Flourish Lab

Earlier this month, Rohan D’Souza represented the Canadian Obstetric Survey System (CanOSS) at the Global Pre-eclampsia Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Human Reproduction Programme (HRP).

The Summit brought together 140 international delegates, including representatives from 26 national ministries of health, to focus on one of the most serious complications in maternal and newborn health.

For CanOSS, it was a chance to bring Canadian surveillance work into a global conversation on severe pregnancy complications, while learning from countries and partners working in very different health-system contexts.

Flourish Lab Rohan D’Souza was one of 140 international delegates invited by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) to take part in the Global Pre-eclampsia Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, from 5 to 8 May 2026, where he represented the Canadian Obstetric Survey System (CanOSS)...

How do we reimagine support in the first year after pregnancy?

That question is at the heart of Hey Aunty!, a digital platform being developed by McMaster graduate student Vedha Viyas Thilagarajan under the supervision of Rohan D’Souza.

Supported by a Mitacs Business Strategy Internship and the Lab2Market Validate program, Hey Aunty! combines research, lived experience, and AI technology to provide families with trusted guidance, culturally relevant resources, and timely mental health support during the first year after childbirth, miscarriage, or pregnancy termination.

The next phase will see families and health-system partners shaping features through interviews and co-design workshops - ensuring the platform reflects real needs and priorities.

Learn more:

Hey Aunty!: A digital companion for the first year after pregnancy - D'Souza Lab McMaster For many families in Canada, post-pregnancy care is limited to a single check-up six weeks after birth. It is a brief encounter in a year that brings lasting physical, emotional, and social change. With little structured support beyond that appointment, people often turn to relatives or the internet...

A core outcome set for vasa previa research.

A recent study from the Obstetrics Research and Outcomes Study (OROS) group, published in JAMA Network Open, introduces the first international core outcome set and reporting checklist for vasa previa - a rare but serious pregnancy complication.

Led by first author Tiffany Yeretsian and senior author Rohan D’Souza, the study draws on input from 115 individuals with lived experience and 89 pregnancy care providers across 27 countries. It addresses long-standing inconsistencies in how outcomes are selected and reported, which have made it difficult to build clear, evidence-based clinical guidance.

By establishing a shared framework for future studies, this work will improve the reliability of research and ensure that outcomes important to patients and families shape clinical progress.

|

Research Standardizes Vasa Previa Studies, Paving the Way for Improved Prenatal Care - D'Souza Lab McMaster A new study from the Obstetrics Research and Outcomes Study (OROS) group, published in JAMA Network Open, marks a key step in maternal-fetal medicine research. The study introduces a standardized ‘core outcome set’ and reporting checklist for research on vasa previa – a rare but serious pregna...