Three McMaster researchers working to improve the lives of women around the world have been recognized by the Council of Ontario Universities.

Jocelyn Wessels, Lori Chambers and Sara King-Dowling have been named Ontario Women’s Health Scholar Award winners by the COU.

The award includes scholarships worth between $25,000 and $50,000 and research grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Wessels, a post-doctoral fellow in the McMaster Immunology Research Centre, studies the effects of hormones like estrogen and progesterone on vaginal health, and how hormones affect a woman’s risk of contracting sexually-transmitted infections.

Chambers, a PhD candidate in the School of Social Work, explores the experiences of African immigrant women living with HIV who also work in the field of HIV. Her study examines why these women choose work related to HIV and the challenges they face.

King-Dowling is a PhD candidate in Kinesiology and studies Developmental Co-ordination Disorder, which is characterized by problems with motor co-ordination.

With girls receiving less encouragement to pursue sports and having lower rates of concurrent disorders such as ADHD, girls with DCD may be less likely to be identified than male peers.

Three of the ten Ontario researchers recognized with Ontario Women’s Health Scholar Awards this year are from McMaster.