CRAJ Spring 2022

Spring 2022 (Volume 32, Number 1)

Awards, Appointments, and Accolades

Dr. Catherine Backman – ACR/ARP Lifetime Achievement Award

The American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ACR/ARP) Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an ARP member who has made lasting contributions to the field of rheumatology. Catherine Backman, PhD, FCAOT, received the award at the November 2021 ACR Convergence meeting. She is currently Professor, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, at the University of British Columbia, and Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada.

In a career spanning four decades, Catherine has especially enjoyed the teamwork inherent in rheumatology practice, education, and research, inclusive of patient collaborators and graduate students. Her research examines the impact of arthritis on participation in paid and unpaid work and qualitative and mixed methods studies on occupational disruption, occupational balance, and the effect of rehabilitation interventions.

Dr. Mo Bardi – UBC/BCSR Innovation Award

Dr. Mo Bardi is a rheumatologist and a member of the Division of Rheumatology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He completed training in the use of ultrasound through the Ultrasound Society of North America Rheumatologists (USSONAR) program, and trained in Norway and the United Kingdom to use vascular ultrasound in giant cell arteritis (GCA).

The British Columbia Society of Rheumatologists (BCSR) awarded him the Innovation Award for introducing ultrasound assessments in diagnosing GCA as part of a Fast Track Clinic. Through this work, patients with GCA are seen quickly and provided a timely diagnosis that ultimately leads to improved care.

Dr. Daniel Ennis – UBC/BCSR Teaching Award

I am very thankful for such an honour from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the British Columbia Society of Rheumatologists (BCSR). If I have developed any skill as a teacher, it is because I am part of a department and community with so many exceptional colleagues who have shown me how it is done.

I am sincerely grateful to our outstanding trainees for allowing me to participate in their education. They challenge me to reflect on my own clinical reasoning and to aim to do better. I look forward to continuing our education together.

Dr. Daniel Ennis is a rheumatologist and vasculitis clinician at Vancouver General Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital. He is a past Chief Medical Resident at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Dr. Debbie Ehrmann Feldman – ARP Addie Thomas Service Award

Debbie Ehrmann Feldman, PT, PhD, Professor in the School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, received this year’s Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) Addie Thomas Service Award. Dr. Feldman conducts health services research in musculoskeletal disease and arthritis, investigating access to care in rehabilitation and optimal ways of prioritizing care for patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions and arthritis. Her contributions include research and advocacy in both pediatric and adult rheumatology.
Dr. Feldman has mentored many graduate students and trainees who have contributed to rheumatology research and have gone on to university faculty positions in physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Dr. Monique Gignac – ARP Ann Kunkel Award

It is our pleasure to announce that Monique Gignac is the 2021 recipient of the Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) Ann Kunkel Award. ARP is a division of the American College of Rheumatology. The Ann Kunkel Award is presented to an ARP member providing extraordinary service to advocate for patients with arthritis and rheumatic diseases.

Dr. Gignac is Scientific Director and a Senior Scientist at the Institute for Work & Health and a Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. From 2008- 2014, she was Co-Scientific Director of the Canadian Arthritis Network, a Network of Centres of Excellence comprising over 200 arthritis researchers and people living with arthritis. She was Chair of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) from 2011-2016 and 2017-2020. She has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee at the Arthritis Society since 2011. In 2018, she was a witness before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the Canadian House of Commons.

Dr. John G. Hanly – ACR Master Award

In November 2021, Dr. John Hanly was recognized as an American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Master, one of the highest honours that the ACR bestows on its distinguished members, and which honours outstanding scholarly contributions to the field of rheumatology through clinical care, education, research and leadership over an entire career. Dr. John Hanly, former Head of the Division of Rheumatology at Dalhousie University and the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Center in Halifax, is a respected clinician, teacher and clinical investigator. He is currently a Professor of Medicine and Pathology at Dalhousie University.

His research focus has been the study of pathogenic mechanisms of systemic lupus erythematosus and their clinical outcomes, in particular the effects of lupus on the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Dr. Hanly is a Past Chair of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) and has received several awards in recognition of his achievements in lupus research, including the ACR Edmund L. Dubois Memorial Award and the Ira Goldstein Honoree Award from New York University.

Dr. Nigil Haroon – Appointed Head of Division of Rheumatology, UHN

Following an open search, Dr. Nigil Haroon has been selected as the new Head of the Division of Rheumatology for Sinai Health System and University Health Network (UHN) as of April 1st, 2022, for a 5-year term.

Dr. Haroon is a Clinician-Scientist based at UHN. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and a Senior Scientist at the Krembil Research Institute and the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, with his clinical and renowned translational research focused on ankylosing spondylitis. Dr. Haroon completed his medical school and residency in India, and his Rheumatology Fellowship and PhD at the University of Toronto. He recently completed an MBA at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Business. Nigil is the President of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, and holds leadership positions with the Association of Kerala Medical Graduates, and the Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network.

Dr. Rayfel Schneider – ACR Master Award

It is our great pleasure to announce that CRA member, Dr. Rayfel Schneider, is a 2021 recipient of an American College Rheumatology (ACR) Master Award. The Master designation is one of the highest honours bestowed by the American College of Rheumatology and honours outstanding scholarly contributions to the field of rheumatology through clinical care, education, research and leadership over an entire career.

Dr. Schneider has been Program Director and Head of the Division of Paediatric Rheumatology at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, and most recently Vice-Chair (Education) of the Department of Paediatrics. Under his leadership the training program established a substantial international footprint. He has made important contributions to the care of patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), with studies of prognosis and the development of international clinical trials and treatment guidelines. He has served on the ACR Special Committee on Pediatric Rheumatology, as Vice-Chair of the Canadian Paediatric Rheumatology Association, was a founding member of the AMIGO Mentorship Program, and was a member of the Advisory Committee of the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group (PRCSG).

Dr. Stuart Seigel – UBC/BCSR Advocacy Award

I am honoured to be recognized by the University of British Columbia (UBC)/ British Columbia Society of Rheumatologists (BCSR) for helping to grow rheumatology in Kelowna. At meetings, I promoted our region. I encouraged electives by providing a positive, educational experience. Our medical office assistants (MOAs) pitched in to make trainees feel at home. The result — three Fellows returned to stay after their electives. Lessons learned? Adjust your clinic to accommodate a trainee. Make them feel welcome. A great experience will get the word out. There is now funding for rheumatology electives in underserviced cities via BC Rheum2Grow. I commend my colleagues for taking rheumatology recruitment to the next level, and where it is needed.

The CRAJ would like to recognize the contributions of its readers to the medical field and their local communities. To have any such awards, appointments, or accolades announced in an upcoming issue, please send recipient names, pertinent details, and a brief account of these honours to JyotiP@sta.ca. Picture submissions are greatly encouraged.