Susanne Benseler
Research Scientist, Pediatric Rheumatology, MD, PhD
Appointments
- Director, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute
- Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
- Cenovus Energy Chair in Child and Maternal Health
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation Chair in Pediatric Research
Research Interests
- Childhood CNS vasculitis and inflammatory brain diseases
- Kawasaki disease
- Outcome research in paediatric SLE
Dr. Susanne (Susa) Benseler is a Pediatric Rheumatologist within the Department of Pediatrics at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, as well as a clinical epidemiologist, and a clinician investigator.
Susa obtained her M.D from the University of Freiburg and Berlin, and obtained her PhDs in Immunology and Pediatrics from the University of Innsbruck and Freiburg. From there she went on to be a fellow in pediatric rheumatology at the University of Toronto and obtained her Masters in Clinical Epidemiology.
Dr. Susa Benseler and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Rheumatology team have partnered with other interdisciplinary teams from Canada and the Netherlands for precision health in childhood arthritis and have created the Understanding Childhood Arthritis Network (UCAN). The UCAN study aims to develop biomarker profiles to enable a rapid diagnosis and selection of therapies to achieve the best outcomes for children living with arthritis. The UCAN cohort was awarded $8-million by the Canadian Arthritis Institutes of Health Research and a Dutch partner organization. Susa is also currently, heading a large interdisciplinary team that will dedicates research and resources to the implementation of genomic medicine into the care for children with arthritis. The cohort was recently awarded $10-million in funding from Genome Canada. Along with the research, cohorts, and working groups that Dr. Susa Benseler is part of, she also serves as the Deputy Head of Research and Section Chief of Rheumatology for the Department of Pediatrics, at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. She is a member of ACHRI and the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health. She is the Chair of the Canadian Pediatric Rheumatology Investigator (CAPRI) network and contributes to the Canadian Rheumatology Association, the international Understanding Childhood Arthritis Network (UCAN), and the North American Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA). Dr. Benseler has numerous published peer-reviewed articles on childhood inflammatory brain diseases, vasculitis and other rheumatic diseases.Learn more
Recent News Coverage
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OPTIKNEE, led by Arthritis Research Canada, Research Scientist Dr. Jackie Whittaker, is an international group of over 40 scientists, patients and health care professionals working to prevent knee osteoarthritis after knee injury.
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A study has shown that the use of statins, traditionally utilized to lower cholesterol, is neither harmful nor beneficial to those with knee osteoarthritis.
Research Links TNF Biologics Use with Risk of Multiple Sclerosis
Researchers warn people with rheumatic diseases who have a family history of multiple sclerosis should not be taking anti-TNFα biologics after study reveals 105% increased risk of developing MS among this group of people.
Conducting Life-Changing Arthritis Research from Coast to Coast
Arthritis Research Canada expands with a new centre at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and welcomes two new scientists to its cross-Canada team.
Hayley’s Story
Hayley has lived with juvenile idiopathic arthritis for almost half of her life. Now, she’s in medical school and considering how arthritis research has directly impacted her quality of life.
Computer Simulation Study Helps Assess Interventions to Reduce the Burden of Low Back Pain
A study conducted by Arthritis Research Canada sought to examine the impact of three strategies intended to reduce the burden of lower back pain (LBP) along with a secondary goal of determining the usefulness of a new microsimulation modeling software, SimYouLate.
Reducing Body Fat helps to Minimize the Risk of Developing Gout, Especially in Women
Excess weight and genetics have been linked to an increased risk of gout, according to a recent study conducted by Arthritis Research Canada.
Social Factors that Influence Health at Root of Racial Disparities in Gout
Gout is more common in Black men and women in the United States than in white men and women, according to a new Arthritis Research Canada study. However, researchers suggest this finding is tied to social and lifestyle factors that impact health – like poverty, diet, weight etc. – rather than genetics.
Arthritis Research Canada Launches #EscapeArthritis Awareness Campaign
September is Arthritis Awareness Month. This year, we’re raising awareness about how arthritis research helps people living with different types of arthritis find solutions to the challenges raised by their diseases so they can #EscapeArthritis.
Hydroxychloroquine Deemed Safe for People Newly Diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus
Arthritis Research Canada researchers find that people with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and transplant recipients face a heightened risk of complications from COVID-19.
