Dr. Rachel Asiniwasis is Canada’s first Indigenous dermatologist. She’s also on the leading edge of research into the root causes of, and potential solutions for, many skin problems plaguing Indigenous people in remote and northern communities, in Saskatchewan and across Canada. Support for her work includes a $90,000 research grant from Hospitals of Regina Foundation, to provide a part-time research assistant for two years, to help Dr. Asiniwassis complete her research and publish the results, a crucial part of any research project.

Dr. Asiniwasis has been a practicing dermatologist, in her home town of Regina, since completing her residency at the University of Toronto in 2014. She recently completed her Masters degree in translational research, which is research aimed at producing direct benefits towards human health.

Dr. Asiniwasis’ practice focusses on two main areas. Providing a wide variety of dermatology services to the general population of southern Saskatchewan, and offering remote clinics in northern and southern Saskatchewan in the form of virtual care/tele-dermatology, and in-person clinics with a focus on providing culturally safe care to Indigenous communities.

“That’s where my research will bear the most fruit,” Dr. Asiniwasis says. “In the past, skin diseases among Indigenous populations haven’t been well documented at all. In addition, there are travel barriers in providing specialized care for residents of these communities. Plus, there’re the costs involved in getting proper skin care supplies to remote areas. Those costs are often out of the reach of ordinary people. It’s a difficult situation.”

Additionally, as Dr. Asiniwasis notes, there is occasionally a stigma around skin diseases, which many people consider far less serious than other ailments. “However, even a case of eczema, if left untreated, can lead to serious health issues, including chronic itching and pain.”

Dr. Asiniwasis hopes her research will help identify common factors leading to skin disease among Indigenous populations, but also – and perhaps most importantly – start an essential conversation that has been lacking in the past. “We need to identify root causes and develop effective and affordable treatment plans. But before we can get there, we need to have open and honest discussions. That includes a multi-pronged approach, including members of the community at the same table as health care providers and researchers. That’s where we’ll make real progress.”

“Hospitals of Regina is proud to support Dr. Asiniwasis’ important work,” says Dino Sophocleous, president and CEO Hospitals of Regina Foundation. “Her research will lead to solutions for a number of long-standing challenges surrounding skin diseases, especially in remote parts of the province. That aligns with the Foundation’s goal of ensuring everyone in southern Saskatchewan – not just those people living in larger centres – has access to the best possible health care.”