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Location
Venue: Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre
Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre
Address:
Lipedema Canada Conference (LipCanCon) 2026
Description:
Join us on September 10–12, 2026 in Winnipeg, Manitoba for LipCanCon, a groundbreaking national conference bringing together patients, advocates, and healthcare professionals. This inaugural event will feature leading research, hands-on clinical learning, and collaborative discussions aimed at advancing lipedema care and shaping the future of healthcare in Canada.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the clinical features and diagnostic criteria of lipedema as a distinct disease entity classified by the World Health Organization (Medical Expert, Scholar, Professional).
- Select evidence-informed management options for lipedema, including conservative, compressive, surgical, and self-directed approaches (Medical Expert, Communicator, Collaborator, Scholar, Professional).
- Evaluate the current gaps in lipedema care delivery within the Canadian healthcare system, including barriers in clinical education, specialist access, referral infrastructure, and policy support (Leader, Health Advocate, Collaborator, Professional).
- Demonstrate patient-centered care approaches that address the stigma, medical trauma, and quality-of-life impacts experienced by persons living with lipedema (Communicator, Professional, Medical Expert, Collaborator, Health Advocate).
- Summarize the current evidence base in lipedema research and the priority directions for future Canadian and international inquiry (Scholar, Collaborator, Leader, Professional).
Agenda:
Thursday, September 10, 2026- Doctor-Is-In Clinic (Pre-Conference)
As part of LipCanCon 2026, attendees are invited to participate in the Doctors-Is-In Clinic Pre-Conference Session taking place on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
This innovative hands-on clinical experience pairs global experts with Canadian clinicians to assess real patients in a collaborative mentorship environment focused on practical diagnosis, assessment, and patient-centered lipedema care.
Please note that participation in this session is limited and attendees must meet specific eligibility criteria for registration and participation.
Registration for this session is separate from the main conference registration.
👉 Click here to view the full Pre-Conference Clinic details, eligibility criteria, and registration information:
Lipedema Canada Conference (LipCanCon) 2026: Doctors-Is-In Clinic (Pre-Conference) – Continuing Professional Development – Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Friday, September 11, 2026 – Foundations
Day 1 of LipCanCon 2026 focuses on the foundational principles of lipedema care, including disease recognition, diagnostic approaches, clinical assessment, associated comorbidities, and the psychosocial impact of living with lipedema. Sessions are designed to strengthen core knowledge while promoting trauma-informed, stigma-aware, and interdisciplinary approaches to patient care through interactive learning and discussion.
| Time | Session / Activity |
| 0715 – 0800 | Registration, Breakfast & Networking |
| 0800 – 0815 | Welcome and Introductions
Speaker(s): PD Dr. med. M. Ghods; Emma Cloney RN, BN |
| 0815 – 0835 | Lipedema in the Canadian Context, Barriers, and Bridging
Speaker: Lipedema Canada Board of Directors |
| 0835 – 0850 | Patient Keynote: The Matriarchal Lineage of Lipedema: One Family’s Journey of Ancestral Healing through Resilience, Laughter and Advocacy
Speaker: Erica Sullivan |
| 0850 – 0905 | Interactive Learning: Pre- and Post-Learning Q&A via digital medium (Slido) |
| 0905 – 0920 | Break |
| 0920 – 0955 | Lipedema 101 – Differential Diagnoses, Comorbidities and Treatment Options
Speaker(s): Dr. Giw Mostofizadeh-Haghighi, Dr. Amier Sweis |
| 0955 – 1015 | Diagnostic Tools – Ruling Lipedema In or Out
Speaker: Dr. Delphine Boury |
| 1015 – 1030 | Interactive Learning: Pre and post: Q&A with Audience, moderated session, submitted questions in a Zoom chat |
| 1030 – 1045 | Coffee / Snack Break |
| 1045 – 1145 | Live Clinical Assessment – Head-to-Toe Assessment of Patient Volunteers Using a Standardized Method
Speaker(s): PD Dr. med. M. Ghods, Dr. Amier Sweis, Dr. Giw Mostofizadeh-Haghighi, Dr. Kaitlin Cyr, Dr. Delphine Boury |
| 1145 – 1200 | Panel Discussion with Audience, moderated session, using online polling (Slido) and submitted questions in a Zoom chat |
| 1200 – 1245 | Lunch & Networking |
| 1245 – 1300 | Lipedema Comorbidities – Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
Speaker: Melissa Seaton FNP-C |
| 1300 – 1310 | Patient Speaker: The Weight of Silence – A Call for Change in Canadian Lipedema Care
Speaker: Janelle-Marie Emond |
| 1310 – 1325 | Multimodal Cross-Disciplinary Teams – Care of Lipedema Patients with Comorbid Obesity
Speaker: Apostolos Siafliakis M.D. |
| 1325 – 1335 | Patient Speaker: “But I’m Not a Woman” – A Transgender Perspective on Living with Lipedema
Speaker: Ashland Kearns |
| 1335 – 1345 | Q&A with Audience, moderated session, submitted questions in a Zoom chat |
| 1345 – 1400 | Break |
| 1400 – 1410 | Patient Speaker: The Centaur – A Hybrid-Poetic Investigation of Lipedema
Speaker: Alyssa Woodbridge |
| 1410 – 1430 | An Occupational Therapy Perspective on Chronic Pain and Mental Health in Lipedema Care
Speaker(s): Cindy Campbell OT, and Katie Young OT |
| 1430 – 1440 | Patient Speaker: From Survival to Thriving – How Research Helped Me Find the Missing Link
Speaker: Laura Kerr |
| 1440 – 1500 | Beyond Borders – Understanding the Fears, Complexities and Nervous System Needs of Patients Travelling Abroad for Lipedema Surgery
Speaker: Dr. Norina Cornelius, MD |
| 1500 – 1515 | Interactive Learning: Q & A, followed by moderated empathy exercise – sharing lived experience
Moderator: Raena Zapp RPN – Moderates |
| 1515 – 1530 | Your Body is Still on Your Side – Learning to Trust Your Body Again with Lipedema
Facilitator: Julie Newbry CPT MSAPK |
| 1530 – 1545 | Coffee / Snack Break |
| 1545 – 1600 | Patient Speaker: Beyond the Weight Limit – Accessibility, Dignity and Living with Lipo-Lipedema
Speaker: Diana Dimmock |
| 1600 – 1620 | Applying for Insurance Coverage (Public and Private) for Lipedema Treatment
Speaker(s): Emma Cloney RN, BN, & Holly Head |
| 1620 – 1645 | Clinical Documentation: A clinician’s guide to documenting a lipedema diagnosis in the Canadian landscape (disability tax credit, letters of medical necessity, referral pathways, prescriptions for lipedema)
Speaker(s): Dr. Kaitlin Cyr, and Dr. Delphine Boury |
| 1645 – 1700 | Interactive Learning: facilitated case study learning activity and participant discussion
Facilitator(s): Dr. Kaitlin Cyr, and Dr. Delphine Boury |
Saturday, September 12, 2026 – Treatments
Day 2 of LipCanCon 2026 explores current and emerging treatment approaches in lipedema care, including conservative therapies, movement, nutrition, pharmacotherapy, surgical management, and interdisciplinary care planning. The day concludes with discussions focused on research advancements, future directions, and collaborative strategies to improve access, education, and patient outcomes in Canada and internationally.
| Time | Session |
| 0715–0800 | Registration, Breakfast & Networking |
| 0800–0840 | Keynote: The LipLeg Study: First RCT in Lipedema Surgery
Speaker: PD Dr. med. M. Ghods; Dr. Giw Mostofizadeh-Haghighi |
| 0840–0850 | Interactive Learning: Q&A Following the Keynote (Slido/Zoom) |
| 0850–0900 | Aqua Therapy for Lipedema and Lymphedema
Speaker: Susan O’Hara |
| 0900–0910 | The Athletic Lipedema Patient: Navigating the Intersection of Multimorbid Conditions through Self-Advocacy
Speaker: Katerina V. Pappas |
| 0910–0925 | Lipedema Management: A Rehabilitation Framework from Foundational Principles to Evidence-Informed Practice
Speaker: Marie-Eve Letellier |
| 0925–0940 | Resistance Activity to Control Inflammation and Lipedema Using the Pilates Method
Speaker: Larissa Musso de Magalhães & Dr. Lusanere Cruz |
| 0940–0950 | Hypermobility and Lipedema: Physiotherapy Perspectives on Safe and Sustainable Movement
Speaker: Kelsi Abbott |
| 0950–1005 | Interactive Learning: Q&A (Slido/Zoom) |
| 1005–1020 | Coffee & Snack Break |
| 1020–1030 | A Role for Eating Attitudes and Behaviors in Symptoms of Lipedema
Speaker: Amy Roberts, Prof. Talitha Best & A/Prof. Melissa Oxlad (Virtual) |
| 1030–1045 | Lipedema and Inflammation: What Nutrition and Lifestyle Can Really Influence
Speaker: Virginia Ziulu |
| 1045–1100 | Beyond the BMI: An Obesity Medicine Approach to Lipedema and Pharmacotherapy
Speaker: Dr. Archana Vijay |
| 1100–1115 | Change in Inflammatory Patterns in Patients with Lipedema Using GLP-1 Analogue
Speaker: Dr. Lusanere Cruz |
| 1115–1130 | Advancing Lipedema Care: Insights from the Irish Clinical Experience with Tirzepatide & Targeted Nutrition
Speaker: Virginia Ziulu |
| 1130–1145 | Interactive Learning: Q&A (Slido/Zoom) |
| 1145–1230 | Lunch & Networking |
| 1230–1240 | Bridging the Gap: Why Evidence-Informed Practice Matters to the Lipedema Patient
Speaker: Katrina Njie |
| 1240–1255 | What the Most Recent Literature Says About Lipedema Reduction Surgery (LRS)
Speaker: Dr. Thomas Wright |
| 1255–1315 | Newest Basic Research Insights into Lipedema
Speaker: Dr. Katharina Morawitz & Dr. Sabrina Gohlke |
| 1315–1330 | Quantifying Lipedema Using Near-Infrared Light Spectroscopy with the Intention of Diagnosis
Speaker: Thomas Kedra, Evan Chow & Noah Deniaud |
| 1330–1345 | Moderated Discussion & Q&A |
| 1345–1400 | Potsdam Concept and Hybrid Method
Speaker: Dr. Giw Mostofizadeh-Haghighi |
| 1400–1415 | Skin Removal Following Lipedema Surgery: Indications and Timing
Speaker: Dr. Adrian Zaharie |
| 1415–1430 | Anesthesiologist’s Perspective
Speaker: Dr. Nornia Cornelius |
| 1430–1445 | Lipedema Surgery Abroad: Aftercare
Speaker: Dr. Iakovos Georgiou |
| 1445–1500 | Lipedema in the Arms: Staging and Treatment
Speaker: Dr. Ana Carolina de Nadai |
| 1500–1515 | Coffee & Snack Break |
| 1515–1545 | Surgeons’ Moderated Panel Discussion: Let’s Talk Lipedema Surgery |
| 1545–1555 | Interactive Learning: Pre-Learning Q&A (Slido) |
| 1555–1610 | Commitment-to-Change Activity -Dr. Kaitlin Cyr & Dr. Delphine Boury |
| 1610–1620 | Conference Photo – “Let’s Make History!” |
| 1620–1700 | Closing Ceremony & Future Planning– Lipedema Canada Board |
Registration also provides access to the recording post event. Recordings will be accessible in your CPD account ~ 7-14 days after the session date.
Connection details will be emailed to registered participants ~24 hours prior to each event date. Please ensure that your email address is up to date in your CPD profile and add cpd.programs@umanitoba.ca to your safe sender list, if possible. Contact your organization’s helpdesk or IT department if you are not receiving email messages from us.
Cancellation Policy
In accordance with CPD Medicine policy:
- More than 21 days’ notice: A refund will be issued, minus a 20% administrative fee (up to a maximum of $200).
- Less than 21 days’ notice: No refund will be provided.
Special refund requests may be submitted to the event coordinator for consideration by the Scientific Planning Committee Chair, CPD Director or the Managing Director.