19th Paul Harding Research Awards Day Agenda

Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Time: 8:00 am

Location: Held virtually due to COVID-19 social distancing protocols

Cost: Free

A printable copy of the Research Day Agenda is available by emailing Eva Amaya Rodriguez at Eva.Amaya@lhsc.on.ca.

Learning Objectives

Research Day Learning Objectives

  1. Identify transdisciplinary research endeavours within the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
  2. Describe the essential nature of research and education in an academic health institution.

Oral Session Learning Objectives

Session 1: Education/Public Health/Policy

  1. Identify important programmatic aspects of clinical training in Obstetric and Gynecology and their impact on trainees and patient care.
  2. Describe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pregnant woman.

Session 2: Gynecology

  1. Describe metabolic concepts in ovarian cancer.
  2. Describe in vitro fertility processes.
  3. Be updated on new concepts in the management of women presenting for therapeutic abortions.

Session 3: REI, Oncology, Cannabis

  1. Describe aspects of Ovarian Cancer pathogenesis.
  2. Recognize neonatal and maternal effects of cannabis in pregnancy.
  3. Explain developmental factors of implantation.

Session 4: Obstetrics & Pregnancy

  1. Identify developmental and clinical factors affecting pregnancy.

Accreditation statement

This event is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by Continuing Professional Development, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University. You may claim a maximum of 4.25 hours (credits are automatically calculated).

Each participant should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent participating in the educational program.

Morning Session: Concurrent Oral Sessions

Oral Session 1 - Education / Public Health / Policy (Concurrent with Session 2)

Each presentation will be 8 minutes, followed by a 2-minute question and answer period.

Time Presenter
8:30 – 8:40 Who's on First? Development of an Induction Prioritization Tool for Common Obstetrical Indications associated with an Increased Risk of Stillbirth.
Dalia Bibr, A. Pittini, B. Sivajohan, G. Eastabrook, B. de Vrijer
8:40 – 8:50 Resident Training Hours - A Qualitative Look
Krista Boghosian, T. Taylor
8:50 – 9:00 Improving the UWO OB/GYN Resident Research Program: A Quality Improvement Project
Tlell Brown Bentley, T. Taylor
9:00 – 9:10 "One Step Away from 'You Don't Know What You're Doing'": A Qualitative Study Exploring Perspectives of Uncertainty among Residents and Early Career Clinicians
Brittany Deller, S. Sehgal, S. Cristancho, C. Watling, T. S.M. Taylor
9:10 – 9:20 Pulling Back the Curtain: Understanding the Transition-to-Practice (Ttp) Experience Among Practicing Early Career Obstetrician/Gynaecologists
Andrea Hunt, N. Wiebe, T. Taylor
9:20 – 9:30 Thoughtful Assessment of the Literature On 'Speaking Up' In Patient Safety: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis
Stephanie Lammers, Priyanka Singh, R. Pack, T. Taylor
9:30 – 9:40 Decoding Code OB: A National Survey of Obstetrical Emergency Codes at Teaching Hospitals
Jaime Reardon, T. Taylor
9:40 – 9:50 A One Health Approach to Investigate the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Response on Perceived Stress, Postpartum Depression, and Pregnancy Outcomes in Women in Southwestern Ontario
Mei Yuan, B. de Vrijer, G. Eastabrook, J. Frisbee, F. Olea-Popelka, S. Frisbee

Oral Session 2 - REI, Gynaecology & Oncology (Concurrent with Session 1)

Each presentation will be 8 minutes, followed by a 2-minute question and answer period.

Time Presenter
8:30 – 8:40 In Vitro Fertilization Cycles Stimulated with Follitropin Delta Result in Similar Embryo Development and Quality when Compared with Cycles Stimulated with Follitropin Alfa or Follitropin Beta
Olga Haakman, T. Liang, K. Murray, A. Vilos, G. Vilos, C. Bates, A. Watson, M. Miller, B. Abu-Rafea
8:40 – 8:50 Murine Blastocysts Release Mature MicroRNAs into Culture Media that Reflect Developmental Status
David Hawke, D. Ahmed, A. Watson, D. Betts
8:50 – 9:00 Knockout of the Metabolic Stress Mediator Lkb1 or its Substrate Nuak1 Enhances Nf-Κb Signalling in a Spheroid Model Of Ovarian Cancer Metastasis
Adrian Buensuceso, J.L. Fritz, O. Collins, Y.R. Valdés, T. G. Shepherd
9:00 – 9:10 Early Implementation of Mifegymiso for Therapeutic Abortion – A Retrospective Chart Review At LHSC
Fei Fei Shao, C. Chan
9:10 – 9:20 Oleic Acid Rescues Palmitic Acid-Induced Autophagy during Mouse Preimplantation Development
Zuleika Leung, M. Calder, D. Betts, B. Rafea, A. Watson
9:20 – 9:30 β5 Integrin is Required for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Cell Adhesion and Metastatic Properties of Spheroids
Dolly Dhaliwal, O. Collins, Y. R. Valdés, X. Wang, J.L. Fritz, G. E. DiMattia, T. G. Shepherd
9:30 – 9:40 Post-Abortion Contraceptive Preferences and IUD Insertion Among Women Undergoing Therapeutic Abortion
Nicole Zito, M. Hutchinson, E. Lovett, D. Penava
9:40 – 9:50 Evidence for Altered Mitochondrial Activity and Regulation in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Spheroids
Matthew J. Borrelli, A. Buensuceso, Y. Ramos Valdes, O. Collins, T. G. Shepherd

Oral Session 3 - REI, Oncology & Cannabis (Concurrent with Session 4)

Each presentation will be 8 minutes, followed by a 2-minute question and answer period.

Time Presenter
10:20 – 10:30 "No One Loves My Baby More Than Me:" A Qualitative Study of Patients' Decision-Making Regarding Perinatal Cannabis Use
Grace Hilton, R. Pack, B. deVrijer, T. Taylor
10:30 – 10:40 Fatty Acid Regulation of Nrf2/Keap1 Pathway during Mouse Preimplantation Embryo Development
Grace Dionne, M.D. Calder, D.H. Betts, B.A. Rafea, A.J. Watson
10:40 – 10:50 Examining the Concordance of Hereditary Cancer Mutations Between Germline Testing And Tumour Testing
Oleksandra Dzyubak, J. Kerkhof, E. Goebel, C.M. McLachlin, B. Sadikovic, J. McGee
10:50 – 11:00 Neonatal and Neuropsychiatric Outcomes of Prenatal Cannabinoid Exposure
Mina G Nashed, R. Hudson, K. Lee, S. Vanin, D.B. Hardy, S.R. Laviolette
11:00 – 11:10 Engineering Mouse Oviductal Epithelial Cell Lines as New Models of Ovarian High-Grade Serous Carcinoma
Jacob Haagsma, M. Pereira, B. Kolendowski, Y.R. Valdes, O. Collins, G.E. DiMattia, J.J. Petrik, T. G. Shepherd
11:10 – 11:20 Maternal Exposure to Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Results in Fetal Growth Restriction associated with Postnatal Cardiac Dysfunction in Rats.
Kendrick Lee, S. Laviolette, Q. Feng, D. Hardy
11:20 – 11:30 Investigation of Cultured Spheroids and Organoids as Models of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Pathogenesis
Emily Tomas, O. Collins, Y. R. Valdes, G.E. DiMattia, and T. G. Shepherd
11:30 – 11:40 In Utero Exposure to Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Leads to Rapid Postnatal Catch-Up Growth and Hepatic Dysmetabolism
Shelby Oke, K. Lee, R. Papp, P. Kiser, S. Laviolette, D. Hardy

Oral Session 4 - Obstetrics & Pregnancy (Concurrent with Session 3)

Each presentation will be 8 minutes, followed by a 2-minute question and answer period.

Time Presenter
10:20 – 10:30 Altered Brain Structure and Increased Neural Precursor Cell Self-Renewal in Fetuses following Polyic-Induced Maternal Immune Activation
Kelly J Baines, D.M. Hillier, N. Rajakumar, S. Schmid, S.J. Renaud
10:30 – 10:40 Understanding the Impact of Maternal Western Diet on Placental Development and Fetal Neurodevelopment
Carlene Cihosky, K. Nygard, P. Kiser, B. Richardson, T. Regnault
10:40 – 10:50 Timely Completion of Fetal Anatomy Survey in Pregnant Women with A Pre-Pregnancy BMI ≥40: A Retrospective Chart Review of Routine Versus Early and Serial Anatomy Ultrasounds
Alex Pittini, G. Eastabrook, D. Penava, B. de Vrijer
10:50 – 11:00 Transcriptomic and Functional Analysis of Bewo Trophoblast Mitochondrial Activity in Response to Hyperglycemia
Zachary Easton, T. Regnault
11:00 – 11:10 Fetal Sex Impacts Birth to Placental Weight Ratio and Umbilical Cord Oxygen Values
Akasham Rajagopaul, B. de Vrijer, G. Eastabrook, T. Regnault, B. Richardson
11:10 – 11:20 Role of Hypoxia Signaling in Placental Trophoblast Differentiation
Adam Jaremek, G. Jaju Bhattad, M. Jeyarajah, S. Renaud
11:20 – 11:30 Oxytocin Dose for Labour Induction in Women with Class III Obesity: A Single Center Experience
Rita Morassut, S. Lalani, G. Eastabrook, B. de Vrijer
11:30 – 11:40 GCM1 And ASCL2 Cooperate to Regulate Development and Function of the Extravillous Trophoblast Lineage in Human Trophoblast Stem Cells
Mariyan Jeyarajah, G. Jaju Bhattad, S. Renaud
11:40 – 11:50 Pyrroloquinoline Quinone's (Pqq) Effects on Skeletal Muscle Gene Expression During Oxidative Stress/Fetal Growth Restriction.
Allyson Wood, L. Zhao, T. Regnault

Afternoon Session: The Earl R. Plunkett Lecture & Awards Ceremony

The Earl R. Plunkett Lecture

Time Activity
12:45 - 14:00 The Earl R. Plunkett Lecture

“The Power of the Present: Mindfulness as a tool in women’s sexual health and vulvodynia”

Dr. Lori Brotto, PhD, R PSYCH

Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Executive Director of Women’s Health Research Institute
Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify conventional definitions of mindfulness-based therapy.
  2. Discover literature evaluating mindfulness for various sexual health concerns in women.
  3. Explain the purported mechanisms thought to underlie the benefits of mindfulness for sex.
  4. Employ regular mindfulness practice.

Following this presentation there will be a 15-minute question and answer period.

Awards Ceremony & Closing Remarks

Time Activity
14:00 - 14:30 AWARDS CEREMONY & CLOSING REMARKS