Jayneel Limbachia, MSc
London, ON
MD candidate 2025
Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Western University
London, ON
@jjustneel | Heart Story
CWHHA member since 2020
Biography
Having recently completed a MSc in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University under the supervision of Dr. Sonia Anand, I am interested in investigating the epidemiology of chronic conditions like diabetes and CVD in South Asians, particularly South Asian women. I have noticed a palpable lack of awareness in the South Asian community when it comes to preventative medicine and changing lifestyle habits. Women of South Asian origin are at a greater risk because of the unique psychosocial barriers they face in a traditional Indian household. My grandmother recently suffered a stroke due to some of these barriers back home in India, which were largely avoidable. I am interested in understanding what makes women so susceptible to cardiovascular conditions.
During my MSc, I employed genetic epidemiology and population epidemiological tools to study gestational diabetes in South Asian pregnant women (my thesis involved developing a polygenic risk score to predict GDM in our birth cohort), understand environmental risk factors that lead to diabetes and CVD in South Asian men and women, and assessed the effects of dietary habits of pregnant women and their effects on children after birth. I look forward to continuing working on further understanding structural factors that make it difficult for women to adapt behavioral changes within South Asian diaspora through qualitative research techniques. I am interested in understanding how personalized risk factor management can prevent conditions like CVD or improve its management among vulnerable populations including women.
In addition, I am interested in employing social media platforms such as Twitter, and digital technology to disseminate knowledge that empowers multicultural patients in self- managing their chronic conditions. In fact, I am very much interested in free open access medical education and have recently joined CanadiaEM to leverage podcasts as a medium to improve multicultural patients access to health knowledge and care. I am excited to utilize my experience with digital media to help grow the trainee outreach and representation through the CWHHA.
