McCaig Institute researchers receive funding from Arthritis Society

As the largest non-government funder of arthritis research in Canada, Arthritis Society annually grants over four million dollars towards sparking new ideas and new careers. Here’s what Arthritis Society is supporting in Calgary over the next three years:

• Nedaa Aljezani, University of Calgary, PhD Salary Award: Finding the best stem cells for osteoarthritis therapy. Under the supervision of Dr. Roman Krawetz, Nedaa is learning how to distinguish the best stem cells with the most potential to help patients repair their joint cartilage, which will help design better clinical trials to test the promise of stem cell therapy for OA.

• Darren Mazzei, University of Calgary, PhD Salary Award: Informing public funding decisions for an exercise and education program for osteoarthritis. A pilot study of an 8-week exercise and education program that lowers pain and medication usage in people with OA is being run at rehabilitation clinics across Alberta. Under the supervision of Dr. Deborah Marshall, Darren is comparing the health benefits and economic costs of the pilot program with those of the usual approach to OA care. These results will directly inform provincial decision-makers examining whether to publicly fund the program in Alberta.

Arthritis Society continues to support these additional research initiatives since 2017:

• Dr. Sarah Manske, University of Calgary: Using MRI, CT scans and x-rays to understand how joint swelling and bone changes are connected in those living with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Dr. Susanne Benseler, University of Calgary: Establishing the validity of quality of life measures in young children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
• Luiza Grazziotin, University of Calgary: Understanding the costs of childhood arthritis – for the whole family.
• Dr. Jo Anne Stratton, University of Calgary:  Unravelling the mechanisms underlying chronic OA joint pain with a neuroimmunological focus.

Register now for the February 2020 Arthritis Talks educational symposium at arthritis.ca/arthritistalks or call toll-free at 1-800-321-1433.