In this episode of Women's Health Interrupted, we speak with Dr. Tamar Gur — a scientist whose candor and energy make every conversation unforgettable. Before we get anywhere near the microbiome, Tamar opens up about what it means to be a woman in science: the constant advice‑getting, the second‑guessing, the charm you learn to wield, and the grit required to stay loud in rooms that weren’t built for you. From there, we dive into her core philosophy: sound mind and sound body cannot be separated. Studying mental health in isolation, Tamar argues, isolates the science itself. You can’t understand the brain without understanding the immune system. You can’t understand mood without understanding inflammation. And you certainly can’t understand depression without understanding the microbiome — the fungi, viruses, bacteria, and microorganisms living in every orifice of the body. Because, as Dr. Tamar puts it, there is nothing more personal than the microbes in your orifices. We explore why depression research has been flattened by over‑generalization, why nuance is essential, and why the microbiome demands that medicine get more comfortable with complexity. The body is not a set of disconnected systems — it’s a conversation. And Dr. Tamar’s work listens to all of it. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

Dr. Cindy Barha and Dr. Liisa Galea go way back! Dr. Cindy started her training in Liisa's lab, way back when, and has since built a leading research career uncovering how exercise shapes brain health. Together, they dig into what women actually need to know about movement and the mind. They break down how exercise changes the brain — from the role of BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) to neuroplasticity — and why sex differences matter in this science. You’ll hear how women can experience greater gains in certain aspects of cognition with specific types of exercise, and what the newest research is revealing about which forms of movement best support women’s brain health across the lifespan. From aerobic training to resistance training, the scientists unpack how different exercise modalities may uniquely benefit women’s brains — and what this means for building a movement routine that truly supports long term cognitive health. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

The Honourable Dr. Kirsty Duncan, former Minister of Science, geographer, and author of The Exclusion Effect: Why Women Are Underrepresented in Science, and How to Fix It, joins us on this episode to discuss the systemic barriers facing women in science and why equity in research matters for everyone. She explains how policy decisions shape scientific progress, why women’s health and women’s leadership remain chronically undervalued, and what it takes to build a research system that truly includes diverse voices. Dr. Duncan also talks about her own experiences navigating sexism in academia and politics, and offers practical advice for how researchers can influence policy and drive meaningful change. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

Dr. Kate Womersley, psychiatrist, Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, and leader of the MESSAGE project (Medical Science Sex and Gender Equity), joins us on this episode to discuss sex and gender equity in medical research. She explains why research funders are such powerful levers for change, how pregnancy can act as a “stress test” revealing medical misogyny, and why sex- and gender-informed science leads to better care for everyone, not just women. Dr. Womersley also talks about how her own experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and clinical psychiatry fuel her push to make sex and gender a new basic standard in biomedical research. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

Dr. Daisy Singla, clinical psychologist, researcher, and global leader in perinatal mental health, joins us on this episode to discuss perinatal mental health. She explains why the perinatal period is such a vulnerable time and how task-sharing and telemedicine can expand access to mental health care for parents. Dr. Singla also talks about the urgent need to bring evidence-based psychotherapy into real-world practice and the policy changes required to make universal perinatal mental health care a reality. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

Dr. Gina Ogilvie, clinician-scientist, global women’s health leader, and Professor at the University of British Columbia, joins us on this episode to discuss HPV vaccination and the future of cervical cancer screening. She explains how HPV causes cancer, why vaccination is such an effective prevention tool, and how self-collected HPV testing is expanding access and equity in Canada and around the world. Dr. Ogilvie also talks about vaccine hesitancy, global health disparities, and the long game of turning scientific evidence into policy. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

Jennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation, joins us on this episode to discuss why Canada needs a national women’s health strategy and how systemic bias in science, medicine, and policy leaves women behind. She explains how decades of underfunding and male-default research have shaped today’s “illness-care” system, what she’s hearing from thousands of women across Atlantic Canada, and why her mantra is to educate, advocate, and mobilize to equalize. Gillivan also talks about the power of philanthropy and femtech to fuel a global women’s health movement and build a fairer future for all women. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

Professor Siobhain O’Mahony, neurobiological scientist and microbiome researcher, joins us to discuss how your microbes talk to your hormones and your brain. She explains the gut microbiome, why most serotonin is made in the gut, and how the estrobolome can influence estrogen levels, touching endometriosis, perimenopause, and menopause. Professor O’Mahony also talks about “leaky gut,” stress, and practical ways fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics can support our mood. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

Dr. Sofia Ahmed, nephrologist, clinician scientist, and Academic Lead of Women’s Health Research at the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI), joins us on this episode to discuss why the menstrual cycle is a vital sign and how women’s health extends far beyond reproductive health. She explains why kidney and heart health are closely linked, and areas of study where research falls behind. Dr. Ahmed also talks about how political shifts are threatening progress in sex and gender research. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/

Dr. Inger Sundström Poromaa, gynecologist and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Uppsala University, joins us on this episode to unpack how hormones affect mental health across the lifespan. She explains why some people are more sensitive to hormonal changes, how birth control and menopause can affect mood, and why blood tests don’t tell the full story. Dr. Sundström Poromaa also shares empowering tips for women struggling with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. Host: Dr. Liisa Galea

Editor: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Producer: Dr. Andrew McGovern

Marketing: Felicia Gisondi

Music by Dr. Andrew McGovern

New episodes of Women’s Health Interrupted will be available every

Wednesday. Please rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast wherever

you find your podcasts. Learn more about the Women's Health Research

Cluster on their website: https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/