Across all aspects of my research program, a central tenet is producing research that will advance knowledge specific to women.
Dedicating research to the study of women is critical, because biological sex influences the function of every organ, and gender impacts one’s interaction with, access to, and uptake of, healthcare and lifestyle behaviours. Yet, a disproportionate amount of cardiovascular and physiology research especially, including exercise and nutrition, has focussed on men. Women are not small men. This sex-based knowledge gap pertains to both clinical and basic research.
My research disciplines of physiology and cardiovascular clinical trials have been some of the slowest in reducing this sex gap. For example, a 2020 report revealed that 3-4 times as many physiology studies include males only versus females only (<10% of total studies), and less than half that include both sexes factored sex into analyses. In clinical trials, the underrepresentation of women remains the lowest in cardiovascular trials, which means that we are still far from providing equitable cardiovascular healthcare for a demographic that represents half of the population. One of the identified reasons for this systematic exclusion of women from research is the lack of female leadership in these predominantly male-dominated research and clinical disciplines.
It is a social imperative and scientific and clinical necessity to narrow these female-specific knowledge gaps in all disciplines of research. Therefore, I have resolved that all of my research (and teaching) practices move toward this goal.
I aspire to make my multi-disciplinary research program a conduit for producing scientific evidence and future scientists and healthcare practitioners that narrow these research and clinical gaps for women. I also aim to support other researchers, clinicians, and organizations who are trying to do the same.
From Dec 2020 to present, I have played an active role as a contributing member of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance, a pan-Canadian network of experts and advocates aiming to develop and disseminate evidence-informed strategies to transform clinical practice and enhance collaborative action on women’s cardiovascular health in Canada. Read more about how the CWHHA is driving change in research and clinical practice.