Pre-launch of the Cité Universitaire de la Santé Des Femmes (CUSDF)
Rethinking women’s health holistically
The Quartier de l’Innovation en Santé (QIS) and its ecosystem, particularly in collaboration with the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), announced on February 12th the launch of a landmark project, the Cité Universitaire de la Santé Des Femmes (CUSDF). This project aims to offer every woman, regardless of her age, condition, or background, a comprehensive and personalized health pathway grounded in science, prevention, applied research, and overall well-being. In doing so, the initiative seeks to permanently redefine standards of women’s health and well-being.
The project is grounded in a holistic view of health, an approach championed by UQAM in developing its expertise in this field.
“Women’s health has for too long been insufficiently recognized in its entirety and addressed in a fragmented manner,” says Fabrice Brunet, Associate Vice-Rector for Health Sciences Development. This situation has contributed to the emergence of structural biases that persist to this day, resulting in delayed diagnoses, screening tools that are ill-suited, treatment protocols based on male models, and the underrepresentation of women in clinical research. These issues affect both physical and mental health and are frequently amplified by social, cultural, and economic factors that exacerbate inequalities.”
The Cité Universitaire de la Santé Des Femmes, whose location will be announced in the coming months, will rethink models of research, prevention, training, and care by bringing together in one place all the expertise necessary for women’s health. “It will also serve as a training and career development hub for the professionals we train at UQAM, both in health-related fields—such as health architects—and in disease treatment,” adds Fabrice Brunet.
The CUSDF commitments are to ensure sustainable prevention, innovate together, provide care differently, train in new ways, create social and economic wealth, and make an international impact. The CUSDF promises to be a transformative, unifying, and forward-looking project.
On February 12th, we laid the groundwork. History is being written now!
A big thank you to all the participants for their presence and the quality of the discussions, as well as to our partners (TREIZE, Jess Harrison, TKNL | MARQUER L’IMAGINAIRE, and Gentile Traiteur) for their invaluable support.
