IMHA On The Move - August 2010

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A Message from the Scientific Director

Jane Aubin For many, the long hot days of summer 2010 have meant lots of outdoor activities: swimming, bicycling, hiking, canoeing, and yes, living the excitement of the World Cup with pick-up games of soccer. But the release in July of the Public Health Agency of Canada report "Life with Arthritis in Canada" was a sobering reminder that, for an increasing number of Canadians - in 2007-2008, over 4.2 million and projected to reach 7 million, or 1 in 5 Canadians, by 2031 - this means trying to find ways not only to enjoy outdoor activities, but also participate in the big and small daily activities that make up and give pleasure to our lives. In late July, IMHA and two CIHR Institute partners, the Institutes of Cancer Research and Aboriginal Peoples' Health, took another large step towards combating this rising tide of arthritis and other chronic diseases with the ministerial announcement to invest nearly $10 million to fund four research teams in the area of physical activity, mobility and health.

As many of our readers will know, IMHA made Physical Activity, Mobility and Health (PAMH) its flagship strategic research priority in its 2nd strategic plan and, in so doing, made the commitment to support health research to improve our understanding of the links between physical activity/inactivity and health/chronic disease. The research to be undertaken by the four PAMH teams just announced reflects some of the breadth and scope of the kinds of issues that PAMH entails, i.e., the effect of physical activity on bones, muscles, joints and quality of life in children with arthritis; how the repetitive hip flexion involved in sports like hockey, soccer and bicycling and deformities of the hip bone combine to cause pain and eventually osteoarthritis; the effects of cardiovascular disease on nerve and muscle cell function and muscle and nerve cell response to physical activity; and the effect of physical activity and fitness level on the treatment, recovery and long-term health of breast cancer patients. Importantly, each team has plans not only to generate new knowledge and understanding of the roles played by physical activity in prevention and treatment of chronic disease but also to translate that understanding to people who have risk factors for chronic disease, to health care professionals and to policymakers to improve health and health care, and to underpin new interventions and new policies that will allow us to tap fully into the myriad benefits of physical activity. Thus, the research addresses a key recommendation - physical activity - in the Life with Arthritis in Canada report and other chronic disease strategies.

My personal congratulations to the PAMH research teams and thanks to IMHA's partners on this initiative. We look forward to following the progress of these teams and, of course, other researchers working in all six areas of our Institute's mandate: arthritis, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, bone, skeletal muscle, skin, and oral health, who continue to work towards solutions to improve the lives of Canadians, and people throughout the world.

May you all enjoy the rest of the summer and approach the fall with renewed vigour.

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

Jane Aubin and Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq in Vancouver, B.C.Did You Know?

In a recent bibliometric analysis performed by l'Observatoires des sciences et techniques, CIHR/IMHA researchers had a higher Average Relative Impact Factor (ARIF) and a higher Average of Relative Citations (ARC) compared to the aggregate contribution of the top 10 countries performing IMHA-related research. Further, PI's funded by CIHR/IMHA published over 13,000 peerreviewed articles in IMHA-related research fields between 1997 and 2008.

IMHA Physical Activity, Mobility and Health Team Grants

On Monday, July 26th, 2010 from the rooftop of the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada (ARCC) in Vancouver, B.C., the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced a nearly $10 million investment in four research teams through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Physical activity and healthy active living is a top priority for the Government of Canada, so it's very exciting for IMHA to have four research teams be successful in the IMHA Physical Activity, Mobility and Health Team Grants competition. Although each research team will study specific elements relevant to physical activity, they all have a singular over-arching objective and that is to study the effects of exercise on the body and its role in the prevention, development and treatment of chronic diseases including arthritis, breast cancer, and heart disease.

Following the Minister's announcement, IMHA hosted the first meeting of the PIs and Co-PIs of the teams to share their research and knowledge translation plans; three of the four teams were able to participate and identify potential synergies between the projects.

Congratulations to the successful teams, which are:

  • CIHR Team in Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Survivorship.PI: Kerry S. Courneya (University of Alberta).
  • Linking Exercise, Physical Activity and Pathophysiology in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (The LEAP Study).PI: Ciarán Duffy (McGill University).
  • CIHR Team in IMPAKT-HIP: Investigations of Mobility, Physical Activity and Knowledge in Hip Pain. PI: John Esdaile (Arthritis Research Centre of Canada).
  • CIHR Team in Physical Activity, Mobility and Neural Health. PI: Kevin Shoemaker (University of Western Ontario).

IMHA looks forward to following the work of these teams through the next five years, and continuing to help develop the synergies that will enhance the research being done.

Good News Stories

Schulich dental student earns international research award

University of Western Ontario student Jia Hao (Dentistry 2011) has won global recognition for her research at the largest ever meeting of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) in Barcelona, Spain, 14-17 July 2010. Ms. Hao placed second out of 49 competitors from 23 countries in the junior category of the Hatton Award competition, with a research presentation entitled "Regulation of Osteoclast Motility by Substratum Topography". Ms. Hao is a former recipient of an IMHA Summer Undergraduate Student Research Award, and similar awards from IMHA partners, the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR) and the Canadian Arthritis Network. Congratulations, Jia, and continued success!

Jia Hao

Schuluich dental student, Jia Hao at the meeting of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) in Barcelona, Spain, 17 July 2010, presenting a poster describing her prizewinning research.

Other News

CIHR International Review

As CIHR reaches its tenth anniversary, the CIHR Governing Council is coordinating a second review of CIHR and its thirteen research Institutes. The review provides an opportunity to assess the accomplishments of CIHR over the past five years as well as our success at achieving our mandate as outlined under the CIHR Act with the ultimate goal of ensuring the continued excellence of health research in Canada.

The 2011 review will be conducted by an international panel of health research leaders and will be chaired by Dr. Elias Zerhouni, former Director of the National Institutes of Health. In addition, the International Review Panel will receive input from thirteen expert review teams that have been recruited to conduct reviews of the CIHR Institutes. The 2011 review will take place in Ottawa, starting with the Institute reviews from February 7-10, followed by the International Review Panel meeting in March 29-31, 2011. Following the Panel's deliberations, Dr. Zerhouni will report the findings and recommendations to the CIHR Governing Council in June 2011.

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

  • 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.

  • Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Annual General Meeting - Exploring the Routes to Health and Fitness
    November 3-6, 2010
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    For more details about the conference, please visit the CSEP website.

  • The Amerian Society for Bone and Mineral Research Annual Meeting
    Oct. 15-19, 2010
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Mark your calendars for the ASBMR 2010 Annual Meeting, the premier scientific meeting discussing the latest concepts and innovations in bone and mineral research. Please visit the ASBMR Registration Page to register.

  • The 12th Meeting of the Combined Orthopaedic Associations
    Sept. 13-17, 2010
    Glasgow, Scotland

    Visit the official Meeting website to register.

  • Canadian Arthritis Network Annual Scientific Conference
    Oct. 28-30, 2010
    Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, Québec

    For more details about the conference, please visit the Arthritis Network 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

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