Dr. Stacey Ritz is the Assistant Dean of the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program and Associate Professor in Pathology & Molecular Medicine at McMaster University. She was kind enough to offer her story about the beginnings of her research, some of her goals going forward and some of her perspectives on the healthcare system.
“I started in lab research and was interested in how air pollution affects allergies.
That’s when I started thinking about how to address sex & gender research, as I realized that medical residency hadn’t accounted robustly for sex & gender research. I was frustrated and at a loss to do that in a meaningful way, instead of just comparing males and females. Discussions with colleagues showed that we needed a more sophisticated analysis to do effective health research.
Going forward, one of my dreams is to write a book about sex & gender health research, perhaps by taking a research leave. In regards to the Health Sciences Program, I want to continue inspiring innovation and experimental approaches to education.
Moreover, for me, it is important that life is more than just work. I want to think about things, do meaningful things and things that bring people joy. What delights me the most is the human capacity for randomness.
If I had the power to implement one change in the Canadian health care system that would be effective tomorrow, I would incorporate intersectional perspectives on health and equity. I would ensure that everyone understands and appreciates that there is no one size fits all answer for anything. I would ensure that people’s lives and experiences are taken seriously.”
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