Summer 2015 (Volume 25, Number 2)

Who’s That Homunculus?

By Auntie Inflammatory, on behalf of The Arthritis Society

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Auntie Inflammatory takes time out for a quick photo with Ms. Janet Yale at the 2015 CRA Conference.

A strange, silent being paid a visit to Quebec City this February, courtesy of The Arthritis Society (TAS). No, not Bonhomme, but a real, live arthritis homunculus which took to the stage at the CRA’s 2015 conference and interacted with attendees. Featuring rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-affected joints on the front and osteoarthritis (OA) on the back, the homunculus brought this common educational tool to life, and helped inject a little fun into the day’s proceedings.

But what to call it? The Society turned to the CRA’s members for help, and your suggestions poured in.

Prizes were awarded to the submitters of the three finalists. The runnersup—one for Ossie Arthuritis, and two for Bonhomonculus (fitting for Carnival)—each received TAS swag. The top prize of an iPad Mini was awarded to the winning entry, Auntie Inflammatory! Special thanks to TAS’s own Benoit Duhamel for his courageous performance as Auntie.

One other name was submitted no less than six times: Andy Thompson, in honour of the winner of the CRA’s Teacher/Educator Award. In the highlight of the day, Dr. Thompson went up to claim his award and then, à la Clark Kent, pulled open his shirt to reveal the homunculus suit underneath. Well played, Andy!

Of course, TAS also had some serious business to attend to, as president and CEO Janet Yale presented the Phil Rosen Award for Best Abstract for Clinical or Epidemiology Research by a Trainee to Dr. Liam O’Neil, for his study of interruptions and delays in RA care among First Nations patients and their impact on outcomes. Ms. Yale also awarded an Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA) research grant to Dr. Lucie Brosseau for the development and dissemination of clinical practice guidelines for self-management and rehabilitation interventions for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Congratulations Dr. O’Neil and Dr. Brosseau!

These research awards, selected by the CRA’s review committee and funded annually by TAS, are just one of the many ways that TAS invests in the recruitment and development of the next generation of arthritis researchers and clinicians. We continue to work together with the CRA through the Every Member campaign to ensure that the rheumatology community has the capacity to meet the needs of Canadians now and into the future.

For information about Every Member or to make your pledge, please contact Sandra Dow at sdow@arthritis.ca, or by phone at 416-979-7228 ext. 3343.