademicTwitter #WomenInSTEM

Sudden dread or nausea as milk lets down? It could be Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER). Affects ~15 % of lactating parents. Understand the signs & coping tips in our latest blog: ow.ly/APPh50VOENa #DMER #MaternalMentalHealth #Breastfeeding

🤰💡 #WomensHealthWeek spotlight: Are today’s nutrition guidelines truly built for pregnant & postpartum women? Cluster member Maggie Woo Kinshella’s new review finds major gaps. Read more here: ow.ly/Y7HN50VPcnl #MaternalNutrition #WomensHealth

Missed the April 28th Trainee Research Presentations on menopause? 🧠📚 Catch the replays on YouTube and explore innovative, multidisciplinary research by talented trainees. #WomensHealth #MenopauseResearch
👉 youtu.be/0A7EkmZn2tg

Natalie's work shows that longer #lactation was associated with a narrowed age range of natural menopause onset, decreased risk of surgical menopause and slightly decreased risk of indeterminate menopause, suggesting novel maternal benefits of #breastfeeding.

6) Natalie Scime is interested in examining the link between breast feeding and menopause. Findings from existing literature seem inconsistent, but perhaps there is a time-varying effect, such that the effects depend on the window of menopause being looked at. ⏰

5) Issues with #sexualfunction are common during the menopause transition, and vary with comorbidities & socioeconomic factors. Analyses are ongoing, but Marta Kolbuszewska finds that some of the strongest predictors of sexual function issues are psychosocial (e.g. depression, relationship factors).

4) Zach Plumley's work shows that #estradiol treatment retained its ability to enhance #neurovascular coupling (ability of cerebral blood vessels to comply with energy demands of increased neuronal activity) despite pre-existing #metabolicfunction in a mouse model of menopause. 🫀🐁

3) There's a lack of consensus on how brain & cognitive health may be linked during the menopause transition. Katie Vandeloo took a person-centered approach to address the inconsistencies, and found earlier menopause grouped with a latent profile with lower brain health & cognitive function scores.