Running toward Reconciliation: Tréchelle Bunn’s journey from athlete to advocate

Law student Tréchelle Bunn is the founder and race director of the Reconciliation Run, which she created to honour her grandparents who attended residential school. This year, she’s using the funds raised to create a scholarship for Indigenous student athletes. 

Maya Turner: A trailblazer in U Sports football

In November, Maya Turner made history (again!) as the first female athlete ever to be named an all-star in U Sports football. Earlier this year, she reflected on the journey that brought her here.

The Rhode to 100

UM has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other university in western Canada. Artist Joel Nichols, UM’s 100th recipient and the first ever from the School of Art, shares the creative complexities of his world.

Change through rematriation

Pahan PteSanWin was named a 2024 Vanier Scholar for her Indigenous rematriation and reparations research. Her work highlights the importance of envisioning what a future can look like past colonial violence.

From seeking Narcos to seeking peace at UM

As a marine in the Peruvian Navy, graduate student Omar Tejada saw the impact of narcoterrorism on children firsthand. Now he’s using his master’s thesis in Peace and Conflict Studies to draw attention to the situation in his home country of Peru and advocate for the youngest and most vulnerable victims of the drug wars.

Med student, inclusion advocate recognized by Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

Med student Tooba Razi says her identity as a Pakistani, Muslim woman has strengthened her commitment to creating safe spaces and mentorship opportunities for those who are underrepresented. In 2024, she was recognized for her hard work and dedication with a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award.

Taking the stage at the global Falling Walls Lab in Berlin

UM Falling Walls Lab grand-prize winner Nolan De Leon made connections and represented the university at the global Falling Walls Science Summit this fall. He was in good company among 100 passionate thinkers and dreamers from various countries trying to face the world’s greatest challenges head on.

New graduate hopes to inspire other Inuit to pursue engineering

A love of tinkering with offroad vehicles and learning how to optimize them for the arctic led RJ Oolooyuk to mechanical engineering. Now he’s the first Inuk student to graduate from the Price Faculty of Engineering and has returned home to Rankin Inlet, Nunavut to inspire his community.

The intersection of genetics and advocacy

While working through her degree, fourth-year genetics student Witta Irumva noted a lack of representation of Black women in her field. She aims to change that by combining her passion for science with her drive to create a more-equitable world.

Shaping Education: 2024 Undergraduate Research Award Recipients

Six Faculty of Education students received UM’s undergraduate research awards this year. Their projects delve into critical educational issues like supporting refugee students, gender-based violence and sexual education.

What you should know about Dr. James Blanchard and his research:

• Dr. James Blanchard [B.Sc.(Med.)/86, MD/86], executive director of the UM Institute for Global Public Health, leads health research and programming to support reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health in Asia and Africa.

• The Institute for Global Public Health (IGPH) has helped position UM health researchers as leaders in global public health. IGPH is rooted in the Department of Community Health Sciences in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences but has a university-wide mandate.

• In Canada, he has been a leader in developing methods to study the emerging epidemics of diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.

Research impacts:

• In 2014, approximately 45 out of every 1,000 babies died within the first month of life in Uttar Pradesh, India. By 2019, neonatal mortality rates decreased to 36 per 1,000 live births.

• Over the past 25 years, Blanchard has also provided leadership globally to applying research to improve the design and implementation of large public health programs related to sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS.

Recent honours and honourable mentions:

• In 2022, Blanchard’s research was given a major injection of support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The funding of US$87 million will help the government of Uttar Pradesh scale up critical initiatives across the state to prioritize the health of pregnant women and their children.

• Elected as a fellow the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) in 2022. The CAHS Fellowship recognizes excellence in health sciences. Election to Fellowship in the Academy is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community.

Must-read or Must-see:

READ: Cross collaborations in health with university and government in India

VIDEO: How UM researchers are saving lives in India

What’s next:

• New global health initiatives and collaborations with partners will advance UM’s role in promoting the use of science in designing and implementing high-impact public health programs.

• Advancing knowledge to improve health programs and services for socially and economically excluded urban and peri-urban populations in south Asia.

• Developing partnerships with academic institutions in other countries for graduate education in community health sciences and global health.

UM Faces & Spaces is a monthly feature showcasing the people and places across UM that are transforming the student experience, advancing innovation in research, driving change and creating a lasting impact here in Manitoba and globally. For more stories go to our YouTube playlist.

His dad, who’d come to visit, got visibly upset. It made a strong impression on Clarke as a young boy.

As much as he didn’t understand at the time, he says he’s thought through this moment in light of his current position as a professor, and with the knowledge he now has.

The assistant professor of anthropology at UM identifies as a Black man and is also the founder of the Afro-Caribbean Mentorship Program and the upcoming community series Barbershop Talk Series: Black Men & Misconceptions.

“I’ll never forget,” says Clarke. “He said, ‘No. You’re going to be a lawyer or a doctor,’ right.

“It was [my father’s] way of dealing with anti-Black racism — in terms of ‘I don’t want to see my son be a bus driver. I want my son to be better because I know what the world is about’.”

Clarke notes that it’s an example of the ongoing and intergenerational impact of racism on someone’s internal world and self-worth — and on their mental health.

It’s not that deep, some people would say — but even microaggressions stick to the mind and internally question the Black person about their humanness.

“Mental health is not a moment, it’s a continuous thing that happens to an individual,” he says. “But when it comes to Black folk, it’s something that we have to deal with in many different ways.

“It impacts people’s ability to be human and impacts people’s ability to be — in a Canadian context — part of the fabric of Canada, to be a citizen. You know, when we think through anti-Black racism, it’s not a moment where you know you experience it and you get ‘over’ it.

“This is something that continues to impact the way you socialize, the way you work, even the way you interact with your children.”

Attend the 3rd annual Black History Month panel on Feb. 7, 2025 to learn more about the effects of anti-Black racism on mental health.

Clarke says his mother used to tell him, “Warren, you have to work harder than the rest” — a common refrain for young Black people from their guardians or parents.

But, he points out, not only are you having to work harder at your studies or other endeavours, “you also have to work hard at trying to assert yourself and believe that you’re human because anti-Black racism is stripping the humanness of a person, indirectly or directly.

“Even those microaggressions or slight moments of anti-Black racism — it’s not that deep, some people would say — [but] it’s something that sticks to the mind and questions the Black person about their humanness.”

ANTI-BLACK RACISM: MULTIFOLD, CONTINUAL EFFECTS

If Warren Clarke has a heart and a passion for his topic, there are a few reasons for that. It’s not only his lived experience and being a father, but also because of the many young Black men he’s spoken with and got to know while doing his research and community work.

His work and research has focussed on young and marginalized men who are Afro-Caribbean Black — ACB as the acronym— and their utilization in youth employment training programs in Ontario and Quebec. He found that their employment-seeking strategies are met with many barriers.

Too often, it means not only denial of certain opportunities, but a sort of denial of humanness.

It’s not only being Black and the accompanying biases, he notes, but additionally that they are met with gender biases about what it means to be a young man, mixed with social class or low social economic status.

Too often, he says, it means not only denial of certain opportunities, but a sort of denial of their humanness.

“And the only employment opportunities that these young men were receiving was labor-intensive work such as working in factories or only being perceived to be [suitable for short-term employment].”

So, he says, they were getting at times a doubled denial — from both potential and actual employers and their youth employment counsellors who were, in effect, categorizing them in this way.

Clarke saw, first-hand, the multifold, continual effects of racism, and the additional obstacles created by how relentlessly demoralizing and exhausting it is.

He says, “What I found when I was speaking with these young men, is that there was a constant struggle … to try to be a citizen, but also try to, you know, climb out of the marginalization … so they can assert themselves economically and equally.

“So this was something they were dealing with constantly. And because they were dealing with this constantly, they were questioning themselves about their work. They were questioning themselves. Should I even continue working? Should I just stop?”

For some of them, he says, it led to homelessness.

“One, they couldn’t sustain themselves in and through employment, but also they couldn’t find ways to challenge the anti-Black and gender biases and classism that they’re facing,” he explains.

“I have privilege in comparison to the young Black men who I was speaking with during my research,” he says.

But then, he says, “it doesn’t take away that I deal with anti-Black racism in other ways, right — and also to sustain my ability — you know, in the in the career that I’m in, or even as a father that I am. It still has impacts.

“It’s a hinderance in the ways in which we have to think, or take more time to think, on how to operate within our society.”

ALL PEOPLE ON DECK

Anthropology professor Warren Clarke.

Clarke also believes that we all need to be mindful that people deal with different types of social oppressions, and based on different characteristics of who they are.

“If we’re going to live in a way to move forward, we not only have to, you know, take space,” he says, “but we have to make space.”

For him, “we’re human beings first. That’s what it is. We’re human beings first and everything else comes after, you know.”

Clarke says that he will always champion the work against racism, but his work stems further, and beyond only anti-Black racism.

“I look at social oppressions holistically,” he says, “and I look at and try to understand people from different lived experiences so we can liberate people.

“To challenge anything, it’s not just one set of people, we need all people on deck — everyone, and we need to learn from everyone.”

We invite you to join us in the Real Me Resolutions campaign! Check out our accessible tip and resource guide to explore common themes that tend to come up around New Years. Topics like sleep, diet culture, and realistic movement are brought together through 10 tips we hope are helpful starting points for authentic well-being in the new year and beyond.

Here’s a sneak peak of some of the tips included in the Real Me Resolutions documents:  

Tip two: Shift from negative to neutral!  

It is common to struggle with body image and sometimes positive affirmations just aren’t believable to us and can cause frustration. Jumping from self-doubt to self-love can be hard, so consider self-acceptance as a middle, kind step.”  

Tip six: Consider intuitive eating!

Intuitive eating is the opposite of diet culture, which tells us that deprivation, control, and measurement is the path to balance our health. Unlearning what diet culture teaches and relearning to trust ourselves is not easy, but possible!

Tip seven: Move in your way!  

When we think about physical activity, our first reaction can tell us a lot about our relationship to movement. Consider exploring this, and possibly shifting away from how and/or how much you think you “should” work out—to a sense of wonder and curiosity about what you actually enjoy! Who knows, you might find something new you never knew you wanted to try…or perhaps just something you dislike a little less -which is also valid!

For your own PDF copy of these tips and resources (including websites, books, blogs, podcasts and videos), check out this blog post on Heathy U!

That just leaves one question: what’s your Real Me Resolution?

This is one of the questions being explored with the HIV Doula Project, a research study conducted by UM’s Village Lab and their community partner Ka Ni Kanichihk. It is the first study on the role of doulas in the HIV care cascade in Canada. The care cascade is the series of steps people who test positive for HIV go through– from being diagnosed, getting linked to care, starting treatment, and ultimately, reaching and sustaining an undetectable viral load.

Village Lab director Dr. Rusty Souleymanov

Village Lab, which is led by Dr. Rusty Souleymanov at the Faculty of Social Work, was established in 2021 with the goal of improving the health and well-being of people impacted by HIV/STBBI (sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections) and other infectious diseases. They use integrated research, education, interventions and policy to achieve their goals, have a strong commitment to decolonization and equity, and champion harm reduction.

“We do our work and lead projects in a very community-based, participatory way,” Souleymanov says. “Besides me, our team includes an Indigenous Elder, our manager, people with lived experience of HIV, graduate and undergraduate students, research assistants, research and community program coordinators, and many community members. All our research projects are informed by community guiding circles made up of representatives from the diverse communities we work with. I also work very closely with community organizations like Ka Ni Kanichihk, where my colleague Laverne Gervais leads this project.”

The HIV Doula Project focuses on Indigenous doulas specifically.

“For First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people on Turtle Island, relationships to land, community, and culture have been disrupted by colonial and gender-based violence, impacting Indigenous women, two-spirit, trans, and gender-diverse people’s health, including HIV and STBBI,” Souleymanov says. “Community members speak of the importance of this research to identify unmet needs, promote the tangible benefits HIV doulas can have for the community, and enhance the sustainability of those benefits, including creating culturally sensitive and innovative services, outreach, and interventions that focus on HIV doula work.”

For the first phase funded by Gilead Sciences that took place from May 2022 – March 2023, study coordinator Candace Neumann, with support from the lead investigator Laverne Gervais, sat in conversation with 10 participants who were recruited by word of mouth, through peer networks, and at Ka Ni Kanichihk. They were asked questions like:

• Do you think people newly diagnosed, or living with HIV could benefit from there being HIV doulas?
• What would an HIV doula look like to you?
• What would you need to do HIV doula work?

The results of the consultation were compiled in a community report that was published on the Village Lab website.

“Each participant shared beautiful stories that ranged from happy and humorous to heartbreaking and tragic,” Neumann highlighted in the report. “One thread that wove through each sharing was the importance of kinship in all aspects of support for Indigenous people living with or impacted by HIV.”

“The report speaks about the urgent need for this type of work in Manitoba, and it also identifies the infrastructure that is needed to scale this project up,” Souleymanov says.

Gervais and Souleymanov have already received additional funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the next phase of the project. Their plan is to use sharing circles and Indigenous story work to comprehensively explore the role of Indigenous doulas in HIV/STBBI prevention and care of Indigenous women, two-spirit, trans, and gender-diverse people living with, or at risk of, HIV/STBBI.

“After the research component is completed, we plan to train a small group of community members and implement an HIV doula training program,” Souleymanov says. “We really hope that findings from this study will inform services, interventions and campaigns for Indigenous people in Manitoba.”

The project will also build capacity among Indigenous people living with HIV and Indigenous-led agencies in Manitoba. Indeed, Indigenous HIV doulas could be a bright part of the future of HIV care in Manitoba.

Read the HIV Doula Project Community Report

Learn more about Village Lab

Dr. Kristin Reynolds, director of the UM Health Information Exchange Lab, has been recognized with a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Aging Prize for her work to expand and evaluate a program that serves older adults.

The CONNECT Program was developed and launched in Manitoba in 2020 by Reynolds in collaboration with A&O: Support Services for Older Adults, as well as faculty and students from the UM departments of psychology, clinical health psychology and community health sciences, and Brandon University.

With the CONNECT Program, Reynolds seeks to support adults aged 65 and older who are experiencing loneliness and symptoms of anxiety and depression. CONNECT is an accessible, evidence-based group psychotherapy program offered by telephone. Reynolds will use the new CIHR support to add a virtual arm to the program and expand the network of service delivery partners nationally, to include organizations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and British Columbia.

Reynolds is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology, with an adjunct appointment in psychiatry in the Max Rady College of Medicine. She is also a research affiliate with the Centre on Aging and a research scientist with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. She was a 2022 recipient of the Terry G. Falconer Memorial Rh Emerging Researcher Award.

“I’m a Winnipegger, and I am grateful to have completed all of my training here at the University of Manitoba, from my bachelor of arts with honours in psychology to my MA and PhD, including my predoctoral residency, which I completed in the UM department of clinical health psychology,” says Reynolds.

“Throughout my graduate studies, specializing in aging and mental health, I came to understand how common mental health problems can be among older adults, the aversive relationship between loneliness and mental health, as well as the consequences of untreated mental health problems.

“I gained a deep appreciation for the importance of community initiatives and organizations in supporting mental health. In order to meet the mental health-related needs of Manitobans, integration of mental health services, including psychological supports, into the community is essential.”

The Health Information Exchange Lab includes undergraduate and graduate students in psychology and related disciplines. The lab aims to understand the unique health-related needs of key population groups and engages groups in the development and evaluation of resources and services to meet their unique needs.

Findings of Reynolds’ work highlight that the rate of mental health service use among older adults remains low, despite how common these issues have become. The team seeks to identify barriers to service use and co-develop resources to overcome them.

“To develop and deliver the CONNECT Program, we partnered with A&O: Support Services for Older Adults, which already offers a helpful telephone-based program for Manitobans called Senior Centre Without Walls,” says Reynolds.

“We’re hearing that the ease of access and the degree of anonymity offered by the telephone-based format of the CONNECT Program are important factors in reducing barriers to participation. There is a gap in this type of service offering across Canada, so the potential impact of expanding the program is significant.”

Reynolds’ lab, in collaboration with faculty in the UM department of clinical health psychology, has also developed an online, self-directed cognitive behavioural therapy program for pregnant and postpartum people called Overcoming Perinatal Anxiety. Both programs are grounded in the needs of the specific populations, including the psychological strategies that are most effective in addressing these challenges and the key barriers of service engagement to overcome.

“I congratulate Dr. Reynolds and the Health Information Exchange Lab team for achieving national recognition and support with this CIHR special prize,” says UM Vice-President (Research and International) Dr. Mario Pinto. “Dr. Reynolds’ rigorous approach has allowed the CONNECT Program to address the paramount concern of mental health among our aging population here in Manitoba, and now across Canada as well.”

The futuristic kitchen – featuring height-adjustable counters and appliances that can be controlled with a mobile app – can be used to assess ergonomics.

The goal is to support aging in place and safe independent living.

For more innovations in health, read the full story in Teaching Life Magazine

For the month of July, we are exploring the theme of innovation and disruption. 
You can find more stories around these ideas in the “In Focus” section starting July 10, 2023.

“It’s been so encouraging and so exciting over the years to have so many people who are happy, and willing, and able, and passionate about working in the field of Indigenous health,” Cook said Wednesday. “I can’t even imagine, really, doing anything else.”

The annual Vanier Medal, which was created in 1962 by the Institute of Public Administration, is given to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of public administration.

Read the full story in the Winnipeg Free Press

Reynolds is the 2022 recipient of the Terry G. Falconer Memorial Rh Institute Foundation Emerging Researcher Award in the Social Sciences category, in recognition of her research to improve mental health in older adults, perinatal people and healthcare providers working with these populations. UM Today caught up with Reynolds to learn more about her and the research she is undertaking.

Tell us a bit about you and your research.

I’m a registered clinical psychologist, and an associate professor in the department of psychology, with an adjunct appointment in the department of psychiatry in the College of Medicine. I’m also a research affiliate with the Centre on Aging and a research scientist with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. I’m a proud UM graduate, having completed my training here.

I direct the Health Information Exchange Lab, overseeing a team of grad students and research volunteers. Our research seeks to understand and address the unique health needs of certain populations like older adults, people who are pregnant or postpartum, and healthcare professionals who work with these groups. We primarily use qualitative and mixed methods to explore their experiences, views and needs, translating their stories into practical resources and services.

Why is this research important?

Mental health problems are common and can present in complex ways, whether alongside physical illness or co-occurring with other mental health problems. It can be difficult for people to recognize mental health problems and communicate symptoms with others. Navigating resources and services can be challenging, which can delay access and further worsen mental health problems. In our research, we try to address these issues. We integrate patient and public perspectives, use knowledge translation frameworks, and apply various methodologies to understand needs and then meet those needs through collaborative work.

For example, we’ve developed resources for people dealing with late-life depression, and we’ve developed a telephone program called The CONNECT Program for people ages 55 years and older which focuses on managing social isolation and mental health problems. We’ve also developed an online, self-directed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Program called Overcoming Perinatal Anxiety for managing anxiety that can arise or worsen during pregnancy and postpartum. And we’ve developed resources for long-term care staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our overarching goal is to understand people’s mental health needs and collaborate with key stakeholders to meet those needs through various means.

What does the Rh Award mean to you?

It’s a real honour. It’s such a prestigious award at the University of Manitoba and, as a UM graduate, I understand firsthand the high-quality work being done here, so to be recognized in this capacity is very meaningful. The award also signifies the valuation of mental health, community collaborations, and varied research methodologies. Receiving this award makes me feel very grateful for the mentorship I’ve received and the steadfast support from my community partners, students and co-investigators.

What do you hope to achieve in the future?

We want to continue to grow, focusing on expanding and evaluating our resources and services. Key areas of our development include how we can adapt our programs for different Canadian contexts and marginalized populations, and how we can collaborate with various community groups to ensure our services are suitable and effective. We aim to refine, scale up, and evaluate our services continuously, ensuring their relevance and impact on the communities they serve. We also intend to continue our collaborations with community groups across the country, with the belief that accessible and timely mental health resources can greatly enhance quality of life in our society.

What about you would people find surprising?

Music is near and dear to my heart and has been a huge part of my life since I was little. I played classical violin since I was about four, along with the trumpet in junior high and high school. I was also a graduate of the Mama Cutsworth DJ Academy for All Women and Non-Binary Folks in my graduate years, performing under the stage name DJ Academic. Although my time has shifted to other priorities, music and the arts remain an important part of my identity.

Any advice for early career researchers and students?

It’s been important to me to find meaning, connection, and passion in my program of research. Everything that I research, I can connect it with something meaningful to me, whether it’s the clients with whom I’ve worked and seen struggle in finding services, my close relationship with my grandparents, or my pregnancy and postpartum experiences and seeing both how joyous and also how challenging those can be at times.

Seek mentorship and guidance. Get involved in different research labs in your communities of work or practice in your field. Listen to people and honour the stories that they tell you. And lastly, collaborate and engage your partner groups in ways they want to be involved, because everything is more fruitful when we work together.