In this #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRAthritis interview with Ms. Lamia Khan, a PhD Candidate in the Rheumatology Division of the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta. A recent study she was involved in found that severe systemic sclerosis patients develop DNA breaks in skin cells, leading to mutations. In her discussion with Ellen Wang, ACE’s Programs Coordinator, Lamia defines what metabolic stress remodelling is and share insights into the roles of fibrosis causing...
In this episode of #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Karen Beattie, Research Manager in Pediatric Rheumatology at McMaster University and the Lead for Patient and Family Engagement in Research for the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University. Her research interests are in autoimmunity, clinical science, patient and citizen engagement, and patient-centred care in rheumatology and rheumatoid arthritis. In the interview, she discusses with Ellen Wa...
In this episode of Arthritis At Home, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with rheumatology resident Ms. Whitney Hung and Dr. Steven Katz, Director and Professor in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Alberta. The duo provides a summary of their poster presentation: Uncovering Rheumatologic Disease in the Northwest Territories: First Comprehensive Baseline Study and Comparative Insights. Ms. Hung and Dr. Katz highlight the long wait times and high rate of patient no-...
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way health care is delivered across the country. From helping diagnose disease earlier to predicting arthritis flare-ups and supporting treatment choices, AI has the potential to transform how patients experience care. But what do Canadians living with arthritis think about this technology? In this new Arthritis at Home episode, Kelly Lendvoy, ACE’s VP of Communications and Public Affairs, speaks with Ellen Wang, project manager at Arthritis Consum...
Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, and other organs. It often takes years to diagnose and can dramatically affect quality of life. In this special episode of Arthritis at Home, Kelly Lendvoy from Arthritis Consumer Experts speaks with Leanne Mielczarek, CEO of Lupus Canada, about the official launch of the National Lupus Survey and the importance of collecting and amplifying the voices of people living with lupus across Canada. Kelly ...
Artificial intelligence scribing is a new innovation in healthcare with the potential to improve clinical practice efficiency and enhance the doctor-patient connection. In this #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Vandana Ahluwalia, a rheumatologist based in Brampton, Ontario. Dr. Ahluwalia discusses her session titled AI Scribing: Are you ready for it? Is it ready for you? She describes the factors that need to be considered using this technology include conse...
In this #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Mohamed Osman, an Associate Professor, Clinician Scientist and Consultant Rheumatologist and Immunologist in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta. Dr. Osman discusses about the therapeutic cases he encountered and what he has learned from them. As well, he shares his thoughts about CAR-T therapy and tips for patient advocacy for better arthritis care. Additional learning resource Arthritis Co...
In this #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Timothy Kowk, rheumatologist and clinician investigator at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University of Toronto. Dr. Kwok defines what fee-for-service means in healthcare and how policies can impact care. He shares how inequities in fee-for-service renumeration affects rheumatologists and patient-centred care. Some key findings include differences between western and eastern provinces, differences in rural...
In this #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Ms. Daphne To, PhD Candidate at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the University of Toronto and Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions & Virtual Care, and Ms. Gabrielle (Gabby) Sraka, a Public Health Science student at McMaster University. The duo reports on how their respective studies reveal the benefits of a team-based care model for both patients and health...
In this #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Janet Pope, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Western Ontario and Division Head in Rheumatology at St. Joseph’s Health Centre. Dr. Pope is a leading international researcher in scleroderma, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, focusing in areas such as outcome measurements, clinical trials, and disease manifestations. In this interview, Dr. Pope discusses with ACE’s Kelly Len...
Affordability of medications is a big issue for many people living with a chronic disease, like inflammatory arthritis. One of the drivers of high costs for medications is the misuse of patents by original-brand manufacturers to extend their patent and delay the competition from affordable generic and biosimilar medications. In this episode of Arthritis at Home, ACE’s Cheryl Koehn previews the launch of an international grassroots education campaign on pharmaceutical patents, titled “Pa...
Self-management plans that are made to fit the needs of individuals have the potential to improve quality of life, confidence to self-manage, and other aspects of health. In today’s episode, Kelly Lendvoy speaks to Ellen Wang, Arthritis Research Canada trainee and ACE’s Programs Coordinator, about a study looking at research studies on the benefits of tailored self-management plans for arthritis and other chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Additional learning resource Infographic: Tail...
Today is International Self-Care Day! In honour of self-care, this #ArthritisAtHome features the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Catherine Backman, Professor Emerita from the University of British Columbia (UBC). In her discussion with Cheryl Koehn, ACE’s Founder and President, Dr. Backman shares how occupational therapy, research, and finding the right splints and assisted devices can help people living with arthritis. Splints and assisted devices are an important part of self-care bec...
In this #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Hani El-Gabalawy, Professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. Dr. El-Gabalawy has dedicated his research career to understanding the mechanisms intitiating and sustaining rheumatoid arthritis. In his discussion with Cheryl Koehn, ACE’s Founder and President, Dr. El-Gabalawy shares updates in rheumatology, including care in Indigenous communities, diet, rheumatoid arthritis, comorbidit...
In this #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Liam O’Neil, Assistant Professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. His research focuses on understanding the biological events that occur prior to the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Dr. O’Neil discusses his study that looks at curcumin, omega-3, and vitamin D as a combination for preventing rheumatoid arthritis and explains why these three supplements were chosen. Dr....
In this #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Ms. Lindsey Puddicombe, a medical student at Dalhousie University, about her “Clinical pearls and mysterious cases” presentation at this year’s Canadian Rheumatology Association’s (CRA) Annual Scientific Meeting. Lindsey speaks to Ellen Wang, ACE’s Programs Coordinator, about how diagnosing arthritis can be hard as there are many other diseases that share the same symptoms, such as myositis and amyloidosis. Lindsey also ...
Lupus is a chronic disease that can happen in any part of the body, including the heart, brain, kidneys, skin and affects over 1 out of 1000 people in Canada. People with lupus can experience a butterfly rash on their face, kidney problems and even brain involvement such as seizures. These differences make diagnosing lupus challenging and, living with it, different for everyone. Joining Kelly Lendvoy in today’s #ArthritisAtHome to talk about lupus are Leanne Mielczarek, Chief Executive Office...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is today being used in arthritis care to help doctors make diagnoses, suggest treatment options, predict symptom changes, or answer health questions through virtual assistants or chatbots (like ChatGPT). In this episode of Arthritis at Home, Cheryl Koehn and Kelly Lendvoy talk about the launch of ACE’s National Survey on Artificial Intelligence and Arthritis Care. They discuss the focus of the survey, looking at different types of AI being used to create con...
June is Pride Month – a time dedicated to celebrating 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities and their resilience, advocating for equal rights and a world free from fear, violence or discrimination. According to data from the 2019 to 2021 Canadian Community Health Survey, 1 in 10 youth aged 15 to 24 years reported being 2SLGBTQQIA+. Amongst this population, 3 in 10 considered their mental health to be fair or poor. For youths who also live with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, they may also experience physica...
National Health and Fitness Day – an annual coast-to-coast celebration of wellness – is held on the first Saturday of June. To inspire you to be active on June 7, today’s Arthritis At Home will feature the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Manuel Ester (Manny). Manny is a post-doctoral associate working with Dr. Claire Barber at the University of Calgary’s McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health. Manny shares highlights from a workshop he co-presented at the 2025 Canadiana Rheumatology...