A first OHS research chair on gender, work, and health was recently awarded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST). The new chairholder is Julie Côté from McGill University’s Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Her research program is entitled “better understanding for better prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a coordinated gender- and sex-based approach.”

The goal of the research program is, among other things, to further understanding of the mechanisms involved in the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at work, with a focus on the neck-shoulder region, muscle activation patterns, and work postures. The studies conducted under this program should lead to the development of more effective intervention and prevention practices, while taking gender- and sex-based differences into account.

 “While helping train new researchers in the occupational health and safety field, this new chair will generate new knowledge on the issues raised by the factoring of gender and sex into the work and health field. The objective data that will emerge from the studies conducted will give us a better understanding of MSDs and allow for more effective interventions to prevent this type of injury, which still represents one of the main causes of work-related physical disability in Québec,” explained the IRSST’s scientific director, Paul-Émile Boileau.

The IRSST will invest $800,000 over the next five years to fund this new Chair on Gender, Work, and Health.

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Source
Jacques Millette
Public Affairs
IRSST

For information
Paul-Émile Boileau, Ph.D.
Scientific Director 
IRSST