Samantha Rogers
Diagnosed with arthritis as a child, Samantha has been living, coping, and often thriving with the chronic disease for more than half of her life. Joining the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board in 2019, Samantha looks forward to drawing on her six years of experience with national health charities to advance the mission of Arthritis Research […]
Nikki Bhatti
Facing a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis at the young age of 19, Nikki felt she had minimal understanding of the disease or support in dealing with it. No one in her family had arthritis, and being a first generation Canadian it was difficult to describe to her parents and grandma. In the early years after […]
Eileen Davidson
Eileen Davidson always knew about arthritis. Her grandmother and aunt had it. But Eileen never really understood her grandmother’s need for double knee replacement surgery or her aunt’s true reason for her wheelchair until she was also diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at age 29. Eileen had to stop working as an esthetician and, by […]
Christine Graveline
Christine has been living with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia for over 30 years, during which time she has seen a lot of changes in arthritis research, medications and treatments. Being active in all sports, particularly, competitive gymnastics and badminton, led her to teach sports including gymnastics programs and downhill skiing to handicapped children and […]
Alison Hoens
Alison has been a member of the APAB team since 2013. Living with rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune gastroparesis, she is a physical therapist and works as a Knowledge Broker for the University of British Columbia’s Department of Physical Therapy, Physiotherapy Association of BC and Arthritis Research Canada. Additionally, she is a Research Associate of the […]
Shanon McQuitty
Born and bred in British Columbia, Shanon learned about autoimmune disease for many years through her closest friend of 25 years, who has lupus. When she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in the fall of 2011, her GP told her that this was a field that was progressing rapidly with research and treatment, and it […]
Philippa Mennell
Philippa was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in her early 20’s and since that time has learned a lot about the many different forms this condition can take. She is very grateful for the health practitioners, clinical supports and research that have helped her to manage the challenging impacts of the disease and is inspired […]
Bableen Parmar
Bableen Parmar experienced arthritis symptoms for most of her childhood before being diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at the age of 21. She felt frustrated by the shortcomings of the healthcare system, which focuses on the physical aspects of treating a disease without considering the significant toll it can take on all aspects of daily life. […]
Chris Pudlak
A mechanical engineer and father of three, Chris was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) in 2016. Initially he thought his back symptoms that started the year prior were due to poor posture, but quickly spreading and worsening symptoms led to his AS diagnosis. Chris spent the subsequent two years chronicling his condition, including various treatments […]
Louella Sequeira
Louella has been a member of the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board team since 2018 and has lived with Raynaud’s since 1999. She desires to learn more about her condition and other rheumatic diseases, and to share her experiences with the very talented Arthritis Research Canada researchers as a means to advance the science regarding these […]