Regina-Maria Renner is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of UBC and is also a member of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Vancouver Island.
She completed her Family Planning Fellowship at Oregon Health & Science University, OR USA (OHSU, 2011), where she also did her residency. She also has a Master of Public Health from the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA (2005). She is our feature researcher for August/Sep 2015.
What is your day job?
I am an obstetrician and gynaecologist with subspecialty training in family planning. While a significant portion of my time is in clinical work as a general obstetrician and gynaecologist, I continue to do research. Most recently I have become the Assistant Director of the Fellowship in Family Planning, which will have its first fellow starting at UBC in the summer of 2016.
What is your primary research focus?
My primary research focus has been in the area of Family Planning, including research on various forms of contraception as well as in management of miscarriages and undesired pregnancies. I have conducted several systematic reviews as well as clinical randomized controlled trials.
What drew you to that subject?
I am passionate about women’s reproductive rights and optimizing related health care and access to it. This led me to conducting a systematic Cochrane review on a related topic. I really enjoyed being able to generate subsequent research questions based on the missing data we identified. This led to several randomized controlled trials I have completed since.
What do you find are the biggest challenges in pursuing research while being a clinician?
Finding the time and feeling like I do the best job I can as a researcher and clinician. A related challenge is certainly funding.
What are the greatest supports for your research?
I have been lucky to have had wonderful mentors along the way. Some have been inspirational due to their enthusiasm and some due to their meticulous approach to research.
What are your future plans and goals? What would you like your research to achieve?
The new UBC Fellowship in Family Planning will be a wonderful opportunity to increase my research and teaching involvement. This will allow us to grow a larger research group and to expand the research activity, aiming at improving patient care.
When you aren’t busy being a clinician and a researcher – what do you do?
I enjoy time with my family; especially outdoors. Music and singing have always helped me to stay happy and sane.