This Q&A series is part of Black History Month and Beyond, an initiative of the Black History Month Organizing Committee co-led by Black students and faculty from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences with the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Anti-Racism Committee (EDI-AR) of the School of Population and Global Health.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Mélissa Délalie Houinsou. I’m a third-year medical student at McGill University, as well as a writer, spoken word artist, public speaker, and health educator. I’m passionate about making healthcare more accessible through education, especially for Black and marginalized communities. Originally from Benin, I moved to Canada alone at 17 and completed an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa.
Can you describe your program of study and your research project?
I’m currently pursuing a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery (M.D.,C.M.) at McGill University. My research focuses on sociocultural differences in labour pain management perceptions among women. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with women from diverse backgrounds, I explore how cultural identity, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic context influence their understanding of pain, their preferences for management options, and their interactions with the medical system.
This work highlights an often-overlooked aspect of patient-centered obstetric care: how lived experience shapes clinical choices and outcomes. Our findings emphasize the need for more inclusive, culturally responsive education and communication between patients and providers.
What inspired you to pursue your area of research? What do you hope to achieve?
As a Black woman and future physician, I have frequently witnessed how healthcare systems often fail to reflect the lived realities of diverse patients. Hearing firsthand stories from Black mothers about experiences of dismissal and inadequate care inspired me to explore pain perception through a cultural lens. Through this research, I hope to contribute to more compassionate, inclusive, and context-aware obstetric care, as well as the development of teaching practices that are better adapted to serve all communities effectively.
Why did you choose McGill?
I chose McGill for its emphasis on global health and its humanity-centered approach to medicine. The opportunity to learn in a bilingual and culturally vibrant environment was also a major draw. McGill has provided me with the tools to integrate my academic, creative, and community interests in meaningful ways, making my journey toward becoming a doctor both human and rewarding.
Can you describe your community involvement and why you feel it is important, especially as a member of the Black community?
Community work is where my purpose and passion meet. I founded Coin Santé-Health Corner, a bilingual health literacy platform that translates complex medical topics into accessible knowledge. Since its launch, it has reached over 50,000 people: many from Black and immigrant communities. In June 2025, I brought the platform offline through Coin Santé Live, a wellness event featuring workshops, screenings, and conversations tailored to underserved populations.
As a mentor, I support Black students applying to medical school, a process that often feels isolating and nerve wracking. I help them prepare, but more importantly, I remind them they belong. When I applied to medical school, I had no mentor to guide me. Supporting others now allows me to rewrite that story; not just for myself, but for those who come next.
I also engage in advocacy at municipal and provincial levels, serve as president of my medical school class, and participate in several student groups. I also serve in my church’s children’s ministry, offering a safe and joyful space for children to re-ground, reflect, and connect.
How has your identity as a member of the Black community formed your research
interests or community involvement?
My identity as a Black woman doesn’t just inform my research, it anchors it. It is through lived experience that I have come to notice the blind spots in healthcare and education: the missing representation, the unasked questions, the assumptions. These gaps aren’t just abstractissues: they are daily realities. My work aims to amplify voices that are too often ignored.
What advice would you give your younger self, knowing what you know today?
Little Delalie,
You don’t have to fit into anyone else’s mould to succeed. You are allowed to be multifaceted: to carry dreams that intertwine, to lead with both intellect and heart. Embrace your writings and the crazy stories and poems that keep you awake at night, welcome your passion to communicate and discover the world, accept your deep love for medicine and healing. The challenges you’re facing now, and the ones still to come, will shape you, not break you. They will ground you in your values and strengthen your voice. Value your relationships. Let yourself build genuine, mutual connections: they will nourish you more than you know. You will make it, and one day, you will be proud not just of what you have achieved, but of how far you have come. Trust that every part of you holds value. Let that truth guide how you walk through the world, and how you serve others along the way.