The Canadian Spondyloarthritis Association (CSA)’s Medical Advisory Committee is composed of professionals who are experienced in working with and treating those who live with spondyloarthritis. We are proud and most appreciative of the time and expertise of some of the leading professionals in Canada in their respective fields, and thank them for being part of the Medical Advisory Committee.
Current CSA Medical Advisory Committee Members:
Physiotherapist
Jennifer Burt
Physiotherapist
Jennifer graduated from Dalhousie University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy. She has worked on the Rheumatology Health Unit at St. Clare’s Hospital in St. John’s since 1997, and is currently working as an interprofessional team member facilitating triage and access to Rheumatology Services in Newfoundland and Labrador. Jennifer is also a trainee in the Advanced Clinician Practitioner in Arthritis Care Program (ACPAC) offered through the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Jennifer is involved with the Arthritis Alliance of Canada (AAC) on the Models of Care Committee, NL Regional Committee, and as the AHPA member representative. She is a co-investigator on Dr. Claire Barber’s study entitled “Testing of System-level Performance Measures for Inflammatory Arthritis”. Jennifer was a board member of the Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA) nationally from 2007 to 2016 and was President of AHPA from 2011 to 2014. Jennifer has also been actively involved with her professional association nationally and provincially for the past 25 years. She was a Board Director with the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) from 2010 to 2016. She served as President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Physiotherapy Association from 2007 to 2009.
RD
Saskatchewan
Audrey Boyer
RD
Saskatchewan
Audrey Boyer, RD is a public health nutritionist and fitness instructor in northern Saskatchewan with ankylosing spondylitis. She is involved in various groups that strive to promote health in the north and across Saskatchewan. She is an involved mom of three active, fun kids and is lucky to live near the lake to enjoy kayaking, boating, hiking, and cross country skiing.
MBBS, MD, DM, PhD, FRCPC
Dr. Vinod Chandran
MBBS, MD, DM, PhD, FRCPC
MD, FRCPC
Dr. Dafna D Gladman
MD, FRCPC
Dafna D. Gladman, MD, FRCPC is Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto. Dr. Gladman is a Senior Staff Physician at the Toronto Western Hospital, Deputy Director of the Centre for Prognosis Studies in the Rheumatic Diseases, Director of the Psoriatic Arthritis Program, and Co-Director of the University of Toronto Lupus Clinic. She is a Senior Scientist at the Krembil Research Institute and the Schroeder Arthritis Institute. Dr. Gladman is co-investigator of the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium Canada (SPARCC).
Clinical Pharmacist
Michael de Guzman
Clinical Pharmacist
Mike a clinical pharmacist driven by his passion to improve health outcomes of patients by promoting optimal use of innovative therapeutics. He has five years of academic hospital experience with expertise in Pediatrics, Neurology, Respirology and Hematology. Drawing from his unique clinical experience is what makes him great in his current role as an MSL. He’s interested in broadening my impact on patient care through medical affairs roles. He thrive in collaborative, cross-functional environments. He firmly believes that great service is the key to success in career and life in general.
MD, PhD, DM, MBA, FRCPC
Dr. Nigil Haroon
MD, PhD, DM, MBA, FRCPC
Dr. Nigil Haroon, MD, PhD, is the President of the Canadian Rheumatology Association and is the Head of the Division of Rheumatology at the University Health Network and Sinai Health. He is an associate professor of medicine and rheumatology at the University of Toronto and a Senior Scientist at the Krembil Research Institute and the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, a state of the art research facility in Toronto. Dr. Haroon is an internationally renowned clinician scientist in the field of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). He is well published in this area and has been an invited speaker in several international meetings. Dr. Haroon also serves on the board of the Spondyloarthritsi Research and Treatment Network (SPARTAN) as well as on the Medical and Scientific ADvisory Boards of the Spondylitis Association of America and the Canadian Spondyltis Association. Dr. Haroon has won several awards including the Vanier Scholarship and the Jane Bruckel Award of the Spondylitis Association of America
RD
Ontario
Samantha Holmgren
RD
Ontario
My mission is to help people with inflammatory arthritis reconnect with their intuition and combine that with clear health and nutrition information so they can go out and actually live their life.
What would it mean if you built habits of self-care so that your arthritis didn’t stop you from living your life the way you want? What would it mean to feel that you are directing your life, rather than suffering at the whims of arthritis.
MD, FRCPC
Dr. Jia Hu
MD, FRCPC
Dr. Jia Hu is a medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services in Calgary Zone and a clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary. He also works at the East Calgary Health Centre, an inner-city family medicine practice serving marginalized populations. He previously worked in management consulting for McKinsey & Co. and as a consultant at the London School of Economics. He has advised governments on health financing models. Dr. Hu obtained his bachelor of arts in economics from Harvard University, before going on to obtain his doctor of medicine from the University of Alberta. He completed his residency at the University of Toronto and St. Mike’s Hospital. Dr. Hu has a MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Finance from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Most recently, Dr. Hu completed training in public health and preventive medicine at the University of Toronto.
MD, FRCPC
Dr. Robert Inman
MD, FRCPC
Dr. Inman completed his undergraduate degree at Yale University, and his medical degree at McMaster University. He did his training in Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt University and his fellowship in Rheumatology at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He completed a Research Fellowship at the Hammersmith Hospital in London. He then moved to the University of Toronto where he was appointed Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Immunology. He is currently Co-Director of the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Co-Director of the Spondylitis Program at Toronto Western Hospital, and Deputy Physician in Chief for Research at University Health Network. He also an Executive of the Spondyloarthritis Resarch Consoritium of Canada (SPARCC).
HBSc, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Dr. Mark Kirchof
HBSc, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Dr. Mark Kirchhof, MD, PhD, FRCPC obtained his Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from McMaster University before joining the MD/PhD program at Western University. His PhD research involved studies of the signalling pathways important to immune system regulation. He then went on to complete his dermatology residency at the University of British Columbia. He has been the education director at Queen’s University in Kingston for 3 years, coordinating and leading undergraduate, post-graduate and CME educational activities. He has published 28 peer-reviewed papers and maintains a keen interest in clinical and bench-to-bedside research. He has been invited to speak at local, national and international meetings. He is now joining the Division of Dermatology in Ottawa as the division head with a vision to continue the history of excellence and expand the academic endeavours over the coming years.
PhD
Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley
PhD
Dr. Lee-Baggley is a is a Registered Clinical and Organizational Psychologist in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta with reciprocal agreements for clients in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. She has extensive applied experience and research knowledge on behaviour change, team functioning, conflict resolution, workplace restoration, diversity, equity, inclusion, trauma informed workplaces, restorative justice, and organizational change. She is on faculty at Dalhousie University in Family Medicine and at Saint Mary’s University in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She is also a Registered Psychologist in Clinical and Organizational Psychology. She has the lived experience of being a bi-racial daughter of an Asian immigrant. She strives to make training meaningful and safe using evidence-based methods and processes. She was the recipient of the 2017 Women of Excellence Award for her contributions to Health, Sport and Wellness (Canadian Progress Club Halifax Cornwallis). She is the author of the book “Healthy Habits Suck: How to get off the couch & live a healthy life…even if you don’t want to.”
MB ChB, FRCP(C), FACP
Alberta
Dr. Walter P. Maksymowych
MB ChB, FRCP(C), FACP
Alberta
Dr. Maksymowych is co-founder and principal investigator the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) established to develop biomarkers and imaging technologies for this form of spinal arthritis. The consortium’s work includes development of a genetic screening test with collaborators in Newfoundland, where there is an increase in the disease and a related disease called psoriatic arthritis. He is founder and chief medical officer of Canadian Research and Education (CaRE) in Arthritis Ltd. Dr. Maksymowych is a member of, and in many cases has chaired, committees of international associations and groups formed to advance rheumatology and arthritis related research and therapeutic development. These include the Alberta Rheumatoid Arthritis and Pharmacovigilance Program, Canadian Arthritis Network Centres of Excellence, Canadian Rheumatology Association, Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Soluble Biomarker Group, Assessments in Spondyloarthritis International Society.
MHSc
Ontario
Laura Passalent
MHSc
Ontario
Laura Passalent obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Toronto in 1995 and completed a Masters of Health Science in Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Toronto in 2005. She is a certified Advanced Practitioner in Arthritis Care, having graduated from the ACPAC program in 2008. Laura Passalent’s research focuses on the rehabilitation and education of the spondyloarthritis population, as well as innovative health services delivery by rehabilitation professionals. Her research to date has included the development of a physiotherapist-led screening program for spondyloarthritis and the development, implementation and evaluation of an interdisciplinary education program for patients diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. She has presentedand published on the subjects of physiotherapy for spondyloarthritis, extended scope practice of rehabilitation professionals in arthritis care, access to rehabilitation, and the use of geographic information systems in the analysis of rehabilitation services. Laura Passalent is a Lecturer at the Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and works as a Physiotherapist Practitioner with the Arthritis Program at the Toronto Western Hospital.
MD, FRCPC
BC
Dr. Max Sun
MD, FRCPC
BC
Dr. Sun grew up in Surrey, British Columbia. He finished 3 years of honours in Pharmacology as well as a minor in economics before entering UBC medical school. After he graduated in 2006, he went on to train in the Internal Medicine residency program at UBC from 2010 to 2013 and a Rheumatology fellowship from 2013 to 2015.
He has a special interest in interventional pain procedures and chronic musculoskeletal pain management. Dr. Sun has a full spectrum rheumatology practice near Vancouver General Hospital, as well as practicing at CHANGEpain.
MD, FRCPC
Ontario
Dr. Shirley Tse
MD, FRCPC
Ontario
In 2003, Dr. Tse joined the Rheumatology Division at Toronto Sick Kids Hospital, and is currently appointed as Associate Professor. Dr. Tse has also been the Program Director for the Paediatric Rheumatology Training Program since July 2007. Tse’s clinical and research interests are focused towards juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile spondyloarthritis and in education (development of innovative methods of teaching paediatric rheumatology). Tse has a specialized juvenile spondyloathritis clinic at SickKids.
The Canadian Spondylitis Association (now operating as The Canadian Spondyloarthritis Association) was founded as a partnership between healthcare professionals, researchers and patients with an interest in spondyloarthritis. From its inception, CSA has had a distinguished and active Medical Advisory Committee and has worked closely in partnership with the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC).