The department of physiology and pathophysiology is currently searching for the Endowed Chair in Metabolic and Endocrine Disease. The Endowed Chair position is funded and made possible through a donation made by Dr. Henry G. Friesen, who served as the head of physiology and pathophysiology for 18 years. Dr. Friesen was also the director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and oversaw its formation from what was the Medical Research Council of Canada.
News from Dr. Meghan Azad’s THRiVE Discovery Lab
- A new, free 60-minute online course, co-created by Dr. Meghan Azad, UM Canada Research Chair in early nutrition and the developmental origins of health and disease, a professor of pediatrics and child health and THRiVE director, is now available for healthcare professionals and includes a CME credit. Read more
- Dr. Azad, contributed an educational video to BreastFEEDucation, a newly launched free online course designed to strengthen breastfeeding counselling and education across Europe and beyond. Read more
- Dr. Azad sat down with European Medical Journal’s host Dr. Catherine Glass to discuss how early-life nutrition influences immune development from birth and beyond. Read more
- In an Economist podcast discussion examining the science and challenges of breast feeding, Dr. Azad highlights how much is still unknown about breast milk and infant feeding, despite its profound importance to human health. Read more
- Bridget McGann, a THRiVE Discovery Lab team member, delivered the closing plenary at the 2026 U.S. Breastfeeding Committee National Breastfeeding Conference and Convening in Bethesda, Maryland. The talk – titled “Humanity’s First Food: Breastfeeding and Human Milk as a Keystone of Planetary Health” – presented human milk and breastfeeding as a natural resource in need of protection and conservation, a buffer against food insecurity for children under five, a low-carbon green food, a source of food sovereignty, and an emerging technology ethics frontier. Read more
News from the department of medical microbiology and infectious diseases
Research conducted by Dr. Zulma Rueda, UM Canada Research Chair in sexually transmitted infection – resistance and control, and a professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases, and her team examining sexually transmitted infections and screening practices was featured in the Winnipeg Free Press, helping bring local and national attention to STI prevention and public health initiatives.
A major research initiative led by Dr. Keith Fowke, professor, and Dr. Julie Lajoie, assistant professor, focused on understanding HPV and preventing cervical cancer was featured in UM Today. The project involves numerous collaborators and will support innovative approaches to prevention and women’s health.
Dr. Rueda hosted the Women-Centered HIV Care in the Prairies ancillary event during the 2026 Canadian Association for HIV Research conference in Winnipeg. The event brought together researchers, healthcare professionals, community organizations and advocates to discuss advances in women-centered HIV care and strengthen collaborations across the Prairie provinces.
Dr. Rueda and Dr. Yoav Keynan, professor of internal medicine, hosted the HIV Prevention Can’t Wait: HIV Prevention and Treatment for Women and Priority Populations symposium in April. The event attracted more than 250 attendees and provided an important forum for discussion on HIV prevention, treatment and health equity.
Dr. Mariana Herrera Diaz, postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Rueda‘s laboratory, organized the One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance academic and networking events held at the University of Manitoba from May 25-28. The events brought together researchers, trainees and international collaborators from Canada and Colombia to share knowledge, explore collaborative opportunities, and advance One Health approaches to addressing antimicrobial resistance.
Dr. Rueda‘s AllTogether4IDEAS research team organized a community outreach initiative in July supporting individuals experiencing houselessness in Winnipeg. Through the efforts of faculty, staff, trainees and community volunteers, the team distributed 61 hygiene kits, 63 harm reduction kits, 300 sandwiches, along with clothing, shoes, personal care items and educational resources on HIV, STBBIs, testing, prevention and treatment services.