Physiology & Black Health Symposium: Representation and finding your pathway
This event is hosted by the Department of Physiology at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. The event will take place in the Medical Sciences Building on St. George Campus near the Naylor Commons.
The day will include a keynote address, panelist talks, a trainee lunch with the speakers, a Q&A session and trainee flash talks.
Register by June 12, 2026
Trainees! Submit an abstract for a flash talk by June 5, 2026
Physiology & Black Health 2026 Abstract submission form
This years’ program is centered on representation as a key theme.
Panelists:
- Delaney Hines, a Senior Manager in Health Equity Partnerships at Heart & Stroke, is an expert in fostering relationships, striking partnerships and integrating equity into research competitions by helping to remove barriers.
- Dr. Jude Kong, from the University of Toronto’s School of Public Health, is a Canada Research Chair in community-oriented AI and mathematical disease modelling. He empowers underrepresented STEM scholars and drives Southern-led collaboration.
- Dr. Matilda Laar, from the University of Toronto’s Department of Nutritional Sciences, is an experienced Public Health Nutritionist and Educator who works with NGOs including the UN, UNICEF and the WHO. She advises, guides and mentors international students who are often underrepresented in her classrooms.
- Dr. Lyuba Salih, from the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh, researches neuroimmune axes and chronic pain, and charted her own pathway towards representation in research.
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Marjorie Dixon, from Anova Fertility & Reproductive Health, is an Obstetrician- practitioner and one of Canada’s most influential leaders in reproductive medicine. She is a driving force behind expanding access to fertility care in Ontario.
The 2026 symposium is open to all learners in the Temerty Medicine ecosystem, those at the University of Toronto more broadly, and at other universities in Ontario. The scope of discussions and talks will cover topics in research, teaching and health that span the four platforms within the Department of Physiology: Cardiovascular and Respiratory; Endocrine and Diabetes; Reproduction and Development; and Neuroscience.
This year, we are including short presentations from attendees. We encourage anyone who works on topics broadly related to Black teaching, research and/or health to submit an abstract for consideration for flash talks in sessions throughout the day. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: social determinants of health; intersectionality; basic research outcomes; clinical research; teaching practices; racism and trauma, sex and gender disparities, etc.
The event will be in the Medical Sciences Building (room 2170) and Naylor Commons, located at 1 King’s College Circle at the University of Toronto, St. George Campus. The building is accessible from College St. or Queen’s Park Cres. W.
RSVP TODAY