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Deborah Baiden, a PhD student at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, is one of 19 graduate students from across Canada to receive the inaugural from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Brain Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH).

The award is aimed at promoting Black representation within the heart and brain research community. Baiden was recognized for her doctoral research on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among Black Canadian women.

“This award means a lot to me,” said Baiden. “It recognizes not only the importance of my research but also my role as a scholar and my contribution to this knowledge, a reminder that my presence is important and much-needed.”

Baiden is currently conducting a mixed-methods study recruiting women of African descent from across Canada who have a history of hypertension in pregnancy.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what this study will reveal about the prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among Black Canadians, but also how it will drive further research on this topic and inform culturally safe care practices that align with a long-term and rigorous strategy around cardiovascular health in women,” said Baiden.