Born in Edmonton, Alberta, and based in Calgary, Jenise Finlay (she/her) is a registered nurse with over ten years of experience in sexual health. She is pursuing a PhD in the Social Dimensions of Health at the University of Victoria, researching health care provider approaches to chronic pain, disability, and sexuality. Her academic journey includes a Master of Nursing degree from the University of Calgary, with her thesis, Emerging Adult Women with Chronic Pain: A Narrative Inquiry, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Vancouver Island University.
Jenise serves as Vice President of the Alberta Society for the Promotion of Sexual Health and as an expert member for Statistics Canada’s Expert Advisory Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Health. She also volunteers as a medical consultant for chronic pain organizations, as a patient navigator for individuals with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and founded Calgary Women & Trans Climbing to promote inclusivity in sport.
An adaptive alpine athlete, model, and Iyengar yoga practitioner, Jenise draws on her lived experience with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome through these platforms to break down misconceptions about disability. She hopes the scholarship will amplify her work advancing health equity, fostering inclusive healthcare, and mentoring future healthcare professionals.
