February 1, 2023
The warm community at St. Boniface Hospital more than offsets Winnipeg’s well-known cold weather for Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin.
“Six winters and not so bad,” joked Rabinovich-Nikitin, who officially assumed the responsibilities of the first-ever Evelyn Wyrzykowski Family Professorship in Cardiovascular Sciences this past September.
Born in Moldova in Eastern Europe, Rabinovich-Nikitin grew up in Israel from the age of five. A graduate of Tel Aviv University with a PhD in biotechnology, she came to Canada six years ago, joining the lab of Dr. Lorrie Kirshenbaum at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (ICS) in the Hospital’s Albrechtsen Research Centre.
“I love this city. It’s always been my dream to pursue an academic career and I was able to accomplish that in Winnipeg,” said Rabinovich-Nikitin, who took postdoctoral training at the University of Manitoba. While there she also received a fellowship from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR).
Now, in a new role building on her gene-biology experience in Dr. Kirshenbaum’s lab, she’s excited to grow a robust program dedicated to the field of women’s heart health.
“We don’t yet fully understand the reasons for sex-specific differences in cardiovascular disease,” said Rabinovich-Nikitin.
“But they’re rooted in differences in biology, in the differential recognition and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, and in treatments that don’t fully account for differences between women and men.”
The program will address the needs of Indigenous and underrepresented women with limited access to health care and who experience even more adverse cardiovascular health-care outcomes than non-Indigenous women.
Donors make the difference
A generous gift from Michael F. B. Nesbitt in honour of his mother will provide salary support for the next three years. His mother, Geraldine Margaret Barrett-Hamilton Nesbitt, was a pioneering woman in science who in 1931 became the first woman at the University of Manitoba to graduate with honors in both zoology and chemistry.
“She was a trailblazer,” said Nesbitt. “And now Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin is blazing a trail in an under-researched but vital area of cardiac care. After meeting her, I’m so impressed with her drive to raise our understanding of women’s heart health concerns.”
A gift from the Wyrzykowski family is funding the startup costs of Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin’s lab in the Research Centre. Conrad Wyrzykowski Sr., who passed away in 2020, was a generous supporter of patient care and research at St. Boniface Hospital for close to three decades.
Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin thanked the Wyrzykowski family in person this past September, at a Gala dinner of the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences and the International Society for Heart Research (North American sections).
“It was a very warm, if informal, meeting. It was my honour to speak with them and to express my sincere gratitude for their support. They were excited about the potential of my research.”
Fascinating rhythm
Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin is keen on studying circadian rhythm – the natural cycle of physical, mental, and behavior changes the body goes through in a 24-hour cycle. When this cycle is disturbed – for example, through the shiftwork common in health care and many more industries – a person can be at greater risk of cardiac disease. More research and awareness around this connection are needed, she said.
It’s one of many investigations she believes will benefit from the collaborative environment at St. Boniface Hospital.
“I was trained very well. I have a very good example in my teachers. I’m looking forward to growing the program and really putting Winnipeg on the map for women’s heart health.”
February is Heart Month. Researchers like Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin are working to understand more about what makes women’s heart health different from men’s, and how we can save more lives. Donate today.