Francine Heelan is a PGY3 resident in Radiology at Dalhousie. Francine’s research in the gender discrepancy in IR within Canada was recently selected for an oral presentation at the SIR conference in March.
Francine previously completed her undergraduate studies in biology and chemistry at Acadia University. Subsequently she had the unique opportunity to work alongside Dr. Robert Abraham, a staff interventionist at the QEII Health Sciences Center in Halifax, at ABK Biomedical Inc., a company in which Dr. Abraham was a co-founder and prior CEO. In her position as a biomaterials research technician, she assisted in the research and development of radiopaque bland embolic microspheres and radiopaque Y90 radioembolization microspheres prior to completing her medical degree at the University of Ottawa.
Her research is focused on the gender disparity in interventional radiology within Canada. Her co-authors on this study include her supervisor, Dr. Daria Manos, current President of the Canadian Society of Thoracic Radiology and Associate Head of Education in Dalhousie Radiology. Dr. Manos has previously published in the field of gender gaps in radiology within Canada. Dr. Abraham also serves as a co-author, as well as Dr. Mo Abdolell and her two co-residents Dr. Morgan Lawley (PGY3) and Dr. Jessica Dobson (PGY3). Their research aim was to examine factors that may contribute to the gender disparity in IR at the resident level through conducting a national resident survey last year.
If you are headed to SIR this will be presented at the ‘Practice Development’ oral presentation session on March 8, 2023 in the afternoon.