IMHA On the Move - June 2010

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Table of Contents

A word from our Scientific Director

Jane Aubin

I am delighted to be able to communicate with everyone interested in musculoskeletal health and arthritis by means of our new newsletter. 2009 was a great year for the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) of CIHR, and I was pleased to be able to participate in many formal and informal meetings with IMHA researchers and other stakeholders. As one of the lead Canadian partners and supporters of the Bone and Joint Decade, IMHA participated in the BJD Global Network Conference in Washington, DC in fall 2009. The goal of the BJD is to improve the quality of life for people with musculoskeletal disorders and injury throughout the world. IMHA has been using the momentum and profile of this international initiative as a springboard to increase awareness of the magnitude and impact of MSK diseases and conditions among Canadians.

In recognition of the need to set a bone health research agenda for Canada, IMHA hosted the first national Bone Health Research Consensus Conference on November 9-10 2009 in Toronto. The BHRCC provided a forum for nearly 200 Canadian bone researchers and partners, including government, NGOs, private sector, and consumer representatives to identify top research priorities in Canada, and the enablers that could make the research possible.

As determined by the outcomes of the November 2009 BHRCC, IMHA is pleased to announce the recent launch of a Catalyst Grant for Bone Health Research. This "Catalyst Grant - Bone Health" is being offered to encourage and stimulate new and established investigators to undertake new, high priority research challenges in the field of bone health. It is expected that this targeted investment will enable researchers to generate preliminary data, validate methodology or tools, and/or explore novel (high risk) research ideas that will improve the health of Canadians. Please visit our website for a copy of the BHRCC Report and more information on the launch of our Catalyst Grant.

2010 is also shaping up to be a busy year for IMHA. On January 9th, IMHA hosted a successful workshop entitled "Research Gaps for Primary Care in Musculoskeletal Health" at the CIHR Primary Health Care Summit headed by its partnering institute – the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research. Twentynine people, including principal investigators, health professionals, trainees, IMHA partners, government representatives, and NGO representatives attended. The purpose of the IMHA workshop was to discuss MSK conditions in the primary care setting, and to identify research gaps in optimal patient care management. I am pleased to say that the workshop participants put forward many useful suggestions to help expand our partnerships and plan a future research agenda for MSK in primary care. A copy of the Summary Report will be on our website in June.

IMHA has also been hard at work this year to increase the number of its partners and improve partner communications. We recognize that alliances within our six focus areas (arthritis, musculoskeletal (MSK) rehabilitation, bone, skeletal muscle, skin and oral health) encourage collaboration and capacity building, promote common health research interests, provide an important link in knowledge transfer and dissemination, and help build a vibrant health research community.

Through the advice of the Institute's Partnership and Knowledge Translation Committee, IMHA held a formal Partnership Consultation on March 7-8, 2010, in Vancouver. Nearly 30 national representatives from government, nongovernment, research, and professional organizations attended to learn about each other's goals and priorities and to discuss the collaborative actions required to support effective research partnerships and the translation of new knowledge.

I am pleased to report that there was general consensus by the participants on five priority areas, including awareness, funding, strategic research elements, sustainability, and processes/tools to support partnerships, in which each group devised a specific goal and two priority actions required to achieve the goal by 2012. IMHA will convene another meeting in the future to bring together these and other stakeholders to follow-up on the progress we have achieved. Over the longer term, and through enhanced and more frequent collaboration, the expectation of all participants is for increased partnerships and support for the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians. A copy of the partnership report will also be posted on our website in June.

I look forward to informing you about IMHA's ongoing activities in future newsletters. If you should have suggestions about the content and format of this newsletter to help make our activities more transparent and accessible to all, please visit our online poll.

With sincere thanks,

Jane E. Aubin, PhD, Scientific Director
Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis

IMHA Partnership Consultation, Vancouver, March 7-8, 2010IMHA Partnership Consultation, Vancouver,
March 7-8, 2010

IMHA Partners discussing collaborative actions required to support effective research partnerships and the translation of new knowledge.

 

 

Good News Stories

IMHA wishes to recognize the tremendous contribution that our NGO partners make in addressing the most pressing health issues of patients and consumers.

AboutFace has been selected as the Grand Prize Winner in the "Show us your Goodness" contest for most inspiring and uplifting charitable causes. This is a proud accolade for AboutFace and the clients it serves, and is a great example of a partner of IMHA being recognized for telling a good story well.

The Canadian Skin Patient Alliance (CSPA) will also be receiving an award in St. John's, NL this summer at the Canadian Dermatology Association's Annual Conference. The CSPA has been chosen by the CDA's Memberships and Awards Committee to receive the CDA 2010 Public Education Award for its website, submitted in the Not-for-Profit category. "The committee was very impressed with the CSPA's website and found it to be an excellent resource for patients and physicians." Congratulations to our partners!

IMHA goes paperlessDid you know?

On March 7, 2008 IMHA became the first CIHR institute to go paperless for all of its Institute Advisory Board and Committee meetings.

 

Upcoming CIHR Events

  1. August 31, 2010
    IMHA will host a CIHR 10th Anniversary Café to coincide with the 13th World Pain Congress.
    Location: Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in the Les Voyageurs Lounge at 900 Rene Levesques Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec
  2. November 3, 2010
    IMHA and the Canadian Arthritis Network will co-host a Café Scientifique on ethical issues and workplace disability.
    Location: Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario

For more information on these upcoming Cafés, please visit the CIHR Café Scientifique website.

Meetings of Interest

  • 9th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
    June 24-27, 2010
    Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Register for this meeting

  • 85th Annual Conference of the Canadian Dermatology Association
    June 30 - July 4, 2010
    St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

    This Annual Conference is a seminal event, the key gathering of the year for dermatologists in Canada. This is your opportunity to meet colleagus and learn in an optimal setting. Register for this Annual Conference.

  • 13th World Congress on Pain
    Aug. 29 - Sept. 2, 2010
    Montréal, Québec, Canada

    The International Association for the Study of Pain invites you to register for the world's premier Congress devoted to research and treatment of pain. To register, please visit the World Congress on Pain registration website.

IMHA Funding Opportunities

For information on current funding opportunities, please visit IMHA's Funding Opportunities.

Contact IMHA

CIHR - Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis
Department of Molecular Genetics
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
The Banting Institute
100 College St., Room 207B
Toronto, ON, M5G 1L5
Tel: 416-978-4220
Email: IMHA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Contact IMHA

Online Poll

IMHA would like to invite you to visit our online poll to give us feedback or suggestions on our new newsletter.

If you would like to subscribe to IMHA On The Move please email julie.decourval@utoronto.ca and write "subscribe to newsletter" in the subject line. You will receive all future IMHA newsletters.