{"id":121831,"date":"2021-08-18T10:46:14","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T10:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccs.ca\/?post_type=news&p=121831"},"modified":"2022-02-18T15:27:26","modified_gmt":"2022-02-18T15:27:26","slug":"ccs-member-laura-banks-says-mentorship-is-key-to-success","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/ccs.ca\/news\/ccs-member-laura-banks-says-mentorship-is-key-to-success\/","title":{"rendered":"CCS Member Laura Banks Says Mentorship is Key to Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Laura Banks first became involved with the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) while completing her PhD. Eager to connect to the cardiovascular community, she attended the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress (CCC), signing up for the Annual Cardiovascular Trainee Day and presenting some of her clinical research findings to a captive audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Laura Banks is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Ontario Tech University and an Affiliate Scientist with the University Health Network (UHN). She is also an active CCS member who has developed a passion for bringing broader female representation to cardiovascular medicine and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One example is her research in gender equity which has been published in multiple Canadian Journal of Cardiology (CJC) articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe know that females are largely underrepresented when it comes to being recognized for academic excellence and gaining leadership positions within the cardiovascular domain,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her awareness of the disparity was heightened early on in her career when she accepted the role of CCS Trainee Day Program Committee Co-Chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we were looking to develop a curriculum, I noticed that the majority of speakers that had been chosen for Trainee Day were in fact male, and yet, our committee and the trainees attending those sessions or workshops, were approximately 50% female,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n