Manitoba Nutrition and Dietetics Research Day

Manitoba Nutrition & Dietetics Research Day 2026 invites attendees to explore the theme Advancing Women’s Wellness Through Nutrition Science and Practice. This year’s program will highlight the complex and evolving landscape of women’s health across the lifespan—from adolescence and reproductive health to menopause and healthy aging. Through presentations led by researchers, clinicians, and registered dietitians, the event will examine the intersections of nutrition with mental health, chronic disease prevention, reproductive and perinatal health, and emerging areas of gender-informed care. Attendees will gain insight into how evidence-based nutrition advances can empower women’s wellness at individual, community, and population levels.

This event will take place on March 27th from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Manitoba Nutrition and Dietetics research day banner -2026

Program and schedule

Manitoba nutrition and dietetics research day-Final Schedule

Speakers and presenters

Dr. Pamela Hebbard

Dr. Pamela Hebbard, MD, FRCSC

Dr. Hebbard is an associate professor of surgery at UM. She is also a general surgical oncologist with CancerCare Manitoba and Shared Health/Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. She was born in Goose Bay, Labrador and grew up there and in St. John’s Newfoundland. Her bachelor’s degree, medical degree and general surgery residency were obtained through Memorial University of Newfoundland, as was a graduate diploma in clinical epidemiology. She then moved to the University of Calgary for a fellowship in general surgical oncology. Dr. Hebbard has been practicing in Winnipeg since 2012. Her clinical focus is on complex gastrointestinal malignancy, breast cancer and melanoma. She has research and administrative interests in optimizing surgical quality in cancer delivery.

Sharra Kohm, RD

Sharra Kohm, RD

Sharra Kohm works as a Registered Dietitian with the Provincial Eating Disorder Prevention and Recovery Program (PEDPRP) at the Women’s Health Clinic. She has supported adults in eating disorder recovery since 2021 and recently transitioned to the new expansion of PEDPRP focused on supporting youth as well as community eating disorder prevention work. Sharra is passionate about relationships with food, and embodiment; and practices from a weight inclusive approach.

Dr. Punam Mehta

Dr. Punam Mehta, PhD

Punam Mehta, PhD, is a settler, feminist mother, and instructor II in the College of Community and Global Health in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba. Feminist pedagogy, systems thinking, decolonial thought, and a commitment to the goals for Truth and Reconciliation are at the heart of her research, service, and teaching. A book called from Critical to Cosmic Consciousness: Feminist-informed Yoga was published by her in 2021. She is also the founder of ‘The Visionary Lens’, an educational tool, with an innovative pedagogical model she developed to integrate feminist documentary photography and reflective storytelling into undergraduate Community and Global health education. She is actively engaged in university and community service, including the Women’s Health Clinic, St. John’s College, and Academics Without Borders.

Dr. Alicia Berard

Dr. Alicia Berard, PhD

Dr. Alicia Berard is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. She received her BSc Honours degree in Biochemistry (2006) from the University of Winnipeg, and her PhD in Medical Microbiology from the University of Manitoba in 2015. As a Post-doc and Research Associate through the University of Manitoba, she started work with human clinical cohort studies and large multi-omic datasets. She now runs her research program located in the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), related to reproductive health, mucosal biology, immunology, and the microbiome. She leads local and international human cohorts to study the mucosal environment, utilizing multi-omic tools of systems biology and translational in vitro co-culture model systems. As part of her work, she is one of the founding members of the THRIVE study umbrella, which focuses on investigating “The role of Host-bacterial Relationships and Immune function in different Vaginal Environments”.

Jillian Paulmark

Jillian Paulmark, RD, CDE

Jillian has been a Registered Dietitian for 30 years.  She has been a Certified Diabetes Educator for 27 years and was previously a Certified Bariatric Educator for 5 years.  She spent 15 years in the Section of Endocrine at St. Boniface Hospital and then spent 5 years at the Victoria Hospital where she helped to start and build the Centre for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.  She moved into the community working as a Chronic Disease Management Clinician in both the Fort Garry and St. James Assiniboia areas.  She has always had an interest in Indigenous health and spent a few years working as an educator for Spirit Healthcare Group, an Indigenous owned company in Manitoba.  She presently works at Medigroup Health Centre privately seeing clients for diabetes and weight management as well as those undergoing revisional weight loss surgeries.  She is passionate about helping people on their health journey and does not take a one size fits all approach.  We are all individuals and each one of us needs something different, which sometimes means thinking outside the box. In her spare time, she loves to cook and spend time with family. 

Carly Kaplan - Headshot

Carly Kaplan, RD

Carly Kaplan, RD, is a clinical dietitian at the Breast Health Centre, where she delivers specialized oncology nutrition services to individuals diagnosed with primary breast cancer. Her practice encompasses the continuum of care, including diagnosis, active treatment, and survivorship, with an emphasis on evidence-informed interventions to mitigate treatment-related toxicities and support functional recovery and long-term health outcomes. Her academic and clinical interests include oncology nutrition, weight management, and diet-based strategies for cancer prevention, with particular attention to the interaction between nutrition, physical activity, and cancer survivorship. Carly collaborates within a multidisciplinary clinical team to integrate nutrition into comprehensive cancer care and contributes to patient education and program development initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutritional Sciences from the University of Manitoba, where she also completed her accredited dietetic internship. She maintains professional registration through the College of Dietitians of Manitoba and the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

Dr. Carla Taylor, Professor, Food and Human Nutritional Sciences.

Dr. Carla Taylor, PhD

Dr. Carla Taylor is a Professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, and Principal Investigator of the Metabolic Nutrition Laboratory, at the Canadian Centre for Agri-food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM), St. Boniface Research Centre.

Her research program investigates how dietary components, such as lipids, proteins, and bioactive compounds from plant, marine, and animals sources, may be beneficial for prevention and management of metabolic diseases, particularly obesity, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. Her research investigates potential mechanisms linking cellular, inter-organ and whole-body metabolism, as well as application of findings to human health via clinical trials. She is currently leading a human study investigating the effects of age, sex, menopausal status, and omega-3 index on blood vessel health

A headshot

Janelle Vincent, RD, IOC DIPL SPORTS NUTR

Janelle Vincent is a Primary Care Dietitian at the Centre de santé Saint-Boniface and a Sports Dietitian with both the University of Manitoba and the Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba. With degrees in both exercise science and human nutritional sciences, advanced qualifications such as the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition, the IOC Certificate in Drugs in Sport, Motivational Interviewing, and specialized eating-disorder education, Janelle brings exceptional depth to her practice. A former University of Manitoba Bison athlete in track and field and cross-country, she understands firsthand the unique demands of being a female in competitive sport. Whether she is supporting varsity athletes, members of the high-performance sport community, or patients in primary care, she approaches each interaction with grounded expertise and a genuine care for her athletes and clients. When she’s not working, Janelle is happiest outdoors—exploring trails, kayaking, cross-country skiing, golfing, gardening and spending time with family, friends and her rescue dog.

a headshot

Sara Siedleski, CFMP, RHN

Sara is the owner of Winnipeg Nutrition and has over 15 years of experience serving clients. She is a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and a Registered Holistic Nutritionist.
Sara specializes in women’s health, fertility, adrenal and thyroid health, hormone correction, and digestive conditions. Her clinical expertise along with her own personal experience, has allowed her to serve her clients with the highest standard of care to achieve real, lasting results for over a decade.
Her passion is to see people reach their full potential by using nutrition, exercise, lifestyle changes and targeted functional medicine to create health.

Dr. Kristin Reynolds

Dr. Kristin Reynolds, PhD, C. Psych

Dr. Kristin Reynolds is a Registered Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor, and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at the University of Manitoba (UM), and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. She is a Scientist with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. She is the Director of the Health Information Exchange Laboratory, where her research aims to understand and increase access to evidence-based mental health-related information and services. Dr. Reynolds is an Associate Editor for Qualitative Health Research, and her work employs mixed methods, knowledge translation, and intervention science frameworks.

Reede Hawton, RD

Reede Hawton is a Registered Dietitian, who began practicing in Winnipeg after completing the Manitoba Partnership Dietetic Education Program in June of 2020. Clinically Reede works in Critical Care at Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg, Reede has also been a Dietitian on the Performance Support Team at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet since 2020. Reede is passionate about the intersection of clinical nutrition and sports nutrition, where an evidence based and client centered approach can be applied to empower athletes to fuel for their sport.  

Abstract submission

Manitoba nutrition and dietetics research day abstract call-2026

Registration

Early Bird Tickets are available until February 15th and are limited to the first 20 registrations. Code: EARLYBIRDMNDRD10

 In- person Virtual
General$45 + Fee$40 + Fee
Student $15 + Fee$10 + Fee
Preceptor$35 + Fee$30 + Fee

Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided.

 

Sponsors and partners

Teach Nutrition Logo
pdrao logo

Be a sponsor for this event. For more details, please contact us at mndrd@umanitoba.ca. 

 

Contact Us

Manitoba Nutrition and Dietetics Research Day Team
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V6 Canada

mndrd@umanitoba.ca