Around 10pm on May 21st, 2026, I encountered Batthew for the first time. I made the foolish mistake of screaming and cowering in fear, giving Batthew – a bat – the chance to disappear into one of the house’s many nooks and crannies. He re-emerged two days later (after my landlord had done his own inspection and gave me the all-clear, mind you), and did a few laps around our living room while my roommate and I screamed at him. As if the threat of having a large winged creature randomly pop up in my house wasn’t bad enough, the creature in question could’ve also been harbouring a deadly disease. Bats are considered to be Canada’s primary rabies vectors, and it is recommended that any person who has direct contact with a bat seek post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to avoid a potential rabies infection. Rabies is a disease caused by the Lyssavirus rabies which attacks the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals and humans by travelling through the spinal cord to the brain, where it causes encephalitis, which is the scientific term for inflammation of the brain. Depending on the distance between rabies’ entry point on the body – which is typically a bite or scratch caused by a rabid animal – to the brain, it can take weeks to months for rabies symptoms to manifest. Once symptoms appear, the infection is almost always fatal, which is why PEP,  which consists of four to five shots given out over the course of two weeks, must be administered promptly following any potential exposure.

What does it mean to be intelligent? Is it a fixed trait predetermined by your genetic potential, or a skill improved with practice, dedication, time, and adequate resources? More importantly, on what basis do we distinguish those who are considered “intelligent” from those who are “unintelligent”? Unfortunately, many proposed answers to these questions have been informed by racist, sexist, and ableist ideologies.

Women’s health differs from men's both biologically, as a dependant of sex, and epidemiologically, as a function of societal gender roles. However, historically women’s health has been relegated and falsely equated to systems solely involved in reproduction. This classification implies the study of human biology could be reliably understood and researched using a male model. Consequently, women have been excluded from medical research in Canada’s history.

For the 30th anniversary of Black History Month, the theme is “Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations – From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.” The Canadian Museum of Health Care will be continuing our series of profiles on the contributions of Black individuals and organizations to healthcare by highlighting the work of Dr. Juliet Daniel.

For the 30th anniversary of Black History Month, the theme  is “Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations – From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.” The Canadian Museum of Health Care will be continuing our series of profiles on Black individuals’ and organizations’ contributions to healthcare by highlighting the work of Dr. Dominique Gaspard.

For the 30th anniversary of Black History Month, the theme  is “Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations – From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.” The Canadian Museum of Health Care will be continuing our series of profiles on Black individuals’ and organizations’ contributions to healthcare by discussing the work of the Black Cross Nurses.