Our Team - Arthritis Research Canada

About Arthritis
Our Research
- - - 2026 STUDIES TO WATCH
      
      Every year, our scientists and patient advisory group identify the studies and topics creating the most impact for people living with arthritis.
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  - - OUR RESEARCH
      
      Ongoing and completed studies across our full research portfolio, from prevention and treatment to care and health systems.
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- - - ARTHRITIS PATIENT ADVISORY BOARD
      
      People living with arthritis guide our research priorities, shape study design, and ensure our work reflects real life.
      
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Our Research Team

The people behind the progress.

With over 100 scientists and trainees working across five provinces, Arthritis Research Canada brings together some of the brightest minds in the country, united by a single mission: to improve the lives of people living with arthritis and autoimmune rheumatic diseases across Canada.

Our researchers work side by side with patients to ensure every discovery leads to real change in real lives.

Emeritus Research Scientists (5) Research Scientists (33) Research Staff (16) Research Trainees (47) Affiliate Scientists (6) Clinician Investigators (12) Knowledge Brokers (2) Arthritis Patient Advisory Board (15)

Emeritus Research (5) Scientists

John Esdaile

Scientific Director Emeritus, MD, MPH, FRCPC, FCAHS, MACR

Catherine Backman

Senior Scientist Emeritus, Rehabilitation, PhD, FCAOT

Jacek Kopec

Senior Scientist Emeritus, Epidemiology, MD, MSc, PhD

Jolanda Cibere

Senior Scientist Emeritus, Rheumatology, MD, FRCPC, PhD

Matthew Liang

Professor Emeritus, Rheumatology, MD, MPH

Research Scientists (33)

Diane Lacaille

Scientific Director, MDCM, MHSc, FRCPC

Alexandra Legge

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Ann Clarke

Research Scientist, Immunology, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Aslam Anis

Senior Scientist, Health Economics, PhD, FCAHS

Carlo Marra

Research Scientist of Pharmacoepidemiology, BSc (Pharm), PharmD PhD

Carrie Ye

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, MPH, FRCPC

Cheryl Barnabe

Senior Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Claire Barber

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Deborah A. Marshall

Senior Scientist, Health Services Research and Health Economics, PhD

Deborah Da Costa

Research Scientist, Psychology, PhD

Glen Hazlewood

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Hugues Allard-Chamard

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Hui Xie

Senior Scientist, Biostatistics, BSc, MS, PhD

Hyon Choi

Senior Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, DrPH, FRCPC

Inés Colmegna

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD

J. Antonio Aviña-Zubieta

Senior Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, MSc, PhD, FRCP

Jackie Whittaker

Senior Scientist, Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, BScPT, PhD

Jean-Sébastien Roy

Research Scientist, Physiotherapy, PT, PhD

Laëtitia Michou

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, PhD

Lihi Eder

MD, PhD, Research Scientist, Rheumatology

Linda Li

Senior Scientist, Implementation Science, BSc(PT), MSc, PhD, FCAHS

Maggie Larché

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MRCP(UK), PhD

Marie Hudson

Research Scientist, Rheumatology MD, MPH, FRCPC

Mary De Vera

Senior Scientist, Pharmacoepidemiology, MSc, PhD Associate Director of Training

May Y. Choi

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD FRCPC, MPH

Megan Barber

Research Scientist, BSc (Honours), MD, PhD

Nelson Greidanus

Research Scientist, Orthopaedics, MD, MPH, FRCSC

Nick Bansback

Research Scientist, Health Economics, MSc, PhD

Paul Fortin

Senior Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, MPH, FRCPC

Sabrina Hoa

Research Scientist, MD MSc FRCPC

Susan Bartlett

Research Scientist, Medicine, PhD, M-ARP

Valérie Leclair

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Wei Zhang

Research Scientist, Health Economics, MA, PhD

Research Staff (16)

Astrid Knight

Research Coordinator, MSc

Ayesha Kirmani

Research Assistant, MBBS

Emily Chen

Research Assistant

Helen Prlic

Research Team Coordinator, MA

Jackson Zhou

Nutritional Science Student (3rd Year)

Jeremiah Tan

Research Assistant

June Kaminski

Research Coordinator, RN, BSN, MSN, PhD Candidate

Leo Lu

Statistician, MPH

Lourdes Gonzalez Arreola

Research Coordinator

Makshada Kowlessur

Research Coordinator

Miranda Butler

Research Coordinator

Pam Rogers

Research Coordinator, MA

Shireen Divecha

Administrative Assistant

Sofia Rieger-Torres

Research Assistant, BSc

Stephanie Therrien

Research Coordinator, BA

Yufei Zheng

Statistician, MPH, MA

Research Trainees (47)

Abdullah Abass

MD, MBA, MSc Candidate

Abigail Stites

BA, MSc Student

Alicia Tran

BSc, MSc Student

André Luiz Luquini Pereira

MD, PhD Student

Ani Methi

BSc (Hons), MSc Psych, MSc Candidate

Anthony Obrzut

BSc, MSc Candidate

Barath Ramanathan

MD, MSc Candidate

Daniel Gillespie

PT, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow

Derin Karacabeyli

MD, PhD Student

Dominique Clarke

BSc, MSc Student

Dwayne Tucker

MSc, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Ellen Wang

PhD Student

Emilie McGuire

BA, MA Student

Félix Fiset

PT, M.Sc. Doctoral Student in Rehabilitation Sciences

Iana (Yana) Bulavko

MD, MSc Student

Ildephonse Nduwimana

BA, MSc, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate

Jamon Couch

BHlthSc, MPhysioPrac, MExSci (S&C), PhD Candidate

Janice Xinran Xu

BSc, MSc Candidate

Jenna Schulz

MPT, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow

Jenny Leese

MA, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow

Jenyo Banjo

MPH, MSc Candidate

Jocelyn Thomas-Purdue

BSc (Hons), PhD Student

Jordyn Burgar

BA Psychology, MSc Candidate

Juel Chowdhury

MBBS, MPH, GCSRT, PhD Candidate

Julia Downey

BSc, MSc candidate

Kai Zhao

PhD Student

Kamso Mohammed Mujaab

BA, MSc, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate

Kara Irwin

M.Sc., R.Psych., PhD Candidate

Kasra Moolooghy

MD, MSc, Postdoctoral Fellow

Krista Dagsvik

BSc, MSc Candidate

Manuel Ester

BSc, MSc, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate

Maribeth (Fortune) Gelisanga

BSc, MPT, MSc Candidate

Megan Thomas

BSc, MSc, PhD Candidate

Narsis Daftarian

Experimental Medicine Program, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia

Nejat Hassen

BA, MSc, PhD Candidate

Nicole Andersen

BA, MA, PhD Candidate

Racheal Githumbi

BSc, MBT, PhD trainee

Rashedul Hoque

BS, MS, MSc, PhD

Renata Gabuzyan

BSc, MSc Candidate

Sajida Alkadri

BHSc, MSc Candidate

Sarah Hansen

MD, FRCPC

Sharan Rai

MSc, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow

Steven Dang

BSc, PhD Student

Sydney Joy

BSc, Hons., PhD Candidate

Tosin Ogunleye

BScN, RN, MSc Student

Vienna Cheng

PharmD, RPh, MSc, PhD Student

Viviane Ta

MA Student

Affiliate Scientists (6)

Allyson Jones

Affiliate Scientist, Rehabilitation Sciences, PT, PhD

Codie Primeau

Affiliate Scientist, Physiotherapy, PT, PhD

Denislav Orlinov

Affiliate Scientist, Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, PT, MSc, PhD

Jan Dutz

Affiliate Scientist, Dermatology and Immunology, MD, FRCPC

Mark Harrison

Affiliate Scientist, Health Economics, MSc, PhD

Natalie McCormick

Affiliate Scientist, Clinical Epidemiology, MSc, PhD

Clinician Investigators (12)

Boyang Zheng

Clinician Investigator, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Hyein Kim

Clinician Investigator, MD, MPH, FRCPC

Janet Roberts

Clinician Investigator, MD, MPH, FRCPC

Jasmin Ma

Clinician Investigator, PhD, P.Kin

Jonathan Chan

Clinician Investigator, MD, FRCPC

Kamran Shojania

Clinical Trialist, Rheumatology, MD, FRCPC

Kun Huang

Clinician Investigator, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Maziar Badii

Clinician Investigator, MD, MHSC, FRCPC

Mollie Carruthers

Clinician Investigator, MD, FRCPC

Neda Amiri

Clinician Investigator, BSc, MD, MHSC, FRCPC

Raheem B Kherani

Clinician Investigator, BSc (Pharm), MD, MHPE

Shahin Jamal

Clinician Investigator, MD, FRCPC, MSc

Knowledge Brokers (2)

Alison Hoens

Knowledge Broker, MSc, BScPT

Monika Szpunar

Knowledge Mobilization Associate, MSc, PhD

Arthritis Patient (15) Advisory Board

Alison Hoens

Member

Bableen Parmar

Member

Chris Pudlak

Member

Christine Graveline

Member

Eileen Davidson

Member

Kari Wutzke

Member

Louella Sequeira

Member

Natasha Trehan

Member

Nikki Bhatti

Member

Patricia Webb

Research Liaison

Philippa Mennell

Member

Samantha Rogers

Chair

Shanon McQuitty

Member

Steve Sutherland

Member

Trish Silvester-Lee

Member