CoM Student Wins International Poster Prize in Women’s Health

She may have taken a circuitous route to medical school, but Caitlin Hunter now knows that the research she’s doing on women’s health is what she wants to focus on.

“My road to medical school was a lengthy one,” Hunter explained. “I completed two degrees at the University of Regina - Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology, and Arts in Psychology - prior to applying to medical school.

“I was doing research in various labs and was considering graduate school and, ultimately, I decided to apply to medicine to pursue a career in Sexual Health and Women’s Health.”

Her passion for research, and enjoyment of time spent working in labs, coupled with her interest in women’s health, has resulted in inspiring her current research: characterizing endometrial growth dynamics in women as they age. Her paper looked at endometrial thickness, atypical ovarian follicle growth, and hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle of perimenopausal women.

It’s research that can improve the understanding menopause.

“Knowledge regarding age-related changes in endometrial growth dynamics may provide a better understanding about hormone changes and reproductive complications associated with the transition to menopause,” continued Hunter.

Complications that include increased risk for endometrial hyperplasia, implantation failure, and miscarriage.

“Specifically, the results of our research suggest a potential causal mechanism for the increased risk of endometrial hyperplasia as women age.” Endometrial hyperplasia places women at increased risk of developing endometrial cancer.

This research experience has stemmed directly from the driving force behind her decision to become a doctor and her focus on women’s health.

“I think it is important that you advocate for those who are not in a position to advocate for themselves,” she stressed. “For me, this means advocating for women to receive free and easily accessible care regardless of any geographic or socioeconomic factors.”

Hunter received one of the top 4 poster awards for presentation of her research at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. in Nov, 2014. Co-authors on the award included Dr. Donna Chizen (clinical co-investigator) and Dr. Angela Baerwald (supervisor) in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the U of S, Kailey Turner (undergraduate student, Department of Physiology, U of S), Heidi Vanden Brink (graduate student, Health Sciences, U of S) and Dr. David Robertson (Prince Henry’s Research Institute, Victoria, Australia).