The Faculty of Nursing welcomes Professor Rebecca Balasa to the University of Windsor. Her experience in nursing and public health, along with her research on child health equity, brings valuable insight to our community. (SUBMITTED BY REBECCA BALASA/University of Windsor)
By Sara Meikle
For Dr. Rebecca Balasa, the path to nursing didn't start in a classroom.
Her own experiences as a pediatric patient introduced her to the role nurses play, not only in delivering treatment, but in providing comfort and connection.
“I was really inspired by my own healthcare team,” she said. “It was through my relationships with nurses and seeing everything they do that I decided to go into the profession.”
That sense of purpose continues to guide her as she joins the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Nursing.
— Published on Apr 22nd, 2026
Jane Simanovski (left) and her team of colleagues and students stand with their research poster at the WE-SPARK conference in March, highlighting a cross-border study on caregivers supporting lung transplant patients. (SUBMITTED BY EDWARD CRUZ/University of Windsor)
By Sara Meikle
It takes more than medical expertise to support a patient after a lung transplant.
As April marks Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month, a new cross-border study examines an often-overlooked part of the transplant journey — the family members and friends who provide care after surgery.
— Published on Apr 21st, 2026
Corina Farai Makore, now a University of Windsor doctoral student researching correctional healthcare policy, is pictured at her 2015 MPH graduation from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. (SUBMITTED BY CORINA FARAI MAKORE/University of Windsor)
By Sara Meikle
When Corina Farai Makore began her PhD at the University of Windsor, she wasn’t just pursuing a long-held personal goal, she was equipping herself to change a system.
As healthcare manager at the South West Detention Centre in Windsor, Makore leads 50 nurses and oversees a 10-bed infirmary providing 24/7 care for incarcerated patients.
At the same time, she is a scholar using her doctoral research to guide policy reform and strengthen correctional nursing in Ontario.
— Published on Apr 14th, 2026
This “Get Swabbed!” stem cell registration drive is centred on Daphne, a Windsor-area mother and grandmother diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. A stem cell transplant is her only potential cure — and you could be the match she’s waiting for. (SUBMITTED BY KATELYN BEDARD BONE MARROW ASSOCIATION/University of Windsor)
By Victor Romao
Fill out a form and have your cheek swabbed. It’s only eight minutes of your time that could lead to saving a life. Daphne’s life.
The Windsor-area grandmother has been diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, and doctors say a stem cell transplant is her only potential cure.
More than 45 million potential donors on a worldwide stem cell registry have already been searched, but no suitable match has been found.
— Published on Mar 24th, 2026
Dr. Noeman Mirza led the ROAR study, advancing research focused on improving healthcare access for rural seniors. (CHERRY THERESANATHAN/University of Windsor)
By Sara Meikle
As winter loosens its grip and the first signs of spring emerge, many Canadians are welcoming the change.
But for vulnerable older adults, particularly those living in rural communities, the most pressing challenge exposed by the colder months does not disappear with the thaw.
For Dr. Noeman Mirza of the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Nursing, winter is more than a backdrop of snow and ice — it is a magnifier. The deeper issue is transportation.
— Published on Mar 24th, 2026
As part of the University of Windsor’s Outstanding Scholars program, nursing student Anna Papanastassiou gains hands-on research experience in a neuroscience lab, contributing to Alzheimer’s-related genetic testing. (ROGERS KOBOJI/University of Windsor)
By Victor Romao
Anna Papanastassiou spends most days in her nursing classes learning how to care for people.
But in a quiet neuroscience lab at the University of Windsor, she is also learning how to study the brain through hands-on genetic testing.
The second-year nursing student is part of the university’s Outstanding Scholars program, a competitive initiative that pairs high-achieving undergraduates with faculty-led research projects.
— Published on Mar 13th, 2026
Nursing Faculty, students and Dean gather in celebration of the Faculty of Nursing’s Research Collaborative, highlighting a shared commitment to advancing nursing scholarship and strengthening a culture of research at the University of Windsor. (SARA MEIKLE/University of Windsor)
By Sara Meikle
The University of Windsor’s Faculty of Nursing is advancing its research ecosystem through the launch of the Nursing Research Collaborative.
The new Collaborative marks a significant milestone in the Faculty’s strategic plan. It formalizes three core research pillars while creating intentional space to grow research capacity, foster collaboration and enhance impact across programs and communities.
— Published on Feb 26th, 2026
Dr. Edward Cruz is pictured at the Faculty of Nursing, where his research includes advancing the integration and success of Internationally Educated Nurses within Canada’s healthcare system. (GAM MACASAET/University of Windsor)
By Sara Meikle
As Canada faces ongoing health-care worker shortages, internationally educated nurses (IENs) are increasingly relied upon to fill critical roles.
Research by Dr. Edward Cruz, a professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Windsor, suggests many of these nurses continue to encounter systemic barriers that limit their ability to fully integrate into the workforce — even as they are actively recruited to meet demand.
— Published on Feb 18th, 2026
Olivia Marsella won the Board of Governors in-course medal for education (PETER MARVAL/University of Windsor)
By Kate Hargreaves
Bachelor of Education student Olivia Marsella always had a passion for helping others.
In fact, before pursuing teaching, she completed an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree during which she realized her real passion, even within healthcare, was education.
— Published on Feb 5th, 2026
UWindsor students on a past Teach Tanzania trip (FILE/University of Windsor)
By Kate Hargreaves
When Bachelor of Education students Jillian Wawrow and Jessica Mladenoski pack their suitcases this April for their trip to Tanzania, they’ll also be loading up bags of school supplies, toiletries and menstrual products.
Wawrow and Mladenoski are two of the 16 participants in this year’s Teach Tanzania trip, which has allowed students to make the three-week trip to Tanzania each spring since 2008.
— Published on Feb 4th, 2026
The Faculty of Nursing welcomes Professor Rebecca Balasa to the University of Windsor. Her experience in nursing and public health, along with her research on child health equity, brings valuable insight to our community. (SUBMITTED BY REBECCA BALASA/University of Windsor)
