Women's Health Interrupted with Dr. Liisa Galea

Dr Liisa Galea
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Women’s Health Interrupted explores women’s health through scientific inquiry and storytelling. Spanning across four overarching and multidisciplinary themes: general health and wellness, brain health, socio-cultural determinants of health, as well as politics, policy and advocacy, this podcast brings you content about women's health from every angle. Women's Health Interrupted is produced by the Women's Health Research Cluster.

  1. 12/17/2025

    S3E12: Making Women's Health Political with Former Minister of Science Dr. Kirsty Duncan

    The Honourable Dr. Kirsty Duncan, former Minister of Science, geographer, and author of The Exclusion Effect: Why Women Are Underrepresented in Science, and How to Fix It, joins us on this episode to discuss the systemic barriers facing women in science and why equity in research matters for everyone. She explains how policy decisions shape scientific progress, why women’s health and women’s leadership remain chronically undervalued, and what it takes to build a research system that truly includes diverse voices. Dr. Duncan also talks about her own experiences navigating sexism in academia and politics, and offers practical advice for how researchers can influence policy and drive meaningful change. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

    48 min

  2. 12/15/2025

    S3E11: How Sex and Gender Bias Skews Medical Research with Dr. Kate Womersley

    Dr. Kate Womersley, psychiatrist, Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, and leader of the MESSAGE project (Medical Science Sex and Gender Equity), joins us on this episode to discuss sex and gender equity in medical research. She explains why research funders are such powerful levers for change, how pregnancy can act as a “stress test” revealing medical misogyny, and why sex- and gender-informed science leads to better care for everyone, not just women. Dr. Womersley also talks about how her own experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and clinical psychiatry fuel her push to make sex and gender a new basic standard in biomedical research. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

    41 min

  3. 12/10/2025

    S3E10: How Training Non-Specialists Can Fill the Perinatal Mental Health Gap with Dr. Daisy Singla

    Dr. Daisy Singla, clinical psychologist, researcher, and global leader in perinatal mental health, joins us on this episode to discuss perinatal mental health. She explains why the perinatal period is such a vulnerable time and how task-sharing and telemedicine can expand access to mental health care for parents. Dr. Singla also talks about the urgent need to bring evidence-based psychotherapy into real-world practice and the policy changes required to make universal perinatal mental health care a reality. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

    40 min

  4. 12/03/2025

    S3E9: How Studying Women Led to an Effective Vaccine for Cancers with Dr. Gina Ogilvie

    Dr. Gina Ogilvie, clinician-scientist, global women’s health leader, and Professor at the University of British Columbia, joins us on this episode to discuss HPV vaccination and the future of cervical cancer screening. She explains how HPV causes cancer, why vaccination is such an effective prevention tool, and how self-collected HPV testing is expanding access and equity in Canada and around the world. Dr. Ogilvie also talks about vaccine hesitancy, global health disparities, and the long game of turning scientific evidence into policy. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

    41 min

  5. 11/26/2025

    S3E8: Why Women's Health Needs a Strategy with Jennifer Gillivan

    Jennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation, joins us on this episode to discuss why Canada needs a national women’s health strategy and how systemic bias in science, medicine, and policy leaves women behind. She explains how decades of underfunding and male-default research have shaped today’s “illness-care” system, what she’s hearing from thousands of women across Atlantic Canada, and why her mantra is to educate, advocate, and mobilize to equalize. Gillivan also talks about the power of philanthropy and femtech to fuel a global women’s health movement and build a fairer future for all women. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

    43 min

  6. 11/19/2025

    S3E7: How Your Gut Impacts Your Hormones and Mood with Prof Siobhain O'Mahony

    Professor Siobhain O’Mahony, neurobiological scientist and microbiome researcher, joins us to discuss how your microbes talk to your hormones and your brain. She explains the gut microbiome, why most serotonin is made in the gut, and how the estrobolome can influence estrogen levels, touching endometriosis, perimenopause, and menopause. Professor O’Mahony also talks about “leaky gut,” stress, and practical ways fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics can support our mood. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

    40 min

  7. 11/12/2025

    S3E6: Why Your Period is a Vital Sign with Dr. Sofia Ahmed

    Dr. Sofia Ahmed, nephrologist, clinician scientist, and Academic Lead of Women’s Health Research at the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI), joins us on this episode to discuss why the menstrual cycle is a vital sign and how women’s health extends far beyond reproductive health. She explains why kidney and heart health are closely linked, and areas of study where research falls behind. Dr. Ahmed also talks about how political shifts are threatening progress in sex and gender research. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

    44 min

  8. 11/05/2025

    S3E5: How Birth Control Impacts Our Mood with Dr. Inger Sundström Poromaa

    Dr. Inger Sundström Poromaa, gynecologist and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Uppsala University, joins us on this episode to unpack how hormones affect mental health across the lifespan. She explains why some people are more sensitive to hormonal changes, how birth control and menopause can affect mood, and why blood tests don’t tell the full story. Dr. Sundström Poromaa also shares empowering tips for women struggling with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

    36 min
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About

Women’s Health Interrupted explores women’s health through scientific inquiry and storytelling. Spanning across four overarching and multidisciplinary themes: general health and wellness, brain health, socio-cultural determinants of health, as well as politics, policy and advocacy, this podcast brings you content about women's health from every angle. Women's Health Interrupted is produced by the Women's Health Research Cluster.

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