Bringing together world-class researchers to share knowledge and move research into action.

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Dr. Jenny Bruin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and Institute of Biochemistry at Carleton University. She completed her BSc in Biomedical Toxicology at the University of Guelph and her PhD in Reproductive Toxicology at McMaster University. From 2010 to 2016, Dr. Bruin was a postdoctoral fellow in Tim Kieffer’s lab at UBC, where she studied stem cell-based therapies for patients with diabetes. In 2016, she started her independent position at Carleton University, where her lab studies islet biology, pancreas development, and toxicology. Her team is investigating how environmental factors—including endocrine-disrupting chemicals—impact islet function and contribute to diabetes risk.

A discussion on how exposure to environmental pollutants influences the health of insulin-secreting beta cells and contributes to rising global diabetes rates. The strengths and limitations of different model systems used in Dr. Bruin’s lab will be emphasized, ranging from human studies to rodent models to cell models.

Anne Hicks, a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Children’s Lung Health, is an associate professor in Pediatric Respiratory Medicine and clinical lead of the Stollery Children’s Environmental Health Clinic, a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre, at the University of Alberta. Her interdisciplinary research includes asthma and environmental health guideline development with the Canadian Thoracic and Paediatric Societies and collaborative work to learn how to prevent or mitigate exposure-related harms to lung health and development.

This patient’s eye review of a research program evolution should enable participants to:

1) Identify air quality concerns associated with climate change;

2) Discuss childhood asthma in the context of climate change; and

3) Consider ways to understand and mitigate climate-driven adverse health outcomes.

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Dr. Gina Martin is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Western University. Her research focuses on how the physical and social environments where young people live, play, and learn influence their health and wellbeing. She is particularly interested in how climate change affects adolescent health and in identifying the factors that can help mitigate these impacts. Her research bridges geography, substance use, mental health, wellbeing, and climate change, offering a holistic perspective on young people’s health. Her work aims to inform evidence-based strategies that support healthy, resilient futures for young people in the face of climate change.

This talk will explore the growing evidence linking climate change and adolescent health, both nationally and globally. Drawing on research with Canadian young people, it will delve into how adolescents perceive and experience climate change, including the emotions it evokes and the strategies they use to cope. The session will highlight emerging insights and conclude with a forward-looking discussion on how research, public health policy, and planning can better respond to the unique needs of adolescents in the face of climate change.

Ingrid Jarvis is a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a Michael Smith Health Research BC trainee. She holds a PhD in Forestry from UBC, where she studied how urban green spaces support human health across the life course. Her current research focuses on how residential green space influences cognitive function in older adults. By examining different green space types and pathways linking nature to health, her work aims to inform urban planning and policy for healthier communities.

This presentation explores how exposure to urban green space, such as parks, gardens, and street trees, supports children’s health and development. It reviews current evidence, outlines potential pathways linking nature to well-being, and highlights findings from research to inform health promotion and urban planning strategies.

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Sunday (Ayamihewi-kisikaw) Queskekapow is a Two-Spirit Swampy Cree First Nations person from Ohpáskowayáhk (The Pas/OCN) and a proud band member of Kinosao Sipi in Treaty 5. Sunday is the co-owner and co-founder of Kíwétinohk Consulting, a fully Indigenous 2SLGBTQIA+ consulting firm that provided consulting and Gladue services.

During the panel Sunday will provide insight from a youth with lived experience in a northern community that is impacted by the toxic waste industry and a member of a hydro affected community. They will highlight the importance of youth led voices for this impact.