What you need to know about menopause

Michelle Eliot is an award-winning journalist and the host of CBC British Columbia’s weekday call-in show BC Today. She has hosted numerous CBC news specials, contributed coverage to CBC’s Filipino community initiative Mabuhay B.C., and hosted numerous events and forums across the Lower Mainland. Her news coverage has been recognized by the Radio Television Digital News Association and the Jack Webster Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from UBC and studied broadcast journalism at BCIT before joining CBC Vancouver in 2000.

Dr. Lori Brotto is internationally recognized as a leader in sexual health research. Her work influences clinical practice internationally, with mindfulness now implemented in sexual medicine centres and recommended as front-line care in international guidelines. She has mentored more than 180 trainees and evaluated psychological interventions for sexual dysfunction and genital pain, which impact approximately one-third of women. In recognition of her contributions, she has held a Canada Research Chair in women’s sexual health and is now a UBC Distinguished University Scholar, has received recent awards in mentoring junior faculty and for excellent public education through media, and is listed among the top two per cent of most-cited scientists worldwide by Stanford/Elsevier (SCOPUS citations).

Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose is a professor, physical therapist, and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging in UBC’s Department of Physical Therapy. She is also Co-Director of the Centre for Aging SMART at Vancouver Coastal Health. Her research focuses on understanding the role of exercise and other lifestyle interventions in promoting cognitive and physical outcomes in middle and older adults. Her work has been implemented into clinical practice, community programs, and international practice guidelines or recommendations to support healthy aging. She is a Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Fellow and member of the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists, Royal Society of Canada.

Dr. Laura Schummers is a reproductive epidemiologist and health policy researcher. She is an Assistant Professor of Health Outcomes in UBC’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, where she leads the Reproductive Population Health Data Research team within the Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation. Her research examines access to reproductive health services and evaluates how changes in reproductive health policy and practice affect health services use and population health outcomes. Her research has been published in leading medical journals and covered by national and international media.

Melanie Steele is a registered dietitian and menopause educator with a clinical and educational focus on chronic disease management, behaviour change, and women’s midlife health. Through her private practice, online programs, and speaking engagements, she translates complex nutrition science into practical, compassionate guidance that helps women regain energy, improve health, and navigate menopause with confidence and ease. She was the first dietitian in British Columbia to earn the Menopause Society Certified Practitioner credential.