Schroeder Arthritis Institute Newsletter September 2023

The Schroeder Arthritis Institute is the largest multidisciplinary Arthritis hub in Canada, integrating medical, surgical and basic science aspects of Hand, Orthopedics, Osteoporosis and Rheumatology. We are fortunate that the Institute has an outstanding and diverse team of interprofessionals who work together every day with a common goal of making a global impact in discovery, learning and patient care.

We are delighted to share with you the Fall edition of our newsletter.

Jean Nisbet is a Patient Care Coordinator for the Fracture Clinic within the Division of Orthopedics at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute. She has been part of the organization for 34 years. Over the years, she worked in many different sectors as a nurse, starting in orthopedics, in the Operating Room, in the Step-Down Unit, the Spine Unit, General Surgery, and now is back in orthopedics in a leadership role at the Fracture Clinic. Jean works with a diverse interprofessional team, providing support, direction, and the best care for patients. She ensures that as a team they are providing care to the highest standard possible while following all protocols that are in place. In addition to her leadership role, Jean is very happy that this role incorporates hands-on nursing duties. Some of her responsibilities as a nurse are wound care assessments and guidance with doctors, blood draws for certain procedures, helping with some procedures at the Fracture Clinic, and patient assessments during their visit such as preparing medication. "Research is a big part of the Schroeder Arthritis Institute. There are outstanding initiatives taking place like trying to identify Osteoarthritis markers, early detections and developing new treatments." Working with an enthusiastic and brilliant team, she is excited to start exploring a new research project coming up in the near future.

Jean's biggest motivation is wanting to make a positive difference through providing the best care to patients and their families. She is always looking for new ways to improve the Institute's care pathways. When asked what her Mantra of Success is, Jean said "Be open to change. Change is always difficult but if you embrace it, this will lead to self-growth and self-improvement. Everything always works out the way it should."

In all aspects of her life, Jean is a very understanding and supportive person. She wants to make sure that her team always knows that she has an open-door policy and that they can come to her for anything. Together, they can work on finding solutions to any problems that may occur. She understands that sometimes things happen that are not work related in her team member's personal lives and wants to always continue to support them in any way that she can. "Being kind is very important, it gets lost sometimes, and it shouldn't." Jean is also a very optimistic person. "Keep going one day at a time and it will all smooth out. Sometimes you just need to take a moment and ground yourself and remember that it will all be okay."

A fun fact about Jean is that she has two children that she loves spending time with. She also has two dogs, Snow and Bella. Every summer, her family goes up to the countryside and spends time together outdoors in nature.

Jean emphasized that she is very grateful to have been a part of the University Health Network and the Schroeder Arthritis Institute for many years. She learned so much working alongside a motivated interdisciplinary team and feels inspired every day to continue to provide care to her patients and team.

On behalf of the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, we are grateful for Jean's outstanding contributions to the growth and success of the Institute.

Jin Xuetong is a Physician Assistant within the Hand Program at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute. She recently joined in this role in November 2022, as a new graduate from the University of Toronto's Physician Assistant program. Jin works with a very interdisciplinary team alongside surgeons, residents, fellows, orthopedic technicians, and hand therapists. As a Physician Assistant, Jin helps organize patient visits within the Hand Program. She helps surgeons see new patients for their first consult, their follow up and assists surgeons in the operating room. She is also responsible for gathering the patient's medical history, performing physical examinations, giving preliminary diagnosis, and then reviewing all of the information with the surgeons. In the surgical setting, she helps take care of patients who are getting ready for their operation and after they have completed their operation. In addition, Jin is involved in organizing the trauma room, which is where patients who get a rapid referral from emergency rooms are found and get seen very quickly by the doctors. As an effort to always provide the best patient care, Jin participates in Quality Improvement Projects to ensure that the system is always the best and most efficient way for our patients to be seen as quick as possible.

Jin's motivation stems from being able to help hand patients. "I see patients healing from their hand pain and regaining range of motion. Seeing patients getting better is a huge motivator for me." When asked what her Mantra of Success is, Jin said "The best way to do great work is to love what you do." She emphasized the importance of enjoying the work that you do. She is always happy to be doing her best at work to provide the best patient care to each of our patients. "I am surrounded by a group of very supportive colleagues and work with amazing hand surgeons that I have the chance to learn so much from."

Jin is a very open-minded person. She loves trying new ways of doing things to find the most efficient ways to do them. She is also a great active listener, and this shows in her work when attentively listening to patients' needs and being able to provide an empathetic response to their concerns. Jin's family and friends would describe her as a very adventurous person, and this is highlighted through her work as she is always seeking new opportunities for learning and growing.

A fun fact about Jin is that she has two little dogs, Charlie and Heimi, who are always there for her and can cheer her up instantly. She also plays the piano and has been practicing martial arts for over 10 years as a way of recharging and rewinding.

Jin expressed that she is very thankful to be part of the Schroeder Arthritis Institute. "I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to join the Hand Program as their first hire for a Physician Assistant and to work in a very supportive environment, to learn from everyone and I look forward to many more beautiful years with this incredible team."

On behalf of the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, we are grateful for Jin's exceptional contributions to the growth and success of the Institute.

Christina Ward recently joined the Schroeder Arthritis Institute as the Biobank Manager of the Orthopedic Biobank and Lab Manager for the Kapoor Lab within the Division of Orthopedic. Christina will support all studies in the Division of Orthopedics that require sample management and work closely with the clinical research team as well as basic scientists to achieve their research goals. She will be responsible for the biobank facility as well as co-chairing the Schroeder Arthritis Institute's Biobank Committee.

Dr. Kevin Zuo recently joined the Hand Program at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute as a Staff Surgeon. Dr. Zuo completed his medical school at the University of Alberta before embarking on residency training in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Toronto. During residency, he partook in the Surgeon-Scientist Training Program, and subsequently moved to Boston to pursue subspecialty training in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard Medical School.

Vanessa Martino recently joined the Orthopedic Surgery team within the Division of Orthopedics at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, as a Physician Assistant. She graduated from the McMaster University Physician Assistant Education Program and has been a Certified Canadian Assistant since October 2017.

Tracy Kish recently joined the Division of Orthopedics at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute as an Advanced Practice Provider in our Hip and Knee Rapid Access Clinic and a Practice Lead for the Rapid Access Clinic-Low Back Pain. Tracy holds a BScN and is a Registered Nurse with a background as a Perioperative Nurse, then more recently medicine and emergency medicine. She is also a Chiropractor with a community practice treating musculoskeletal complaints and currently does pre-hospital management of patients at major sporting and music events.

Dr. Raksha Devi recently joined the Schroeder Arthritis Institute as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Sowmya Viswanathan's lab. Dr. Devi's research will primarily involve the development of a joint-on-a-chip model designed to mimic the physiological aspects of osteoarthritis, thereby enhancing our understanding of its pathogenesis. This innovative model will enable us to examine cellular responses, inflammatory processes, and drug responses, ultimately guiding the development of potential therapies. Additionally, her research will explore the role of immune cells of osteoarthritis, with the aim of paving the way for innovative immune-targeted therapies. This approach heralds a new era in osteoarthritis management, centered around precision medicine and improved patient outcomes.

Abirame Sivakumar recently joined the Schroeder Arthritis Institute as an Administrative Assistant III, Assistant to Silvi Groe, Clinical Director. Abirame holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychological and Health Sciences from the University of Toronto. She majored in Population Health and Women and Gender Studies.

Dega Farah recently joined the Schroeder Arthritis Institute as an Administrative Assistant. She will be assisting the Institute in chart preparation and scanning for orthopedics and rheumatology in advance of our office relocation.

Karina Nisbet-Pelle recently joined the Schroeder Arthritis Institute as an Administrative Assistant. She will be assisting the Institute in chart preparation and scanning for orthopedics and rheumatology in advance of our office relocation.

Nimasha De Silva recently joined the Hip and Knee Rapid Access Clinic within the Division of Orthopedics at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute as an Administrative Assistant. Nimasha graduated from the McMaster Bachelor of Health Sciences Honours program along with a minor in Sociology in 2022.

Dr. Sindhu Johnson, Director of the Toronto Scleroderma Program and Clinician Scientist within the Division of Rheumatology at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, was recently appointed Director of the Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research Program in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Dr. Igor Jurisica, Senior Scientist within the Division of Orthopedics at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, was recently voted one of the Top 100 AI in Oncology Research and Treatment Leaders by DeepPharma of DeepTech, charting new paths in oncology AI research and driving innovation in cancer care.

Dr. Chloe Wong is a Resident Physician within the Hand Program at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute. She obtained her BHSc and MD from McMaster University. In 2021, she started her Plastic Surgery residency at the University of Toronto. Through the Clinician Investigator Program and Surgeon Scientist Training Program, she is currently completing her Master's of Science in Clinical Epidemiology at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation under the supervision of Dr. Heather Baltzer, the Director of the Hand Program at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute.

Her master's research is focused on predictive modelling in hand trauma. Her research endeavours are in machine learning. "I think machine learning holds potential in transforming healthcare, especially plastic surgery. It's an untapped opportunity for research to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes."

Looking towards the future, Dr. Wong aims to become a clinician-scientist. Through her research and work experience, she is gaining the knowledge and understanding to be able to critically appraise research evidence and independently perform her own high quality research. She hopes to learn how to translate that research into new clinical practice guidelines and policies. She was drawn to the field of plastic surgery because of hand surgery: the intricate anatomy, the patient population and the fine balance of creativity and biomechanics in trauma and reconstructive procedures. "With a sports background, I found that I was able to relate to many of our patients. Knowing the significance of their hands in hobbies, jobs, and day to day life allows me to understand the gravity of their injuries surgeries, and rehabilitation. As such, seeing these patients through their recovery makes my job quite fulfilling!"

A fun fact about Dr. Wong is that she just got a new puppy, a French Bulldog, named Belly, who, in spite of Dr. Wong's active lifestyle, refuses to go on a run with her. Dr. Wong also runs her program division's Instagram account if you would like to stay up to date.

Dr. Wong is very grateful for the opportunity to pursue her academic interests at the Institute with great support from her supervisor, Dr. Heather Baltzer, her committee, and her program. "Dr. Baltzer has been an incredible role model and has provided me with endless support as I navigate my academic career."

You can connect with Dr. Wong and follow her research updates on Twitter, LinkedIn and Research Gate.

On behalf of the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, we are grateful that Dr. Wong is part of our team and wish her all the success in her future.

Dr. Fataneh Tavasolian is a Postdoctoral Fellow within the Division of Rheumatology at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, supervised by Dr. Robert Inman, the Co-Director of the Institute. Originally from Iran, she completed her bachelor's degree, master's degree, and PhD in Immunology in Iran in 2020, and later joined the Institute that year. Dr. Tavasolian's current research surrounds autoimmune diseases, mostly rheumatic diseases and specifically ankylosing spondylitis. Her research has two aspects: a diagnostic aspect and a therapeutic aspect. She recently completed the diagnostic aspect and has published a paper in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases Journal and looks forward to moving to the therapeutic aspect of her research.

Looking towards the future, Dr. Tavasolian aspires to continue working and collaborating in the immunology field in a meaningful way, with the goal of having an impact in the treatment and diagnosis for patients. With continuous research and learning, she hopes to be able to ease the lives of patients living with arthritis.

A fun fact about Dr. Tavasolian is that she feels inspired in nature and loves being outdoors. She enjoys going on walks and doing activities with friends such as hiking and picnics.

"I am very appreciative and thankful for this opportunity to be here at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute." She mentioned that she tremendously appreciates her supervisor, Dr. Inman, as well as all of her colleagues, who have been very supportive of her research from the start and appreciates the collaborative teamwork efforts for her newly published paper.

You can connect with Dr. Tavasolian and follow her research updates on LinkedIn, Google Scholar and Research Gate.

On behalf of the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, we are grateful that Dr. Tavasolian is part of our team and wish her all the success in the future.

Teresa Semalulu, Clinical Fellow in the Lupus Program within the Division of Rheumatology at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, was recently awarded the Lupus Ontario Geoff Carr Fellowship, to work under the supervision of Dr. Zahi Touma, Director of the Lupus Program at the Institute.

Fatima Debek, Summer Student within the Division of Rheumatology at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, supervised by Dr. Zahi Touma, Director of the Lupus Program at the Institute, was recently awarded the Gini M. Finzi Summer Fellowship Award from the Lupus Foundation of America for her project titled "Comparing Subjective and Objective Cognitive Impairment Measures in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Relating to Health-Related Quality of Life."

Abigail Cave, Summer Student within the Division of Rheumatology at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, was recently awarded the University of Toronto Amgen Scholarship by the University of Toronto, to carryout her project titled "Metabolomics Profiling in Responders and Non-responders to Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor and Interleukin-17 Inhibitor Therapy in Psoriatic Arthritis", supervised by Dr. Vinod Chandran, Co-Director of the Psoriatic Arthritis Research Program and Scientist at the Institute.

Darshani Seebarruth, Medical Student within the Division of Rheumatology at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, supervised by Dr. Dafna Gladman, Senior Scientist at the Institute, was recently awarded the CIHR-Canadian Association of Psoriasis Patients Summer Student Award for their project titled "Work Productivity and its Relationship to Damage in Psoriatic Arthritis."

Dr. Robert Inman, Co-Director and Senior Scientist at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, and Dr. Fataneh Tavasolian, Postdoctoral Researcher within the Division of Rheumatology at the Institute, supervised by Dr. Inman, were featured in an article surrounding their newly published paper in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases Journal, titled "Proteomic and Genomic Profiling of Plasma Exosomes From Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis." Their research detail immunologic and genetic changes involved in ankylosing spondylitis, an autoimmune disease of the spine.

Read the article here.

Read the publication here.

Dr. Dafna Gladman, Senior Scientist within the Division of Rheumatology at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, and Dr. Omar Fernando Cruz Correa, Research Associate in Dr. Gladman's Lab at the Institute, were featured in an article surrounding their newly published paper in Arthritis & Rheumatology Journal, titled "Prediction of Psoriatic Arthritis in Patients with Psoriasis using DNA Methylation Profiles." Their research identified markers that can predict the transition from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis.

Read the article here.

Read the publication here.

Dr. Raja Rampersaud, Director of the Osteoarthritis Research Program within the Division of Orthopedics, and Laura Passalent, Physiotherapist Practitioner and Clinician Investigator at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, were featured in a recent article in Healio Rheumatology, discussing the impact of diagnostic delays for patients with Arthritis.

Indira Gobin, Clinical Manager for Orthopedic Surgery on 9A in the Division of Orthopedics at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, was featured in an article highlighting how our Institute is leading the way to incorporate a new poster campaign in hopes to empower patients and care partners to raise safety concerns.

Read the article here.

The Schroeder Arthritis Institute hosted the 56th Arthritis Web Seminar Series Lecture on July 11, 2023. Our guest speaker, Dr. Jérémie Sellam, Professor of Rheumatology at Saint-Antoine University Hospital in Paris, France, gave a seminar on "Diet and Inflammatory Arthritis: Current Knowledge."

Click here to watch the recorded seminar.

The Schroeder Arthritis Institute hosted the 57th Arthritis Web Seminar Series Lecture on July 25, 2023. Our guest speaker, Dr. Barbara Pui Chan, Professor and Associate Dean of the Graduate School of the Biomedical Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical Engineering, at the University of Hong Kong, gave a seminar on "Osteochondral Tissue Engineering."

Click here to watch the recorded seminar.

The Schroeder Arthritis Institute hosted the 58th Arthritis Web Seminar Series Lecture on September 26, 2023. Our guest speaker, Dr. Ronald Van Vollenhoven, Professor of Rheumatology and Chair of the Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology at Amsterdam University Medical Centers, gave a seminar on "Treating to Target - How to get the most out of recent advances in lupus therapeutics."

Click here to watch the recorded seminar.

The Schroeder Arthritis Institute will be hosting the 59th Arthritis Web Seminar Series Lecture on October 10, 2023. Our guest speaker, Dr. Cristina Ruiz-Romero, Academic Researcher at Galician Health Service in Coruña University in Spain, will give a seminar on "Emerging proteomic and metabolomic biomarkers in rheumatic diseases."

The Schroeder Arthritis Institute will be hosting the 60th Arthritis Web Seminar Series Lecture on November 28, 2023. Our guest speaker, Dr. Cornelia Weyand, Professor of Medicine and Research Chair of the Division of Rheumatology in the Department of Internal Medicine at Stanford University, will give a seminar on "Large Vessel Vasculitis - A Disease of Lost Inhibition."