Maria P. Velez, MD, PhD, FRCSC, Women's Reproductive Health

I have met amazing students through the @QueensUGME CE course. Now is @EmilyCRichmond's turn to have her manuscript published! Congrats Emily, you did a fantastic job! https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34797929/

Proud of my student, Aisha Nathoo (MSc'23), who received early this year the @CIHR_IRSC Canada Graduate Scholarship for her MSc in Epidemiology @QueensuPHS . Now that she started her program, we can make it public! Congrats Aisha, well done!  

 The @QueensUGME   Research Showcase was a success! Great job Valeria and Alexa @QMed2023! #proudmentor

Congratulations Alex Fine @lexifine4 ,  #QMed2023 , winner of the Canadian Menopause Society/Pfizer research award 2021 . Alexa will be studying the prevalence/incidence of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) in Ontario using #ICES data.

 On this week's episode of The MotHERS™ Podcast  Dr. Maria Velez joins us to discuss COVID-19 vaccination and fertility including debunking some of the myths and misinformation that have been circulating on social media.  Listen here: Link to The MotHERS™ Podcast

 Welcoming the class of #qmed2025 with a “Pearl of Wisdom”. Grateful to be part of @QueensUHealth  & @KingstonHSC to meet amazing students and teach/practice #PatientCenteredCare . Approachable The etymological meaning of approachable is accessible, but it is more than being simply accessible. Being approachable implies the ability to “come near in quality or character, resemble, become similar”… As a physician, I am approachable for my patients.  As an educator, I am approachable for my learners. As part of an academic organization, I am approachable for our support staff and colleagues. My “Pearl” today, is for you to be approachable for your peers and in a couple of years for your patients, junior students, and future colleagues Welcome to Queen’s university. I wish you the best on this journey

Well deserved recognition for my professor and friend René Pareja  @RParejaGineOnco . Countless patients and trainees from Colombia and beyond have been fortunate to be under his care/ learn from him, including @QueensOBGYN   residents who had him as a visiting professor in 2019. Felicitaciones! International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), Award for Community Advancement in Resource-Limited Settings . "Acknowledges those improving their own communities with dedication to providing or facilitating advanced medical education and training in resource-limited settings to improve screening, prevention, and treatment of women affected by gynecologic cancer."

My patients have my email to facilitate communication. One of them, refugee in Canada, always addresses me as Doctress. As an immigrant myself, I thought it was a mistake, but then I searched...and I couldn't be happier Smiling face with:

Thanks to my @ICESOntario scientist report I discovered that our ICES paper was cited in the European @ESHRE Female Fertility Preservation guideline Thank you ICES for making policy & health care better & people healthier. Grateful our #oncofertility program is having an impact

 I enjoy being a mentor in the @QueensUGME   Critical Enquiry course. Congrats @tiffanychih on the publication of your manuscript, you did an exceptional job! https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-021-03938-8

 Representing the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Queen’s University @QueensOBGYN   at The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)     #ACSC2021 . Congrats #qmed   @tiffanychih , @EmilyCRichmond , @IkuNwosu , @adelaideburrows , @anique_le , @CaraMaria_vdM , and residents Amanda Baillargeon & @Jenn__McCall , well done! *Improving women's health through research & mentorship*

 My daughters keep track of my publications.  For Mother day they wrote this song:  Chorus: We love u w/ all our hearts, u always stay committed to the things u do, 10 of your papers have been accepted already, & that's amazing because it's only May They see us. Proud academic mom.

 I framed all of my diplomas recently. A friend suggested doing that as a way of self-acceptance. They represent 3 countries, 4 languages, ∞ family support, and only 1 purpose: Improving women's reproductive health through clinical practice, research, and teaching.

  Reproductive Health Care Needs of Female Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer featuring Dr. Maria Velez now available for viewing on our YouTube channel. Check it out! @mp_velez @QueensOBGYN @QueensUHealth @queensuResearch @ICESOntario   https://youtu.be/e9Enb_XXi-g Thank you to @Queens_HSPRI for the invitation to present my research program on AYA cancer and reproductive care, and to the engaged and receptive audience @queensu for your great comments and questions.

Thank you to all who attended our 2021 Virtual J.A Low Research Day. We are proud of the quality of the research happening in our Departments and the mentoring provided by our faculty members. It was an amazing Research Day. For the full program and recorded poster presentations follow this link We would like to congratulate our winners! Best Clinical Science Poster Presentation:  Michael Merrick - Infertility treatment, multiple gestation, and multifetal reductions: a population-based cohort study. @DrLauraGaudet @ICESOntario @CIHR_IHDCYH Best Basic Science Poster Presentation: Megan Cull - Do Sca-1 positive trophoblasts cells contribute to an adaption or pathology in the placenta? @drcnatale @sbentonPhD Best Oral Presentation: Hossai Furmli - Comparing reproductive health outcomes among immigrant, refugee and Canadian born women: A population-based cohort study. @DrMichaelGreen1 @ICESOntario @CIHR_IHDCYH @QueensuFamMed

 On the joy of mentoring @QueensUHealth students... @NakeishaTulloch worked hard on her undergrad  @qlifesci Epid499 course and here is the outcome. She is now a stellar MSc student @DbmsTweets .  Thank you, @CIHR_IHDCYH & @QueensOBGYN for your support

March 5th, 2021: 1. SCORE study participation. Assessment of Serologic Evidence of COVID-19 in Health Workers. 2. COVID-19 vaccine 

Prenatal opioid analgesics and the risk of adverse birth outcomes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33625160/

Reproductive health surveillance in female AYAs with cancer is a priority, especially those with breast and hematological cancer. Our finding of a potential effect of thyroid cancer and, to a lesser extent, melanoma need to be further studied. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deab036

 Congrats @EmilyCRichmond  , #qmed2022 , @QueensUGME , on your @CIHR_IHDCYH  AWARD of Excellence for your poster presentation at #CNPRM2021 We @QueensOBGYN , @QueensUHealth are very proud of you!