Vancouver (August 21, 2026) – Arthritis Research Canada is celebrating two exciting additions to its research team. Dr. Sarah Hansen has been appointed as a clinician investigator, recognizing her growing leadership in autoinflammatory disease research, while Dr. Rebecca Moyer joins the organization as a research scientist, bringing years of expertise in musculoskeletal health rehabilitation research.
Dr. Sarah Hansen continues with Arthritis Research Canada as a clinician investigator, having previously been part of the organization as a research trainee. She is the provincial lead for clinical care and research in autoinflammatory diseases, bringing to the province a much-needed expertise for these rare but complex and severe diseases. As a research trainee, she pursued a post-doctoral clinical and research fellowship at the US National Institutes of Health in the emerging field of autoinflammatory diseases, and completed a Master of Health Science at the University of British Columbia. Her primary research objectives are to establish a provincial adult autoinflammatory disease registry and prospective cohort that will improve our understanding of the epidemiology and effective treatment of autoinflammatory diseases in adults in British Columbia.
Dr. Rebecca Moyer joins the organization as a research scientist. She is an Associate Professor in the School of Physiotherapy at Dalhousie University, with a research focus on musculoskeletal health and mobility with an emphasis on lower limb osteoarthritis. She completed her Master of Physical Therapy training at the University of Western Ontario, followed by a PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science (Physical Therapy). Dr. Moyer’s research also spans into community programs for individuals with lower limb osteoarthritis. She is working with clinicians and physiotherapy program directors through Nova Scotia Health to establish an evidence-based patient education and exercise program, the Good Life with Osteoarthritis in Denmark (GLA:D) program, which was adapted for Canada as an alternative care pathway in management of knee osteoarthritis, avoiding, in many cases, the need for knee replacement surgery.
“We are excited to see our research team continue to grow,” said Dr. Diane Lacaille, Scientific Director at Arthritis Research Canada. “Dr. Sarah Hansen and Dr. Rebecca Moyer each bring highly valuable and distinct expertise that will help us ask new questions, build meaningful partnerships, and tackle the challenges that matter to people living with arthritis.”
