Dr. Justine Dol has been appointed Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Health Communication at MSVU, a five-year appointment funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research through the Canada Research Chairs program.
In her CRC role, Dr. Dol will improve how evidence-based health information is shared to support better health for women, gender diverse people, and families.
“An exceptional early career scholar, Dr. Dol has already built a strong research program with real-world and international impact. We’re thrilled to welcome her to MSVU as a Canada Research Chair and excited for the potential of her new role to integrate research institutions and disciplines in the critical quest to improve health care for women and gender diverse people,” said Dr. Jacquie Gahagan, Associate Vice-President of Research, MSVU.
Dr. Dol’s appointment at MSVU builds on her research leadership at IWK where she will continue to serve as the inaugural Dr. Margaret Oulton Accelerate Chair in Women+ Health Research, a role designed to provide dedicated time and resources to expand and advance IWK’s research program in women’s and gender-diverse health.
MSVU is a fitting home for Dr. Dol’s CRC role for its established strengths in Communication Studies and Psychology. Dr. Dol will hold cross appointments in both departments and will teach a fourth-year Psychology seminar course on women’s health in the Winter 2027 term.
Women+ (including anyone who identifies as a girl or woman or experiences health issues traditionally or socially associated with women’s health) continue to face barriers to accessing clear, trustworthy health information. Health communication plays a crucial role in closing these gaps. Through her Tier II CRC, Dr. Dol will help improve how health information is developed and shared with a focus on digital solutions that advance health equity and improve outcomes for women+ and parents.
“Advancing women’s health matters deeply to me because women’s experiences and health needs have too often been overlooked in research and care. MSVU is a meaningful place to continue this work: its history of expanding educational opportunities for women is paired with a present-day commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. I’m excited to contribute to the MSVU community and to focus my research on health communication that better serves women+ and families,” said Dr. Dol.
Dr. Dol is the creator of the Essential Coaching Postpartum text message program, which supports birthing and non-birthing parents during the first six weeks postpartum. The program sends a twice daily text message for three weeks starting the second night after birth and a daily message for the last three weeks. It was designed with healthcare providers and parents and has the goal of providing evidence-based information parents can trust during a stressful period. Through time-based text messages, Essential Coaching Postpartum ensures that new parents can easily get the information they need when they need it, while connecting parents to additional resources as required. At MSVU, Dr. Dol will advance research on the program while exploring new applications to support patients across other aspects of women’s health.
“Throughout my work, I’ve seen how important it is for women+ and families to find information they can trust when they need it. The Dr. Margaret Oulton Accelerate Chair at IWK has given me the opportunity to build a strong foundation for advancing women+ health, grounded in the priorities of women, families, and communities. I’m excited to continue this work through my ongoing IWK chair and extend it through my CRC at MSVU. At MSVU, I’ll focus on health communication for women+ and families, including how digital innovation can make trusted evidence more accessible and useful, and support health and wellbeing across the life course,” said Dr. Dol.
Dr. Dol holds a BA (Honours) in Psychology and Globalization from Western University, an MSc in Capacity Development and Extension from the University of Guelph, and a PhD in Health from Dalhousie University. She completed post-doctoral fellowships at St. Michael’s Hospital and IWK Health.
Dr. Dol will officially begin in her new CRC role at MSVU on January 1, 2027 while maintaining her appointment at IWK Health.
About the Canada Research Chairs Program
The Canada Research Chairs Program invests up to $311 million annually to attract and retain some of the world’s most promising and accomplished researchers. The program aims to advance research that leads to groundbreaking discoveries and innovations across health, engineering, sciences, social sciences and humanities.
Chairholders improve our depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthen Canada’s international competitiveness, and help train the next generation of highly skilled people through student supervision, teaching, and the coordination of other researchers’ work.
“A world-class research ecosystem is essential to Canada’s future well-being and prosperity. The investments announced today for researchers, research institutions and critical infrastructure are helping build a healthier, more resilient and more prosperous country, while driving the discoveries and innovations that will shape our economy and improve Canadians’ quality of life for decades to come.” —The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions