Who are we?

Founded in 2021 and based in Vancouver, Canada, the Herstasis® Health Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving women’s menopause health through scientific research Knowledge Translation.

As professional researchers and Knowledge Translation specialists, Herstasis is building a trusted, accessible source of evidence-based health information for women looking to self-advocate for better menopause healthcare.

None of us are medical doctors, and none of what we have to say or present is in any way intended to be medical advice. Our goal is to give you, the reader, some evidence-based tools and language to use with your healthcare provider that will hopefully get some of your symptoms reduced, if not eliminated altogether.

Where does our information come from?

Herstasis started with one single journal article and since then we have built a solid database of high-quality scientific research papers, review articles and presentations that we add to continuously as we become aware of new findings, or better sources become available. Each information source used on this website, or on our YouTube/@HerstasisHealth channel, is meticulously tagged in the database, and will appear in our Citations on each page they are used.

We do NOT use AI, and none of our research materials are knowingly generated with AI.

Where does our funding come from?

Herstasis® Health Foundation is currently a philanthropic venture funded solely by its CEO & Founder, Jennifer Thompson. The organization has no partners, and does not receive any 3rd party funding. We do not do paid medical or dietary product placement, and do not sell any supplements, creams, or other wellness products or services.

In the future, we may place some aspects of the website or YouTube channel behind a paywall as we look to increase our educational content for diverse subscribers while developing a sustainable non-profit organization.

Why are we doing this?

A critical missing piece of the healthcare puzzle in mid-life women’s health is so much simpler and cheaper and faster than conducting clinical trials or changing the whole healthcare system to pay attention to mid-life women: it is education. We believe that women can be empowered to discuss uncomfortable and embarrassing symptoms of perimenopause if we give them the necessary information and encouragement to advocate for themselves within the current system.

We may be a small group but we have mighty ambitions!

Our Team

Our team is comprised of scientists, engineers, business professionals and clinical researchers working together to create a platform for women to manage their often devastating menopause symptoms and feel more in control of their life.

Jennifer Thompson

Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Jennifer Thompson

Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Jennifer is an expert in the development and commercialization of applied science technologies for impact markets, a hands-on Angel investor, and a governance nut. In addition to her role as Founder & CEO of Herstasis Health, she is currently the Executive Board Chair of CuePath Innovation, and was previously Director and Compensation Committee Chair of Acuva Technologies, and Director and COO of Cryologistics Refrigeration Technologies. She has served as Board Secretary for Enwave Corporation, a TSX-Venture listed company, and Executive VP for Enterra Feed Corporation. In the non-profit realm, Jennifer currently serves as the Chair, Lab to Market Committee, National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and is an active philanthropist with the UNICEF Canada Women UNlimited program.

Kathryn Fink, Ph.D.

Chief Science Officer

Kathryn Fink, Ph.D.

Chief Science Officer
Kathryn holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley as well as a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California. During her time in academia, she was recognized as a Siebel Scholar, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and an ARCS Scholar. Her experience in research and development has spanned nearly two decades at all levels of the research process, ranging from conducting plant viability assays as a lab assistant at the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation; studying the fluid dynamics and heat transfer properties of the world’s lightest material at HRL Laboratories; and leading the design & development of a continuous glucose monitor for an angel-funded startup.

Jenna Dunlop, Ph.D.

Content Strategy & Knowledge Translation

Jenna Dunlop, Ph.D.

Content Strategy & Knowledge Translation
Jenna completed her undergraduate education at the University of Toronto with a double major in Psychology and Anthropology. She followed this with a PhD in Evolutionary Biology (Zoology) and finally, an MBA, both from York University. Jenna started her career writing and editing high school science and math textbooks, specializing in Biology and Chemistry. She also worked at York University and George Brown College teaching Natural Science and Biology courses. Jenna has extensive experience in policy and technology development working first as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation and then moving into climate change policy and developing Durham Region’s Climate Change Strategy. She then heard the mountains calling and moved West to take on positions as the Manager of Climate Change Policy and then Manager of Environmental Policy at CAPP, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and then as Director of Land at COSIA, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance. Jenna recently left the corporate world to return to writing full time. Her focus has been writing, editing and plain language/science translation for a diverse range of organizations including the Canadian Energy Research Institute, the Oil Sands Monitoring Program, and Herstasis Health Foundation.

Barbara Breuner

Digital Marketing & Creative Lead

Barbara Breuner

Digital Marketing & Creative Lead
As an experienced creative director of more than 20 years, Barbara Breuner has worked with renowned brands such as VISA Canada, CIBC, TD, Labatt, Nestle, and Kraft. After relocating to Vancouver from Toronto, she established her design agency, providing print and web design services. Currently, Barbara is focused on video productions for health & wellness firms, including Herstasis – translating science-based web content into user-friendly videos. To further empower women’s knowledge about their bodies during mid-life, Barbara launched the “Am I in Menopause? Project,” a YouTube channel dedicated to helping them better understand menopausal phases through shared storytelling.

Colette McIsaac

Content Creator

Colette McIsaac

Content Creator
Colette is driven by a passion for filmmaking, storytelling and women’s health advocacy. Colette is a filmmaker with a B.A. in film production from the Catalyst Institute of Creative Arts and Technology in Berlin Germany. During her studies, Colette specialized in directing and editing, honing her passion for storytelling and technical production skills. Using her skills in film production and operations, Colette has since produced a diverse range of content, from commercials and podcasts to short films, music videos, and live events. She is currently working as a content creator with Herstasis for the “Am I In Menopause” Project, a YouTube channel dedicated to helping women better understand menopausal phases through shared storytelling.

Why the name ‘Herstasis’?

Globally, people who experience debilitating menopause symptoms are expected to find out for themselves what is happening to their bodies and minds during their menopausal transition. Along with all of their other life responsibilities and unique challenges, they are also expected to manage their own symptom-related health with limited access to information or trained practitioners.

Women need accessible science-based education and tools in order to be taken seriously and treated individually by their healthcare providers when they report uncomfortable health issues. But where to start?

Using four simple questions or “stases“, the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, gave us a gift in Stasis Theory, a structured way to think through a problem and develop a plan with someone else in a team. In the case of women seeking help for menopause symptoms, Herstasis seeks to help a woman and her healthcare provider to:

  1. Establish the facts (conjecture)
  2. Give the facts a name and a description (definition)
  3. Provide a personal measure of the health issues (quality)
  4. Determine a plan of action to reduce the impact on quality of life (policy)

Herstasis is building a platform with resources and tools for women in the menopausal transition stage of life to help them learn about their changing bodies and minds and take action with their healthcare providers to improve their own Quality of Life.

Women

We believe women when they tell us about their symptoms, and we believe everyone experiences perimenopause differently.

Together

We believe that women’s health and gender equity can only be improved if we serve and include a broad group of women from many cultures, languages and abilities.

Education

We believe that people deserve education along with affordable, accurate, useful tools to take control of their own personal menopausal health.

Science

We believe that women deserve to be included in clinical trials, with fewer exclusions, to deliver better diagnostics and evidence-based symptom management therapeutics.