Sandi MacDonald BACS, CPS, CCW

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Sandi MacDonald (BACS, CPS, CCW) is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) and is a passionate advocate and nonprofit leader with over 25 years of experience in the mental health sector. 

Drawing from her own lived and professional experience, she has become a powerful voice in advancing global awareness, research, and support for women and gender-diverse individuals across the lifespan, particularly in the areas of premenstrual disorders, mental health, and suicide prevention. She has designed and implemented innovative, peer-led programs that bridge the gap between clinical care and lived experience, and her leadership has been instrumental in developing IAPMD’s globally recognized peer support initiatives and inclusive, evidence-based resources. 

Sandi has also co-authored multiple publications and led the first-ever PMDD Roundtable, along with other patient-centered research projects that have helped elevate patient voices in both science and policy.  

Dr. Maria Migas is a Halifax-based family physician dedicated to transforming how we understand and care for women in midlife. Recognizing the gaps in support and education surrounding menopause, she became a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) to help close them. 

With a Master’s in Health Services Administration and a focus on menopause care, Dr. Migas combines strategic insight with compassionate, evidence-based practice. Her work centers on enhancing care pathways, advancing patient education, and fostering community awareness—ensuring that every woman has access to the knowledge and support she deserves through the menopause transition. 

As Co-Founder and Director of the Menopause Society of Nova Scotia, she is a leading voice for change, championing better education, open dialogue, and empowerment for all individuals navigating midlife and beyond.

Amy is a Women's & Menopause Coaching Specialist, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Nutrition Coach, and multiple national record holder with WPC Canada Powerlifting. Amy discovered strength training a little later in life in her early 30s. What started as a personal journey for weight loss quickly evolved into a passion for helping women build strength, confidence, and resilience—both in and out of the gym. As Head Trainer at Evolve Fitness in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she works with women at all stages of life, guiding them through fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies that support long-term health and well-being. She is committed to helping women navigate the menopause transition with informed, evidence based choices that enhance their strength, energy, and overall quality of life.

 https://www.evolvefitnessltd.com/amy-muensch

Dr. Sharon Mulvagh is a clinical and investigative noninvasive cardiologist recognized nationally and internationally for her research and education focused on heart disease in women, and echocardiography.  She is Professor of Medicine, Dalhousie University, and Co-director of the Women’s Heart Health Clinic at the Maritime Heart Center in Halifax, NS. Dr. Mulvagh returned to Canada in 2016, after a 26 year career at Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, USA,  where she is Professor Emeritus, Past-Director of the Women’s Heart Clinic, and Past-Associate Director of Preventive Cardiology.  

She established Wear Red Canada Day in Halifax in February 2018 and is actively involved in the Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance, as a founding member and the Inaugural Chair of the Knowledge Translation and Mobilization Working Group, and founding member of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging Special Interest Group on Gender and Equity.  

She is current Chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society , immediate Past-President of the Canadian Society of Echocardiography, and immediate Past-Chair of the Heart and Stroke Provincial Advisory Board for Nova Scotia.   

 An Occupational Therapist and Geographer with a powerhouse background in leadership, Shawna O'Hearn brings passion, purpose, and a bold voice to the conversation around women’s health. With years of experience championing inclusive workplaces and empowering others to thrive, she is on a mission to break the silence around menopause, reduce stigma, and make sure every woman feels seen, heard, and supported. 

Whether she’s leading teams or leading tough conversations, her energy is contagious and her message is clear: women deserve to navigate every stage of life with confidence, knowledge, and community.  

Aly Pickard-Tattrie is a passionate and experienced Occupational Therapist who brings a holistic and client-centered approach to her work.  Aly’s clinical work has consistently prioritized mental health and wellness through a functional lens, moving beyond the traditional medical model to consider the whole person. 

She spent several years serving in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, delivering care in remote communities, before joining the Mentor Clinic in Halifax—an innovative demonstrative site for the “health home” model of primary care.  Aly is also the Chair of the Advocacy Committee for the Nova Scotia Society of Occupational Therapists. In this leadership role, she champions the value of occupational therapy within provincial systems, emphasizing the need for approaches that support meaningful engagement and functional wellbeing.

Aly’s work reflects a deep commitment to inclusion, equity, and evidence-informed practice, making her a strong advocate for integrated, person-focused care across all stages of life.

Shannon Platt's own journey into women’s health began during pregnancy and postpartum, when she quickly realized how confusing and inconsistent the available fitness guidance was. That experience inspired her to dive into research, pursue specialized certifications, open up a women’s health/pelvic floor clinic and dedicate her career to supporting women at every stage of life.

Over the years, Shannon has had the privilege of coaching hundreds of women—not just through pregnancy and postpartum recovery, but also into the transformative season of menopause. Shannon specializes in helping women navigate the physical changes of midlife with confidence by focusing on strength training, pelvic floor health, energy optimization, and practical strategies that truly fit into real life.

Today she runs her own coaching business out of ProEdge Elite Training and from home. Her mission is simple: to empower women to feel strong, capable, and vibrant through the menopause transition and beyond.  

https://www.shannonplatt.ca/

As a Managing Partner with KBRS, and a certified coach, Katherine has a passion for making a positive impact and helping people and organizations achieve their goals. She is committed to continuous improvement in the best interests of her clients, candidates and her KBRS team.  

https://www.kbrs.ca/people/katherine-risley 

Dr. Natalie Rosen (she/her) is clinical psychologist and a professor in the Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience and Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Her research focuses on understanding how couples cope with sexual dysfunction and changes to their sexual relationship—including during reproductive transitions such as menopause. She is committed to translating her research findings into novel interventions and to sharing evidence-based information with service providers and the public. 

Dr. Rosen has authored over 175 peer-reviewed publications and she is the current Past-President of the Canadian Sex Research Forum. As a registered clinical psychologist, Dr. Rosen maintains a small private practice focused exclusively on sex and couple therapy.

https://www.coastalpsych.ca/rosen

Toni Sappong

Dr. Sappong is a family physician committed to serving vulnerable and marginalized populations to improve health equity. She completed her medical training at the University of British Columbia, and her family medicine residency at the University of Toronto before coming to Dalhousie as a faculty member in September 2024. She currently works at the Newcomer Health Clinic and is the physician lead at the Nova Scotia Sisterhood, a province-wide, free program for Black women to access healthcare in their communities. As interim academic director of Black Health in the Faculty of Medicine, 

Dr. Sappong aims to reduce barriers to medical training for Black and African Nova Scotian individuals, to ensure the success of Black learners throughout their medical training, and to contribute to the building of a strong Black and African Nova Scotian health force. 

 A lifelong advocate for girls and women, Dr. Shaw is passionate about advancing women’s health across the lifespan.  Currently, she serves as Chief Medical Officer of Lume Women + Health where she provides direct medical care in the areas of prevention, healthy ageing and hormonal health, as well as education and training to the clinical team and broader community.  She spent over a decade as a clinical supervisor at the University of Toronto teaching medical students.  Before co-founding Lume, she provided general family medicine care in downtown Toronto and, more recently, served as Chair of the Board of Directors at Taddle Creek Family Health Team. 

Dr. Shaw’s career began with a foundation in social work, leading a community organization to improve the health of individuals involved in sex work in Nova Scotia.  In addition to her medical degree, Dr. Shaw has a doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University. Her psychology and social work backgrounds ground her firmly in a bio-psycho-social approach that allows for whole person care.  She is a Menopause Specialty Certified Practitioner.

https://www.lumewomenshealth.com/

The Healthy Tomorrow Foundation is all about creating a happy and healthy tomorrow for all Nova Scotians through movement.

The Foundation offers many programs to get Nova Scotians moving and their movement ambassador, Tara Taylor, will join us at the Menopause Show to get us on our feet and engaged for the afternoon's activities.

To find more visit:  Healthy Tomorrow Foundation 

Dr. Tanya Tulipan is a Psychiatrist working at Nova Scotia Health and the IWK. She is also an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University. 

She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario Medical School and completed her residency in Psychiatry at McMaster University. Her professional interests include Perinatal Mental Health, Women’s Mental Health and Emergency Psychiatry.

Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed is a passionate advocate for the role of public health in advancing health equity. As the Associate Dean of Serving and Engaging Society for Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine, she has worked to create new opportunities for the medical school to bring about positive change in the healthcare system and partner with communities to improve health outcomes. She is also Chair of the Board of Engage Nova Scotia, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving Nova Scotia’s quality of life. 

A public-health specialist physician, Dr. Watson-Creed was the Medical Officer of Health for the Halifax area for 12 years. She was also appointed to the federal Task Force on Women in the Economy. She sits on several national population health councils and boards.

Dr. Watson-Creed’s many awards include the Nova Scotia Public Health Champion Award in 2013, the William Grigor award for achievement in medicine from Doctors Nova Scotia in 2017, and the President’s Award from Public Health Physicians of Canada in 2018. In 2019, she was named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network.

Dr. Watson-Creed grew up in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. She has an MD from Dalhousie University (’99), an MSc from the University of Guelph (’97) and a BSc from UPEI (’93).

Dr. Lisa White is a psychologist with a special interest in menopause, mental health and wellbeing.   For over 30 years, Lisa has focused her work and studies on helping professions in numerous capacities - within community, correctional, hospital, and university settings.  

She has also worked in private practice since 2017. Her therapeutic practice focuses on adults seeking individual therapy for a wide range of concerns. Her approach is trauma-informed with training in a variety of treatment modalities. 

Over the past five years, she has developed a special interest in understanding the effects of the menopause transition and post-menopause experience on the mental health and wellbeing of women in mid-life. She has felt privileged to “walk beside” and support her clients during this sometimes challenging and also dynamic time of life. She is regularly inspired by the resilience and wisdom of the people she has worked with through the years.