Now retired from working as a project manager in the tech industry, Margaret Hanson’s active lifestyle is intimidating. The 68-year-old rock climbs, mountain climbs, hikes, skis, goes on backpacking trips — mainly with her husband of 18 years, Tony — and still seems to have energy to spare. However, in December 2016, just nine months after celebrating her retirement, Hanson received news that no one ever wants to hear.

A new implantable tissue monitoring technology could be a gamechanger for complex head and neck reconstructive surgery, as well as other surgeries. Developed by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) researchers Drs. Babak Shadgan and Donald Anderson, the microvascular free tissue transfer Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (FTT-NIRS) sensor system could reduce the number of revision surgeries needed for invasive skin flap transplants.

Thousands of women in Canada are diagnosed with gynecologic cancers every year – but there’s still a lack of awareness. Cecilia Hua spoke with a cancer patient and a doctor about how women can take control of their own health.

April 20–26 is National Fertility Awareness Week– a nationwide movement dedicated to breaking the silence, raising awareness, and advocating for better fertility care across Canada. In honour of this week, we sat down with Nicole Keay, a long-time patient partner with the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative (GCI) and host of the GOSH Podcast. 

A new study led by Dr. Helen Tremlett, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher and professor in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, sheds light on the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis (MS). Published in JAMA Network Open and with funding from the National MS Society and MS Canada, the research team found that the disease process may begin up to 15 years before characteristic symptoms used to make a diagnosis appear.