48th Annual Northern Doctor's Day

Dr Melanie Altas is a Gynaecologist and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at UBC. She is the Director of the BC Centre for Vulvar Health at VGH and a Sexual Medicine Consultant at the BC Cancer Agency. Her clinical practice is dedicated to sexual medicine, menopause post cancer treatment, and chronic vulvovaginal conditions. She is passionate about improving access to care for individuals within their own community by increasing public awareness, identifying barriers to care, as well as developing resources for community providers.

Dr. Lori Brotto is internationally recognized as a leader in sexual health research. She has mentored 149 trainees and evaluated psychological interventions for sexual dysfunction and genital pain, which collectively impact 1/3 of women. Her work influences practice internationally, with mindfulness now implemented in sexual medicine centres and recommended as front line care in international guidelines. In recognition of her contributions, she holds a Canada Research Chair in women’s sexual health, has received recent awards in mentoring junior faculty, excellent public education through media, book awards, and is listed among the top 2% cited scientists by Stanford/Elsevier (SCOPUS citations).

Dr. Shahin Jaffer is a Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia and holds a Master’s degree in Health Care and Epidemiology. She has been practicing as an internal medicine specialist in Vancouver and Delta for over 25 years. Her main areas of interest and expertise are weight management, diabetes, and cardiovascular health. She has served on the UBC Department of Medicine Academic Appointments and Promotions Committee and also on the Board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In 2022 Dr. Jaffer received the Career Leadership Award from the BC Society of General Internal Medicine and in 2023 she was awarded the Women’s Heart Health Centre Advocacy Award which recognizes visionary contributions as an advocate for the heart, brain, and vascular health of women in Canada.

Dr. Lavoie Lebel is a Maternal Fetal Medicine subspecialist who will be establishing her practice in Prince George in January 2025. She completed medical school and a Master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology through Laval University in Quebec City, followed by residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology with the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. She recently graduated from the University of British Columbia Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship program and holds her Royal College Certification for both ObGyn and MFM. Her areas of interest include fetal growth restriction, advanced fetal imaging, fetal echocardiography, and multiple pregnancies.