$2M donation gifted to IWK to fund women’s health research chair

A $2 million donation has been gifted to IWK Health in Halifax. The money was donated by prenatal researcher Dr. Margaret Oulton to fund a research chair dedicated to women’s health research.

Oulton started her research career at the former Grace Maternity Hospital in the 1970s.

She helped determine if unborn infants’ lungs were developed enough to withstand induced premature birth.

Her work led to the safe delivery of more than 10,000 babies in Atlantic Canada over a 20-year period.

“I really valued the collaborative and supportive environment we had that enabled us to turn my research into meaningful procedures to improve outcomes for infants in high-risk pregnancies—truly a ‘from bench to bedside’ collaboration,” she said in a news release from the IWK Foundation.

“This experience opened my eyes to the need for more focused research into the specific needs of women’s healthcare. My hope is that this gift will be a spark that will truly impact the future of women’s health research at the IWK.”

Dr. Justine Dol has been named the inaugural Dr. Margaret Oulton Accelerate Chair in Women+ Health Research.

She says one of her first priorities as chair is to work with patients, clinicians, researchers and the public to identify the gaps and the top research priorities for Maritime women.

In October, the IWK released the results from the largest-ever open survey focused on women’s health in the Maritimes.

It found women in the region are frustrated by a health-care system that doesn’t meet their needs and avoid seeking care because they have too many responsibilities and fear they won’t be taken seriously.

Dol says she wants to see more evidence generated about women’s health and better care informed by that evidence.

“Creating this Chair is an important step in shifting that narrative. It’s about ensuring that women+ health is seen, valued, and advanced through focused research and meaningful change. Dr. Oulton is helping to make this happen,” she said.

Jennifer Gillivan, the president and CEO of the IWK Foundation, says Oulton is an inspiration for her generous donation.

“And for the amazing work she did as a researcher when there were not a lot of women researchers in the field,” she said. “Dr. Oulton’s gift adds another important element to her ongoing legacy in health research and will support critical research for women’s health, creating a better future for us all.”

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