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The Road to a Revolutionary At-home Circulating Tumour DNA Test for HPV: A Conversation with Dr. Annie Leung

September 16, 2025
Pap tests have long saved lives, but they can be uncomfortable—especially for women in remote or underserved communities. Recent innovations, like the HPV vaccine and the rollout of at-home self-sampling in parts of Canada, are opening new possibilities for prevention and earlier detection. These advances show how cervical cancer screening is evolving beyond the traditional clinic exam, offering hope for more comfortable and equitable care. Dr. Annie Leung, a gynecologic oncologist at the McGill University Health Centre and Assistant Professor in Obstetrics & Gynecology at McGill, cares for patients across the cancer journey while leading research to improve detection through biomarkers like circulating tumor DNA. Her collaborators, which include Dr. Julia Burnier, a liquid biopsy experts, and Dr. Samara Perez, a clinical psychologist with an interest in HPV, are pioneering a non-binary liquid biopsy that could help doctors identify which HPV-positive patients truly need follow-up — reducing unnecessary procedures and moving Canada closer to eliminating cervical cancer. In this interview, she shares her journey and what’s next for women’s health innovation. Dr. Leung’s journey to medical school “I come from an immigrant family from Hong Kong. We had language barriers growing up, and I learned to navigate them through the…
WHCCWHCC NewsAll ArticlesUncategorized

Closing the Gap: WHCC’s Federal Pre-Budget Call to Action

August 6, 2025
Women’s Health Collective Canada has formally submitted recommendations to the federal government as part of the 2025 pre‑budget consultation process, calling for targeted investments to close Canada’s persistent gaps in women’s health research, care, and outcomes. Our submission outlines two core recommendations: A National Women’s Health Strategy A $150 million investment over three years to support women’s health research across Canada through WHCC’s national network “Canada can’t build the strongest economy in the G7 while ignoring the health of over half its population,” says Amy Flood, Executive Director, WHCC. “Strategic investment in women’s health research is not just overdue, it’s smart economic policy. It improves care, reduces system strain, and boosts productivity by helping women stay in the workforce longer and healthier. The bottom line is that when women get the care they deserve, everyone benefits.” Women make up 51% of Canada’s population, yet women’s health receives just 6.8% of national research funding. Untreated conditions like endometriosis, perinatal depression, and menopause-related symptoms carry significant human and economic costs. Addressing these inequities is not only a matter of equity—it’s a nation-building opportunity. The WHCC submission is made in solidarity with the Partnership for Women’s Health Research Canada (PWHR) and the Canadian…
ReportsWCHF

Women at the Forefront of Aging in Canada. 2024 Report – Academics at Women’s College Hospital (2024)

October 23, 2024
Women’s Age Lab’s 2024 report addresses the unique challenges faced by older women in Canada. It sheds light on the health and wellbeing challenges often overlooked in research, healthcare, and policymaking daily and on a systemic level. From underrepresentation in clinical trials to the gender pension gap, older women navigate a complex landscape that demands urgent attention.
ReportsWHCC

Women’s Health Collective Canada National Survey (2020)

October 23, 2024
Three of Canada’s leading women’s health foundations – BC Women’s Health Foundation, Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, and Women’s College Hospital Foundation – have launched the Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) with a national survey that underscores the need for increased awareness around women’s health. Survey results show what those in the medical community have known for years: that lack of knowledge and public understanding of women’s health parallels a history of gender inequality in the research process.
ReportsAWHF

Surveying the Silence (2023)

October 23, 2024
In Spring 2023, the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation released the thought leadership report, “Surveying the Silence: Exploring the Impact of Taboos in Women’s Health”. More than 2,200 people were surveyed to understand their top health issues, concerns, and experiences seeking help for conditions specifically associated with women’s anatomy. The survey shed light on many health issues that are not regularly or openly discussed and put a focus on the questions we do not know to ask. Conditions about which little is known, and according to the respondents, even less is done, such as menopause, endometriosis, painful periods and PMDD, PCOS, pelvic floor issues, and more.
ReportsBCWHF

In Her Words – Women’s Experience with the Healthcare System in BC (2020)

October 23, 2024
Despite decades of progress in health research, policy, and practice, women still face many barriers accessing the high-quality healthcare they deserve. In response, this 2020 BC Women’s Health Foundation report examines how women experience healthcare across the province. The aim is to drive changes within the system that will lead to healthy women everywhere, capable of anything.

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Women’s Health Collective Canada is a strategic alliance between

BC Women's Health Foundation
Alberta Women's Health Foundation
Women's College Hospital Foundation
MUHC Foundation
IWK Foundation