Wood Forum 2026

Dr. Ranita Manocha is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. Her areas of clinical expertise include connective tissue disorders, bracing, and wheelchair seating. She also runs the Better Mobility Lab, where her research team studies joint hypermobility conditions, walking aids, braces, and exercise interventions for people with impaired mobility.

Predicting the Unpredictable: Finding Patterns in Hypermobility
The hypermobility spectrum disorders and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome affect females about four times as much as males. Many people living with joint hypermobility report that their pain, fatigue, and joint instability fluctuate across time. We will explore emerging research into how hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle may affect the musculoskeletal system in females with joint hypermobility. We will explore why uncovering patterns is challenging, and look at how studying women's health in this unique patient population may help us better predict symptoms, reduce injury risk, and improve quality of life for people with hypermobility, and women more generally.

Dr. Steven Boyd is a professor at the University of Calgary, in the Department of Radiology. He is a mechanical engineer with graduate training in biomedical engineering, which is the main focus of his research program. His work uses quantitative image-based approaches to investigate bone and joint diseases including the relationship between microarchitecture and fracture risk in osteoporosis, the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis, and the influence of space flight on bone adaptation. He founded and has led the Bone Imaging Laboratory since 2004. In 2012 he established the Centre for Mobility and Joint Health (MoJo) —a multi-modality imaging centre to support clinical research— and serves as its Scientific Director.

Let’s Aim to Build Bones Like an Astronaut Can!
One of the risks an astronaut faces is the significant bone loss that happens while they are at the International Space Station. In a six-month mission they can lose the equivalent of two decades of bone loss that would normally happen here on Earth. But, what is amazing is that when they return they build their bones back, albeit with a slightly different structure. If we could understand how to build bones like an astronaut, though challenging, we would make a leap forward for osteoporosis prevention here on Earth.

Dr. Erin Brennand is a Canadian urogynecologist, clinician-scientist, and advocate for women's health. Her research focuses on improving women's reproductive health, particularly in midlife, a period often overlooked in healthcare. She has led studies on pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence and menopause, advocating for innovative treatments that prioritize patient choice and bodily autonomy. Dr. Brennand is also interested in the role of ovarian hormones across key life stages such as pregnancy, lactation, and menopause, and how these hormonal shifts impact the development of chronic disease later in life. 

Beyond a Bystander: What Does the Uterus Have to do With Women’s Musculoskeletal Health? 
Women’s reproductive health extends far beyond pregnancy and childbirth and is more interconnected with lifelong health than we often recognize. Pelvic floor injury is one example, affecting up to half of women, and sometimes emerging decades after childbirth as prolapse or incontinence. This talk explores the surprising role of the uterus in women’s musculoskeletal health, from how hysterectomy influences pelvic floor repair for prolapse to emerging evidence linking hysterectomy with chronic disease and bone health later in life. It challenges us to think differently about reproductive health, not as a chapter of women’s lives, but as an important part of health across the life course.

Dr. Glen Hazlewood is a rheumatologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine. Dr. Hazlewood’s program of research is focused on understanding how to align treatment choices in rheumatoid arthritis with best evidence and patients’ preferences. His research is guided by a belief that patients should have a central role in which treatments they take and which treatments we recommend for them. His clinical area of research is rheumatoid arthritis, although he has also established collaborations with researchers in other diseases, applying similar methods.

Beyond the Evidence: Patient Preferences in Medical Decisions
Good medical decisions need good evidence, but evidence alone can’t tell us which choice is best. Medical decisions inevitably involve value judgments, from health policy to choices made in the doctor’s office. The question is: whose values are we using? Through real-world examples involving an arthritis pain medication and COVID vaccination, this talk examines the science of patient preferences, why they matter, and what can happen when they are overlooked.
 

Gina-Marie Cerantola is a medical student at the University of Calgary. Before medical school, she practiced as a physiotherapist with extensive training in orthopedics and pelvic health, providing over two decades of direct patient care and mentorship in Calgary, Alberta. She continues to serve as Co-Director of Optimum Perinatal Health, a pelvic health physiotherapy clinic in southwest Calgary, contributing to the clinic's leadership and development.

Gina completed a Master of Science in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, with a specialization in Epidemiology, where her thesis focused on the feasibility of postpartum community research. She has a longstanding interest in women's health across the lifespan and is passionate about supporting patients through pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery, perimenopause and menopause, with a goal of improving access to compassionate, evidence-informed care