Gwen Jansz

Dr. Gwen Jansz received her BSc and MSc at the University of Toronto before accepting a PhD position in Physiology at Western University. Her graduate and post-doctoral research focused on cell-cell communication in a variety of organisms and systems. Following her post-doctoral research, she attended McMaster University and received her MD, then returned to the University of Toronto for her residency and fellowship in Family Medicine. Since then, she has maintained her clinical practice at the Wellesley-St. Jamestown Health Centre (Unity Health Toronto), while continuing her academic work in research and teaching. Her clinical research has included quantitative and qualitative methodologies, most recently examining the best practice for delivering shared mental health care. Her teaching has included curriculum development and delivery in undergraduate and postgraduate medicine, particularly with the Determinants of Community Health and Primary Care Mental Health courses. She also has a particular interest in teaching communication skills in medicine, especially with respect to difficult interactions with patients. The biggest driver of her academic work is her unique inner-city health patient population; her patients continue to teach her about the core principles of being a physician.