Digital Health and Physical Activity Strengthening Workshop
May 2nd and 3rd 2024
Agenda and speaker biographies available here: Attendee handbook
With special thanks to International Advisory Board leads Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis and Dr. Fiona Bull as well as to theme leads, program speakers, and notetakers.
Filed under Events
Date: Tuesday, November 30, 2021 | Time: 12:00-2:00pm (EST) via Zoom Free, but pre-registration is required.
This exciting seminar series focuses on research priorities in gait biomechanics research. We aim to stimulate discussion among researchers, trainees and clinicians to increase collaboration, build links between biomechanics labs and discuss priorities and opportunities in the field.
Building on the successful Biomechanics & Osteoarthritis Symposium held in May, 2021 (listen to the recorded session here), this November 30th webinar focuses on clinical biomechanics research relating to pain and gait biomechanics.
Leading experts Drs. Monica Maly, Katherine Boyer, Tuhina Neogi, Lisa Carlesso, and Tim Wideman will share advances in pain science including mechanisms of pain generation and perception, as well as how altered gait biomechanics may influence pain. They will discuss key concepts to consider when conducting clinical biomechanics research that includes both pain and biomechanical outcomes.
Speaker information:
Dr. Katherine Boyer (Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst)
Dr. Boyer’s researchers lower extremity mechanics during locomotion and the mechanisms for adaptations in ambulatory mechanics in aging, with overuse injury and in response to mechanical and pharmacological interventions. She uses a stimulus-response experimental model to probe the interaction between gait mechanics, neuromuscular function, systemic biological marker and joint injury and degeneration.
Dr. Monica Maly (Associate Professor, University of Waterloo)
Dr. Maly’s research program focuses on developing biomechanically-sound physical activity guidelines for adults with the most common forms of arthritis that are associated with aging. Promoting physical activity is paramount to the well-being of Canadian adults as they age – exercise provides as much pain relief for arthritic pain as drugs, while also reducing the risk for co-morbidities including cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, excessive physical activity, due to work or recreation, can promote joint damage. Canadians with arthritis have no guidance on the amount, type or intensity of physical activity that damages joints. She uses biomechanical methods to evaluate the impact of physical activity on joint health, with an aim to develop guidelines for physical activity that promote health and productivity, while minimizing the risk for arthritis progression.
Dr. Tuhina Neogi (Professor, Boston University)
Dr. Neogi is a rheumatologist and epidemiologist who researches knee osteoarthritis and gout, pain mechanisms in knee osteoarthritis, as well as methods issues in rheumatic diseases. She has held peer-reviewed foundation and NIH funding since 2003, with >250 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Neogi is a past chair of the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee, has served on the boards of two international societies: Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) and Gout, Hyperuricemia, and Crystal-Associated Diseases Network (G-CAN), and on committees for the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and International Association for the Study Pain (IASP).
Dr. Lisa Carlesso (Assistant Professor, McMaster University)
Lisa Carlesso is a licensed physiotherapist and an assistant professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. Her extensive academic background in physical therapy and clinical epidemiology have shaped her research interests in common age-related musculoskeletal problems. Dr. Carlesso’s most recent studies focus on improving treatment and outcomes for people with musculoskeletal disorders, such as knee osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain and is interested in understanding the mechanisms and consequences of pain as they relate to disability, mobility, participation and healthy aging.
Dr. Michael Hunt (Professor, University of British Columbia)
Dr. Hunt’s research interests focus on identifying changes in movement patterns and biomechanics as a result of injury or disease. The Motion Analysis and Biofeedback Laboratory uses state-of-the-art real-time motion analysis techniques to analyze movement pattern differences between injured and healthy individuals. He then uses this information to develop targeted treatment approaches that aim to optimize function and/or prevent disease progression. His primary group of interest is individuals living with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. He has identified key gait deviations exhibited by those with OA that have the potential to alter the loading patterns at the knee – a known risk factor for disease progression. He has also studied the role of exercise and movement retraining on biomechanical (joint loading) and clinical (pain, function) disease characteristics. Dr. Hunt works closely with experts in rheumatology, physical therapy, orthopaedic surgery, and neuroscience.
Dr. Timothy Wideman (Associate Professor, McGill University)
The overarching goal of Dr. Wideman’s research is to improve care for people living with pain. He approaches this goal by advancing research related to the following three themes: Understanding and targeting biopsychosocial risk factors for prolonged pain and disability, Improving entry-level pain education for health professionals through large-scale knowledge translation initiatives, and Developing person-centred approaches to pain assessment and management that help validate and support people living with pain.
Filed under Events, IMHA Research Networks, MSK Health, Physical Activity
“CARC” is not a household name. It’s not going to top Coke, Pfizer or Netflix for brand recognition. But if you are part of the broad (inclusive) arthritis research community CARC might be valuable for you. It’s the Canadian Arthritis Research Conference and 2022 marks the 3rd annual event.
February 7 and 8, 2022 [Keynotes & symposia]: Join us for 2 keynotes, 12 invited symposia, and 12 ‘Best of the Best’ research presentations by emerging scientists (clinicians can be scientists as you know). Those 12 research presentations will come from the call of abstracts competition, see below.
Monday, January 31, 2022 [aka “Training/Lifelong Learner Day”]: All conference research oral presentations and research posters will be presented on the “Research Presentation Day” Monday, January 31, 2022. The conference organisers are separating the research presentations from the February keynotes and symposia so that speakers are not competing against each other. January 31 will have laser-like focus on research abstracts (including systematic reviews, all types of original research, and evidence synthesis). There will be expert tips for younger scientists (which includes clinicians) and opportunities for break out groups. A true “training day”– and everyone is a life-long learner, correct?
Why attend CARC? Three reasons: 1) Networking opportunities! The conference provides all levels of trainees (clinical fellows and MSc/PhD/Postdoc) to present and engage with researchers, clinicians and other experts. 2) We will award a series of prizes for research abstracts relating to posters and presentations made for CARC. 3) We plan to provide keynotes and symposia presenters with honoraria to reflect their preparation and contribution to the conference.
Who should consider attending? The world of arthritis researchers, clinicians and trainees. This conference (and its predecessor, the CAN Network Meetings of the early 2000s) have traditionally been well attended by rehabilitation researchers, other clinicians, basic scientists and health systems researchers. Abstracts are welcome from the broad church of arthritis. Email us if you are not sure you fit (but you will!). imha-iala@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Call to action! Please! Three of them!
Final (somewhat innovative) point: Democracy strikes!
We are inviting CARC keynote (individuals) and symposia (3-speaker panel) presentation suggestions from anyone. Literally anyone. The CARC Scientific Committee will evaluate the symposia submissions based on criteria such as importance of the research question, rigour of the methods, and research impact. This isn’t rare but many conference keynotes and symposia are appointed by the Scientific Committee. We are embracing a more communal approach via a crowdsourcing survey.
We (the Scientific Committee) are still working on the details of the criteria and we welcome your input! More to come on how to submit your suggestions! For now, please note the dates, alert your colleagues, and look forward to 2022 with excitement.
Filed under Events, MSK Health, News
COVID-19 has impacted on how, where and when people can be physically active and play sport, disrupting access to facilities, clubs, community programmes and services. It has increased the importance of being active for mental and physical health and yet exacerbated inequalities.
Through a series of webinars, involving panellists from across the sport and physical activity system and audience Q&A, the World Health Organization is exploring different dimensions of what it will take to build back better.
Speakers will address 4 emerging and interconnected challenges to identify the practical actions needed during COVID recovery to build back better:
These themes intersect and recommendations arising from the webinar series will inform WHO and stakeholder’s future policy and practice.
Who can/ should sign up for the webinars?
All webinars are open to public and professionals across the physical activity and sport system including exercise, fitness, sport, physical activity, primary health care and public health from across public, private and social enterprises. Read more >>
Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/fdc5yw8k
Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/23s3apvj
Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/55xx2kax
Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/ypprspsc
Registration link: TBC
Registration link: TBC
Filed under Events, News, Physical Activity
