Eight Rady faculty members or students received generous funding to further their leadership training.
Supportive and inclusive environments foster leadership that brings out the best in others, Dr. Shweta Mital said.
Mital, assistant professor in UM’s College of Pharmacy, knows what it’s like to walk into a room where few people share your background.
As a woman who has lived, studied and worked in four countries across three continents, Mital credits those transitions with providing understanding of the challenges others may face and desire to create environments where others can thrive.
“These experiences have helped shape my leadership style and interactions with others. I have worked with colleagues and students from diverse backgrounds,” Mital said. “As a supervisor or an instructor, I always strive to create a positive learning environment that trainees perceive as fair and inclusive.”
Mital is one of eight faculty members or students in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences who received The Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Women’s Leadership Development Awards in the most recent round of funding which provides leadership development opportunities for women across the faculty.
She will attend the Women Leaders: Advancing Together program at Harvard University. From this experience, Mital is “looking to develop the leadership skills to navigate difficult conversations and competing priorities, learn better approaches to delegating and to hone skills in negotiating and advocating.”
Yael Gelfman, a PhD student in nursing and award recipient, cannot separate leadership from her experiences as a woman and immigrant.
“I recognize that effective leadership is about bringing different perspectives to the table and helping people feel heard and valued,” said Gelfman.
Motivated by her graduate work on health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic, she wants to support the resilience of public health nurses in future public health emergencies. Gelfman will complete the Provincial Health Leadership Program in the George & Fay Yee Center for Healthcare Innovation.
The Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Fund has been supporting leadership training for Rady women since 2019 with $250,000 in leadership development funds awarded. Over the next two years, $50,000 will be made available to faculty and learners annually.
Dr. Leanne Leclair, vice dean (academic affairs) of the Rady Faculty, points to the long-lasting power of this award.
“Leadership development is an essential component of advancing equity and ensuring that the diversity of talent within our faculty is reflected in leadership and decision-making roles,” Leclair said. “By investing in emerging and established leaders, the award helps build a stronger and more inclusive academic and health-care community.”
Dr. Janilyn Arsenio, Canada Research Chair in systems biology of chronic inflammation, chair of the executive of Women in Science: Development, Outreach and Mentorship (WISDOM) and professor of internal medicine, will attend the Advancing Women in Color in Leadership program at Harvard Business School.
"I aim to advance my leadership practice through an authentic, community-building approach that drives team productivity and fosters the continuous growth of diverse learners."
Dr. Katherine Kearns is an associate professor of family medicine and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences. She will attend the CWIM Leaders 2026: The Power of Connection program.
“I want to leave with concrete tools in governance, coaching leadership, and cross-sector relationship-building that I can apply directly to program development, research leadership and academic service, alongside the community of women physicians this program is built to foster.”
Dr. Ilaria Panzeri, assistant professor of biochemistry and medical genetics, will attend the EMBO Lab Leadership for Group Leaders program.
“I hope to gain evidence-based frameworks for the hardest parts of leading: hiring inclusively, giving feedback that helps, delegating well, navigating conflict, and sustaining motivation over long projects.”
Dr. Jennifer Protudjer is an associate professor and endowed research chair in Allergy, Asthma and the Environment in pediatrics and child health, Max Rady College of Medicine. She will attend the European Health Management Association Leadership Academy.
“My responsibilities have evolved considerably over the course of my career…This award provides an exciting opportunity to build the leadership skills and perspective needed for the next stage of that journey.”
Dr. Sophie Qiu, geriatrics R5 resident, will complete the Women in Leadership: Online Program for Emerging Leaders at Harvard University.
“I hope to apply what I learn to strengthen mentorship, support the professional development of other women in medicine, and become a more effective advocate and leader within healthcare.”
Dr. Jennifer Setlack, R2 resident in Parkland Family Medicine Program, will complete the Harvard Medical School Executive Education Clinician Leadership Program.
"I hope to gain new perspectives, practical tools, and greater confidence that I can bring into my work… to better serve the patients and communities of rural Manitoba, when it matters most."
For more information about The Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Women's Leadership Development Awards:
Website
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