Spring 2025 (Volume 35, Number 1)

Awards, Appointments, and Accolades

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Dr. Matthew Anacleto-Dabarno – 2024 National Psoriasis Foundation Fellowship Award

Dr. Matthew Anacleto-Dabarno is a recipient of the 2024 National Psoriasis Foundation Fellowship Award. The US-based organization issues the award yearly with the aim of supporting physicians-in-training who are pursuing a career advancing care and research in psoriatic disease.

Dr. Anacleto-Dabarno completed his rheumatology training at McGill University in June 2024 and is currently enrolled in a clinical fellowship at the University of Toronto Psoriatic Arthritis program. He is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Chandran, Dr. Poddubnyy and Dr. Gladman to better understand patients with difficult-to-treat psoriatic arthritis.

Dr. Susan Bartlett – 2024 ARP Master Award

At the American College of Rheumatology’s Convergence Meeting in Washington DC in November 2024, Dr. Susan Bartlett was awarded the Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) Master designation. The designation of ARP Master is conferred on members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology through service to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/ARP; and advancements in research, practice, education, and/or advocacy.

Dr. Bartlett is a clinical psychologist and epidemiologist, and Professor of Medicine at McGill University in the divisions of Clinical Epidemiology, Rheumatology, and Respiratory Medicine. Dr. Bartlett is one of the few clinical psychologists embedded in rheumatology divisions at McGill and Johns Hopkins University throughout her career. She is co-founder of the McGill Centre for Health Measurement, a senior researcher with the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Arthritis Research Canada and the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort. Her studies focus on patient-centred research, measurement development, treatment adherence, and psychosocial factors that impact treatment outcomes. She is a member of the American College of Rheumatology’s Research Foundation board, and immediate past-President of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS).

Dr. Dafna Gladman – Appointed Officer of the Order of Canada

Congratulations to Dr. Dafna Gladman on being appointed Officer of the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System. Presented by the Governor General, it recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.

Dafna Gladman has made foundational contributions to the field of psoriatic arthritis. Her research has advanced our understanding of this chronic disease, and her advocacy has improved treatment availability and quality of care worldwide. She is a highly respected field leader and mentor to the next generation of researchers.

Dr. Gladman is Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and Emeritus Scientist at the Krembil Research Institute and Schroeder Arthritis Institute. She is founder and co-Director of the Gladman Krembil Psoriatic Arthritis Program and co-Director of the Lupus Clinic. She is Deputy Director of the Centre for Prognosis Studies in The Rheumatic Diseases; Director, Psoriatic Arthritis Program, University Health Network; and co-Director of the University of Toronto Lupus Clinic. Dr. Gladman’s research focuses on psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and systemic lupus erythematosus, with emphasis on database development, prognosis studies, genetic markers, assessment instruments, and quality of life measures. The Toronto PsA Clinic (renamed Gladman Krembil PsA program in 2024) was established in 1978 and is the largest PsA longitudinal cohort in the world. Dr. Gladman’s laboratory research program involves genetic and biomarker studies of PsA, making this a truly translational research program.

Dr. Nicole Johnson – Named one of Canada's Top 100 Black Women to Watch

Congratulations to Dr. Nicole Johnson on being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Black women to watch by CIBWE (Canadian International Black Women), which is an organization that celebrates Black women and their advancements in Canada and beyond. The founder, Rose Cathy Handy, is a Cameroonian immigrant, business leader and CEO of H.E.R. Consulting and Services Inc. Each year CIBWE organizes a Black Pearls Gala event to recognize 100 Black women in Canada. The purpose of the event is to elevate and promote Black women, both immigrant and native to Canada. This year, Dr. Nicole Johnson was one of the top 100 Black women to watch, for her contributions on providing mentorship in medical education and advancing health equity for all.

Dr. Diane Lacaille – ACR Mentoring Award

At the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting I had the honour and privilege to receive the Excellence in Investigative Mentoring Award, which recognizes the importance of the mentor/mentee relationship in significantly influencing the successful development and careers of up-and-coming rheumatologists and research scientists. This award recognizes the formal and informal mentoring I have provided to trainees and early career scientists and rheumatologists. It also recognizes my role, as Arthritis Research Canda’s Scientific Director, in supporting the training and mentoring of the next generation of arthritis scientists, one of our priorities. To that effect, I have had the pleasure of creating the Arthritis Research Canada arthritis trainee network, directed by scientist Mary De Vera.

I am thrilled to have received this distinguished award. Working alongside young talented individuals and watching their growth and success is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. I have been privileged to work with many extremely talented trainees. Their curiosity, enthusiasm, and accomplishments are truly inspiring!

Marie Westby, PT, PhD – ARP Distinguished Educator Award

Marie Westby received a Distinguished Educator Award at the 2024 Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) meeting in Washington, DC. This award is presented to a member who has demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching patients and students/trainees, including health professional students, medical students, and graduate students, with a focus on rheumatology-related content. Marie has been with the Mary Pack Arthritis Program for 36 years and is currently a Physiotherapy (PT) Clinical Resource Educator in the Vancouver centre. She is a Clinical Associate Professor in the University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Physical Therapy and Clinician Scientist at the Centre for Aging SMART.