A Unique Osteoarthritis Intervention with Jordyn Burgar

At Arthritis Research Canada, we believe that helping new scientists develop their careers is the best way to ensure we continue to find solutions for millions of Canadians living with arthritis.

“We want to connect trainees with each other and with scientists and develop programming to support them in their training,” said Dr. Mary De Vera, Senior Scientist and Associate Director of Training.

Arthritis Research Canada is home to over 40 research trainees. These trainees conduct research under the mentorship of leading experts in a variety of disciplines – from rheumatology to physiotherapy, pharmacy, health economics and more.

Over the next year, we will profile these amazing, up-and-coming arthritis scientists and the projects they lead. Next up is Jordyn Burgar, completing a Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Alberta.

Jordyn, tell us about your background.

I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Calgary. Prior to this, I attended Red Deer College for kinesiology before transferring. I played hockey for both schools and graduated in 2023. I took a year off from school to play professional hockey in Austria and am now one year into my master’s program.

How did you get involved in arthritis research?

I worked at a physiotherapy clinic as a kinesiologist that offered the GLA:D program. GLA:D is an education and exercise program for managing knee and hip osteoarthritis. This job immersed me in the management and therapy side of arthritis. After working in the field, I knew I wanted to go back to school and got connected with my supervisor, Allyson Jones, who is an Affiliate Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada in Rehabilitation Sciences. Her team was starting a project looking at integrating pharmacy and physiotherapy using the GLA:D program as a tool. Dr. Jones has a longstanding connection with Arthritis Research Canada.

What is your current research focus? What are you working on?

My thesis will involve developing and testing a collaborative, three-month physiotherapy and pharmacy management program for early knee osteoarthritis. We are recruiting pharmacies across Alberta to participate who have identified as having clients with knee pain. Participating pharmacists will enroll patients, offer a comprehensive medical review, and directly refer them to physiotherapy. The physiotherapists will then offer GLA:D as the intervention. We know GLA:D is effective, but we will focus on the collaborative process between pharmacists and physiotherapists.

What do you hope this research achieves?

We hope this research establishes relationships between pharmacists and physiotherapists in the community for the management of early knee osteoarthritis. It has been identified that pharmacists can case find and screen for other chronic diseases in Alberta, therefore we hope to determine how we can engage them to find osteoarthritis cases.

Many individuals don’t seek preliminary or disease-modifying treatment in the early stages of osteoarthritis. An Alberta-based study determined that in excess of 40% of individuals seen at orthopaedic surgeons’ clinics had not received prior conservative care. With this program, the hope is that pharmacists can find cases in the community to directly connect the pharmacological management of arthritis with the more physical management of the disease through physiotherapy.

Our study will recruit approximately 125 participants. However, we hope it can improve osteoarthritis symptoms and quality of life for the participants. Additionally, this project can set the stage for future studies to further evaluate the importance of this interdisciplinary collaboration and demonstrate reduced osteoarthritis-related healthcare costs or the number of people needing joint replacement surgeries.

Why is arthritis research important to you?

This research is important to me because of my extensive experience volunteering and working with older adults. I’ve deeply valued and learned a great deal from these opportunities. Additionally, growing up I spent a lot of time with my grandparents who also now have arthritis. Osteoarthritis typically affects older individuals and, through my various work experiences, I’ve seen that people with this chronic condition are grateful for help. It’s really important for me to give back to these people. I hope my research in arthritis can help bridge the gap between not knowing what treatments exist and trying to educate people that they have options. My goal is to make programs like the one we’re working on accessible for everyone.

What does it mean to you to be part of Arthritis Research Canada?

It means a lot to be a part of this organization. I’m excited to do more with Arthritis Research Canada. I look forward to working with members of the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board and participating in Trainee workshops. Having access to a specialized network is so beneficial. I am able to talk to other trainees and the scientists about the research they are doing. Down the line, I know there are people and resources I can reach out to for knowledge translation to ensure the research I’m producing is accessible and high quality.

What do you hope to work on next? Any specific future aspirations?

Right now, I am focused on seeing my project through to the end. This is my first time working as a research assistant on a research project, and I’m excited to see it through from start to finish to publication. So far, I have really enjoyed the research field and I am looking forward to seeing what opportunities come next. I know I want to be involved in health leadership to some degree, but I am still exploring what I want from a career. My plan is to attend lots of professional development activities and expand my knowledge of the public health space.