Canadian Arthritis Summer School 2025 Speakers
Professor Adetola Adesida
Dr. Adetola Adesida is a Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alberta. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Manchester and postdoctoral fellowship training at the University of Manchester and Harvard University. He is a former fellow of Harvard Medical School and the European Commission's Marie Curie. He is an Elected Fellow of the Orthopaedic Research Society and the Royal Society of Biology. He leads a team of scientists, surgeons, and engineers working in cartilage bioengineering and regenerative medicine research. He has received significant funding awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, Stanford University-Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. He is a recipient of the Collaborative Exchange Prize of the Orthopaedic Research Society and the Precision Health Innovator Award of the University of Alberta. He is an Associate Editor of the Annals of Biomedical Engineering and a former Associate Editor of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. He serves on the editorial boards of Scientific Reports, Frontiers in Biomaterials Science, Regenerative Medicine Reports, Regenesis Repair Rehabilitation and the Journal of Functional Biomaterials. He holds several patents and has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in the fields of cartilage tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Clare Ardern
Clare is an Australian-trained physiotherapist and health researcher, appointed as Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at UBC. She leads the DigiMSK research team, whose work brings researchers, patients, clinicians, designers and policy-makers together to re-imagine musculoskeletal health care services so that they deliver the right care in the right place at the right time. Clare has served the international musculoskeletal rehabilitation community as a journal editor for a decade. She is the current Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT) and JOSPT Open, and hosts the weekly JOSPT Insights podcast, which is downloaded over 35,000 times each month.
Mame Awa
Mame Awa is a Research Coordinator at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, where she leads French-language knowledge translation and helps develop tools that support better healthcare decisions. But beyond her professional role, Mame Awa is a passionate advocate for bringing the patient voice into research—because she lives it every day.
For over ten years, she has lived with rheumatoid arthritis, while raising three boys. Her daily experiences with chronic pain have given her a deep, personal understanding of what truly matters in healthcare. That perspective drives her work and her commitment to creating research that is not only evidence-based but also grounded in real life.
During her time in Quebec City, Mame Awa co-led the Quebec SPOR SUPPORT Unit's Strategy for Patient and Public Engagement, working to ensure that patient voices were heard and valued in the research process.
She holds a Master's degree in Sociology from Gaston Berger University in Senegal, a Master's in Corporate Communication from Université Rennes 2 in France, and a certificate in Occupational Health and Safety from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Mame Awa believes that when patients are seen as partners, not just participants, research becomes more powerful—and more human.
Jillian Banfield
Jillian Banfield is the Lead for Patient Partnership in CIHR's Institute of Genetics. She works to build the Institute's program around patient partnership in research. Jillian is passionate about connecting patients with opportunities to influence health research. Jillian has lived with arthritis since she was 14 months old and brings this lived experience of chronic illness and disability to her work. Prior to her work in clinical research, Jillian obtained a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Waterloo. In her spare time, Jillian advocates for cycling as a means of transportation. She is a co-organizer of Kidical Mass events in Halifax, Canada. She is also an amateur bird watcher and sewist.
Patrick Bermudez
Executive Director of the Canadian Open Neuroscience Platform (CONP)
Patrick Bermudez obtained his PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, and he has worked on such topics as auditory cognition, music cognition, auditory working memory, training, and brain plasticity. For the past four years, he has dedicated himself to various roles at the Canadian Open Neuroscience Platform (CONP), serving its mandate to reduce the barriers to the practice of open science among neuroscientists in Canada.
Vienna Cheng
Vienna Cheng is a Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences candidate at the University of British Columbia (UBC) under the supervision of Dr. Mary De Vera. Having completed her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) training at UBC, she currently enjoys serving patients in her community as a community pharmacist. In addition to patient care, Vienna has a keen interest in using her expertise in drug therapy and research methods to inform clinical guidelines, shape drug policy and enhance patient health outcomes through drug safety research. The goal of Vienna's project is to evaluate the effect of arthritis medications on pregnancy outcomes (in the mom and baby) among those with inflammatory arthritis.
Kelly Cobey
Dr. Kelly Cobey is a scientist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, where she leads the Metaresearch and Open Science Program. She is also an associate professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa.
Dr. Cobey has interests in topics including the implementation of open science, the reporting quality of research, data management and sharing best practices, research reproducibility, and patient engagement in research. She holds a number of national and international leadership positions in the academic research community, including acting as the co-chair of DORA (Declaration On Research Assessment).
Louise Crane
Louise is a proud Metis of Cree heritage who uses the teachings of her Elders in her teaching style. She came to us with a background of nursing and medical office assistant work and then decide to return to school. Louise studied anthropology/history and graduated from the University of Calgary in Heritage Resource Management. After spending several years managing heritage sites in northern Alberta, she returned to Calgary and "fell" into support work. She spent the next 25 years working as a community developer and support worker with organizations such as the Alex and Northeast Community Resource Centers. After working as a support worker at Mamahawi – Atoskiwin, she tried to retire but found she need more. In July 2019 she joined Bay River college as an instructor for the Family support worker certificate. That job ended one year later due to COVID-19 closing the classes.
She is now semi-retired teaching occasionally for MTG Healthcare Institute Community support worker program. Her former board work has included various University of Calgary health initiatives in Siksika and Awo Taan Native Women's Shelter and is currently at Mount Royal University on the Aboriginal advisory committee and the Health Quality Institute of Alberta patient advisory committee.
Nejat Hassen
Nejat Hassen is a research assistant at Arthritis Research Canada. She earned her MSc degree in Population and Public Health from the University of British Columbia, where she focused on identifying disease-related and non-disease-related factors that influence the health-related quality of life in individuals living with rheumatoid arthritis, as well as identifying trends of the disease burden of rheumatoid arthritis in Canada over the last 30 years. Nejat currently manages a national project aimed at developing a flexible care delivery model for inflammatory arthritis.
Clare Hildebrandt
Clare is a health care leader with more than 25 years of experience, working across the following sectors and populations, including homecare, dementia care, women's health, indigenous populations, not-for-profit, population and public health, pediatrics, acute care, and long-term care. Throughout her career, Clare has been a champion for person and family centered care and promotes engagement in all aspects of care from the bedside to the boardroom. She believes that all areas of the system of care must work together to transform services. She is a member of the Alberta Arthritis Research Community Network as a parent representative as her son lives with Arthritis. Using her Masters in Epidemiology, her personal mission is to leverage data and systems to optimize patient care and experience.
Dr. Mohit Kapoor
Dr. Mohit Kapoor is the Co-Director of the Schroeder Arthritis Institute in Toronto, the largest multidisciplinary Arthritis Institute in Canada. He is the Tony and Shari Fell Platinum Chair in Arthritis Research. He is also the Canada Research Chair, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Director of the Collaborative Program in Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Toronto. Dr. Kapoor's translational research program utilizes multi-omic approaches to understand the complex cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with joint destruction during osteoarthritis.
His research program is funded by various organizations including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada Research Chairs Program, Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), The Krembil Foundation, The Arthritis Society, Stem Cell Network, etc.
He sits on the scientific panels & boards of various research and funding organizations across the globe. He is currently the Treasurer and member of the Executive Board of Directors for the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI). He is the recipient of multiple research awards and honors including the 2023 Robin Poole Investigator Award for Excellence in Arthritis Research. He has over 130 research publications in respectable scientific journals including Nature Medicine, Science Translational Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Nature Reviews Rheumatology, Annals of The Rheumatic Diseases, etc.
Stephanie Kulhawy-Wibe, MSc, MD, FRCPC Rheumatology
Dr. Stephanie Kulhawy-Wibe is a rheumatologist in Calgary. She has a developed a special interest in promoting wellness and movement in her patients and sees this as an integral part of their care. She is originally from Calgary, studied at Western for her undergrad and master's before moving back to Calgary to complete her medical training, and she has stayed here ever since.
Adalberto Loyola-Sanchez, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Dr. Loyola-Sanchez completed his medical and specialty training in Mexico City and his research training at McMaster University (MSc and PhD, Vanier scholar) and at the University of Calgary (postdoctoral studies, Banting scholar). Since then, he has been working on developing a program of mixed methods research to design, implement and evaluate community-based rehabilitation programs for people living with disabilities produced by chronic illnesses in outreach communities. This program focuses on implementing community-based participatory action research projects for underserved populations living with chronic complex musculoskeletal conditions (i.e., Indigenous rural communities in Mexico) and for people living with complex chronic neurological disabilities in Alberta. He is currently working in the Spinal Cord Injury program at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton and provides care to people with SCI in acute, inpatient rehabilitation and community settings. Dr. Loyola-Sanchez leads several community-based participatory mixed methods research projects directed to improve participation of people living with complex disabilities in rural Mexico and in Alberta.
Hilda Ma
Dr. Zhiyao (Hilda) Ma underwent training as a biomedical engineer in Hong Kong and earned her master's degree in the same field at RWTH Aachen University in Germany. She has now completed her PhD in the surgery department, working under the guidance of Dr. Adesida, and is continuing her research as a postdoctoral fellow. Her PhD research focused on utilizing tissue-engineered meniscus constructs as a model to investigate the sex-dependent molecular mechanisms of knee osteoarthritis in simulated microgravity conditions.
Dr. Jasmin Ma
Dr. Jasmin Ma is an assistant professor of teaching in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, a Clinician Investigator with Arthritis Research Canada, and an Investigator with the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries. She was named a UBC Knowledge Mobilization Scholar for her work bridging her roles as a kinesiologist and researcher, collaborating with clinicians and community partners to create physical activity opportunities for people with diverse physical abilities. She leads the Movement 4 All (M4A) lab which focuses on i) enhancing skills training for health and exercise professionals and ii) supporting behaviour change in strength training for individuals with chronic disease and disability, particularly people with spinal cord dysfunction and rheumatoid arthritis.
Melissa O'Brien, PhD
Dr. Melissa O'Brien is a Research Associate at Dalhousie University where she researches pain in Osteoarthritis and Migraine. She holds a MSc from The University of British Columbia and PhD from Dalhousie University. Her translational research is ongoing at Dalhousie and is carried out by a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, PhD researchers, and patient partners.
Laurie Proulx
Laurie Proulx has lived with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis since she was 14 years old, and her experiences led to her involvement in the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA), a grass-roots patient-driven and managed organization. She currently works part-time for CAPA as managing director and is self-employed as a consultant for health care organizations, researchers, patient organizations, and health charities. Her work focuses on patient engagement, knowledge translation, and pharmaceutical policy. She worked as the first-ever Patient Advisor to the Canadian Drug Agency Transition at Health Canada in 2024.
Carole Silvera
Carole has recently retired after 35 years as a registered nurse. She has always been and will continue to be passionate about improved care and advocating for changes that enhance quality of life. Carole has been living with the challenges of Rheumatoid arthritis for over 10 years. She is highly motivated to maintain an active lifestyle and recognizes the many ways that movement matters to wellness. To promote and help others prioritize movement, she invests in advocacy for education, resources, and support. Carole is driven to connect with like-minded people to make a difference and commit to staying active while living with RA. She loves nature and enjoys family time, walks, taking photos, making photo books, yoga, paddle boarding, and music. With a "Can Do" focus on daily activities, Carole ensures she has multiple activity choices to adjust to the illness' unpredictable nature. Some days with RA mean meditation, breath work, gentle stretching, and self-compassion. Attention to mind, body, & spirit connection is Carole's recipe for finding balance.
Bob Strain
In his university career, Bob Strain earned a BA and MEd along with Teacher Training, and certificates in Business and Technical Writing, and Security Officer training. Bob taught at all levels in the public school system, from K-University including administrative, District, and Provincial roles in Curriculum Development and Evaluation, as well as secondment by the Ministry of Education for accreditation and Curriculum.
Bob's interests and curiosity led to his qualification as a local FIFA referee during which time he organized a seven-team junior soccer squad. He was also a director of two music schools, an actor in local community theatre groups and a writer, collaborator and contributor to several educational books and publications.
Bob has lived experience with numerous significant health conditions and issues, which prompted him 14 years ago to be trained for services with Patient Voices Network. Bob likes the challenge of learning more about his personal afflictions such as Parkinson's Disease or Arthritis or Sepsis, and continues to volunteer opportunities ranging from collaborations with individual medical staff, team-based projects, research studies, and policy development. At the heart of every initiative Bob strives to champion the patient's voice.
Dr. Elizabeth Stringer
Dr. Elizabeth Stringer is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Stringer completed her medical training and pediatric residency at Dalhousie University, followed by 3 years in Toronto completing her pediatric rheumatology fellowship and a master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology. Since 2008, she has worked as a pediatric rheumatologist and clinical researcher at IWK Health, the primary pediatric hospital serving the Maritime provinces. Her position is divided into 70% clinical care, 25% research, and 5% teaching. Her primary research interest is the study of Lyme arthritis in children, the incidence of which has risen dramatically in Nova Scotia.
She is also very interested in the transition of youth and young adults from the pediatric to the adult health care system and is presently co-leading the creation of national clinical practice guidelines. Dr. Stringer is a strong believer in the power of collaborative, multi-centre research and has enrolled 100s of patients to multiple registries and studies over the past 20 years.
Amanda Swartz
Amanda Swartz, diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 11, is a dedicated patient partner based in Ontario. Amanda works closely with various organizations contributing to research projects, focus groups, grant reviews, and advisory committees. Amanda shares her story to advocate for better care and awareness.
Monika Szpunar
Monika completed her PhD and MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Science at the University of Western Ontario, specializing in Health Promotion. During her graduate journey, she discovered her passion for science communications and creating data visualizations. Since 2023, Monika has been working at Arthritis Research Canada where she provides knowledge mobilization support to trainees, scientists, staff, and the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board. Outside of work, you can find Monika walking her dog, getting creative in the kitchen, and spending time with her loved ones!
Ellen Wang
Ellen Wang is an MPT/PhD student, supervised by Dr. Linda Li at the University of British Columbia. Ellen received her Bachelor and Master of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo. During her time in Ontario, Ellen was involved in multiple implementation projects for older adults living with chronic conditions and mobility impairments. From this experience, she developed a keen interest in knowledge translation. Broadly speaking, her work aims to uncover how research teams can best support patients and public to step into roles of leadership. Ellen's journey as a patient started in 2018, when she was diagnosed with Sjögren's, Raynaud's and chronic hepatitis. Today, she is the Programs Coordinator at Arthritis Consumer Experts, a national patient advocacy organization, and a Board Member at the Sjögren's Society of Canada. Ellen is still mastering the art of wearing multiple hats.
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