Dr. Linda Li is a Professor and Harold Robinson/Arthritis Society Chair in Arthritic Diseases in the Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, and a Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada, where she leads the Arthritis & Implementation Science Program. Her research focuses on the integration of wearables and apps into rehabilitation practices, aiming to promote physical activity in people with arthritis and reduce fall risks in older adults. Dr. Li’s work in knowledge translation and implementation science has led to new studies on strategies for involving patients and the public in research. From 2014 to 2024, she held a Canada Research Chair in Patient-oriented Knowledge Translation. She received the American College of Rheumatology – Association of Rheumatology Professionals Distinguished Scholar Award in 2015 and the Distinguished Educator Award in 2022, recognizing her contributions to arthritis research and education. In 2019, she was inducted as Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
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Catherine Backman, PhD, OT(C), FCAOT
Prof. Catherine Backman is a Professor Emerita in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia, a Senior Scientist at the Arthritis Research Canada and an Affiliated Researcher at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
Catherine’s research interests cluster in two broad areas: (a) occupational disruption and the impact of chronic illness on participation in paid and unpaid work and social roles. Recent studies relate to parenting, employment, and creative occupations, with an emphasis on balancing occupations to promote health and well-being; (b) evaluating the outcomes of occupational therapy and rehabilitation interventions, including use of e-health tools, and the ethical tensions that arise in delivering competent care..
To date, she has published over 200 papers, abstracts and book chapters.
In 2004, Catherine was awarded the Catherine Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship and named a Fellow (FCAOT) by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists in 2004. She was also the recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Association of Rheumatology Professionals, a Division of the American College of Rheumatology.
Recognized as an exceptional mentor, Catherine received the prestigious Killam University Teaching Prize in 2002 and currently supervises MSc and PhD students in rehabilitation and interdisciplinary studies.
Diane Gromala, PhD
Diane Gromala, PhD, is a Full Professor in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT). She builds bridges spanning technology (design, HCI, and engineering) and health (researchers, clinicians, patients and their advocates). Prior to joining SFU, Dr. Gromala developed transdisciplinary technology curricula as a faculty member at Georgia Tech, the University of Washington, and the University of Texas.
Dr. Gromala designs and builds innovative interactive health technologies, and tests them in a two-pronged approach: with health experts in clinical domains, and in patients’ homes. Currently, she is working to certify two of her VR systems with Health Canada and the FDA in order to deploy them in the real world.
As the Founding Director of the Pain Studies Lab, Dr. Gromala and her team of graduate students and post-doctoral researchers closely collaborate with health experts in pain medicine, neuroscience, psychology, and kinesiology to name a few. Dr. Gromala’s research projects combine qualitative and quantitative research methods including: patient-centred design, participatory design, and microethnographies to the evidence-based biopsychosocial approaches common in pain medicine. Ultimately, Dr. Gromala’s interactive health technologies are tested in RCTs (randomized control trials), the gold standard for health research. Increasingly, she is working with neuroscientists to explore long-lasting, neuroplastic brain changes via fMRI studies
Antonio Aviña-Zubieta, MD, MSc, PhD
Dr. Antonio Aviña-Zubieta is an Professor and Head of the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and a Senior Scientist at the Arthritis Research Canada
Born in Mexico, Dr. Antonio Aviña-Zubieta graduated as a Medical Doctor from the University of Guadalajara in 1989. He did his Internal Medicine training from 1990 to 1991 at the University of Guadalajara, and from 1991 to 1993 he pursued a rheumatology fellowship at the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM). He has been a National Scientist in Mexico since 1998.
After his formal training in Mexico, Dr. Aviña did a Clinical Research Fellowship at the University of Alberta from 1993 to 1995, and subsequently completed a Master’s Degree in Experimental Medicine at the same university in 1997. In 2010, Dr. Aviña received his PhD in Experimental Medicine/Epidemiology from the University of British Columbia and began a faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Medicine at the same university on July 1st of that year.
To start his career as a New Investigator, Dr. Aviña was granted a Network Scholar research training award from the Canadian Arthritis Network and The Arthritis Society. He was also named the first ever BC Lupus Society Scholar (a title he continues to hold). He was also a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research scholar.
His areas of research include (1) the current epidemiology of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD) at the population level, (2) the disease burden of SARD including risks of co-morbidities associated with SARD and (3) the impact of SARD on overall and cause specific mortality.
Diane Lacaille, MD, FRCPC, MHSc
Dr. Diane Lacaille is the Scientific Director and Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada; as well as a Professor, Division of Rheumatology, and Associate Head of Academic Affairs, Department of Medicine, at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver. She has a rheumatology practice in Richmond, BC. She holds the Mary Pack Chair in Rheumatology Research from UBC and The Arthritis Society of Canada.
She completed medical school and internal medicine training at McGill University in Montreal, and her Rheumatology training and a Master’s in Health Sciences, clinical epidemiology, at the University of British Columbia.
Her research focuses on two areas: 1) Studying the impact of arthritis on employment and preventing work disability. To that effect, she has developed Making-it-WorkTM , an online program helping people with arthritis deal with employment issues. 2) Evaluating the quality of health care services received by people with RA and conducting pharmaco-epidemiology studies, using BC administrative health data. Her research has been supported by peer reviewed grants from the Canadian Institute for Health and Research, the Canadian Arthritis Network, The Arthritis Society of Canada and the Canadian Rheumatology Association. She was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal in 2013 for her research contributions
Teresa Liu-Ambrose, PhD, PT
Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose, PhD, PT, Professor, is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair and a physical therapist at the University of British Columbia, Department of Physical Therapy. She directs the Aging, Mobility and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory as well as the Vancouver General Hospital’s Falls Prevention Clinic.
Her research program focuses on defining the role of exercise to promote healthy aging, with a particular focus on cognitive and neural plasticity, as well as mobility. Various methods are utilized, including randomized controlled trials, functional neuroimaging, and actigraphy,
Dr. Liu-Ambrose works collaboratively with faculty in Psychology, Neurology, Family Practice, Geriatric Medicine, and Health Care and Epidemiology. Dr. Liu-Ambrose is an investigator with the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility and the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. She also co-leads the UBC data collection site for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.
Jolanda Cibere, MD, FRCPC, PhD
Dr. Jolanda Cibere is an Associate Professor in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of British Columbia and a Research Scientist at the Arthritis Research Canada. She is a rheumatologist specializing in the research of osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that is affecting an increasing number of Canadians.
After completing her medical and internal medicine training at the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Cibere completed her clinical rheumatology training at the University of British Columbia. She also trained in the University of British Columbia ‘s Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, completed a doctoral program focusing on osteoarthritis, and was awarded an MRC (now CIHR) Clinician Scientist Fellowship award for her studies.
Dr. Cibere pioneered a study on the current use of glucosamine sulfate by osteoarthritis sufferers, the results of which have been widely disseminated to consumers across North America. Dr. Cibere was the principal investigator for a research study on the early diagnosis of osteoarthritis. Her research led to the development of a standardized knee exam that has since become part of a clinical standard for early detection. She has reported that early knee osteoarthritis can be detected by findings of either joint swelling, gait abnormality or flexion contracture in the knee. In addition, her study found that specific blood and urine tests, which detect cartilage breakdown, are useful to identify early osteoarthritis of the knee. She is the principal investigator for ongoing research to investigate the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee after 3 and 6 years, and is involved with similar research on osteoarthritis of the hip.
Dr. Cibere received the Networks of Centres of Excellence Young Innovator Award early in her career. She was awarded a six-year Clinical Scientist Phase II Scholar Award (the highest level salary award given by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research), and received both the UBC’s Departmental Faculty Scholar Award and the J. W. McConnell Family Foundation Scholar
Jasmin Ma, PhD
Dr. Jasmin Ma is a Clinician Investigator with Arthritis Research Canada, an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, and a Practicing Kinesiologist. Her teaching and educational leadership activities involve 1) the co-development and knowledge translation of inclusive physical activity counselling and prescription approaches and 2) the implementation of experiential learning opportunities in community-based exercise settings. Her research focuses on supporting strength training behaviour change and developing methods for tailored physical activity interventions among people with chronic disease and disability.
Deniz Bayraktar (Denislav Orlinov), PT, PhD
Dr. Deniz Bayraktar (Denislav Orlinov) is a physiotherapist by background and an Associate Professor at Izmir Katip Celebi University in Türkiye. He completed his PhD at Dokuz Eylul University (Türkiye) in 2017, focusing on the effect of water-based exercises in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Deniz visited UBC Department of Physical Therapy in 2023 under Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) – International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program for Turkish Citizens. He was also previously a research trainee under Dr. Linda Li’s supervision at Arthritis Research Canada (July 2023 – June 2024). He was appointed as an Affiliate Scientist of the organization in June 2024.
Deniz is closely collaborating with EULAR as the President of Turkish Health Professionals Association, and with the Pediatric Rheumatology European Association (PReS) as the Representative of Health Professionals in Auto-Inflammatory Working Party. His dream is to bridge the professional networks in rheumatology between Europe and Canada, and foster effective collaborations worldwide.
He and his team are currently conducting primarily clinical research focusing the effects of different exercise approaches in various childhood and adulthood rheumatic diseases. He also recently initiated implementation and public involvement projects supported by Dr. Li in the field of arthritis for the first time in Türkiye.
Codie Primeau, PhD, MPT, MSc
Dr. Codie Primeau (he/him; il) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Western University in London, Ontario. He is also an Affiliate Scientist with Arthritis Research Canada, a Research Affiliate with the Community-Based Research Centre, and one of the inaugural committee members of the Queer Physiotherapy Collective (Canada).
Dr. Primeau’s research focuses on arthritis, physiotherapy, orthopedics, pelvic health, clinical biomechanics, health economics, patient and community engagement, and 2S/LGBTQQIA+ health. His program of research seeks to improve mobility, health outcomes, and care experiences for individuals with chronic health conditions, while advancing understanding of these conditions among underrepresented communities, particularly among 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals. His work also focuses on improving active engagement of patient and community members from these underrepresented communities in health research. Central to this work is an equity and inclusion lens, with a strong emphasis on active community engagement throughout all phases of research. His projects evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of physiotherapy and surgical interventions for a variety of chronic conditions, including arthritis, pelvic health, and chronic pain. His work also focuses on access to healthcare services, including access to affirming healthcare. He also leads initiatives to enhance 2S/LGBTQQIA+ inclusion in physiotherapy education and practice across Canada.
Dr. Primeau completed a BSc in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa (en français), an MSc in Kinesiology at Western University, and a combined Master of Physical Therapy and PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Western University. He went on to complete a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Patient-Oriented Knowledge Translation and Implementation Science at the University of British Columbia, during which he held Banting CIHR, Arthritis Society Canada, and Michael Smith Health Research BC Postdoctoral Fellowships. Dr. Primeau also received the Young Investigator Award from the Osteoarthritis Research Society International in 2021.
Clayon Hamilton, PhD
Dr. Hamilton is the Lead, Knowledge Exchange and Mobilization at Foundry, an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, and an Affiliate Scientist as Arthritis Research Canada. Trained as a health services researcher, Clayon takes an evidence-informed and partnership approach to leadership in healthcare sectors.
Clayon obtained his PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in two fields: Measurement & Methods and Musculoskeletal Research at Western University, supported by Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) awards. He completed postdoctoral training in health services and knowledge translation at the University of British Columbia and Arthritis Research Canada, funded by both CIHR and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR). He spent 2 years as a Health System Impact Fellow at the BC Ministry of Health, supporting evaluation within the primary care sector. Clayon was then the Regional Practice Lead for Research and Knowledge Translation for long-term care in BC’s largest regional health authority.
His research focus includes patient engagement in health research and decision-making, development of self-report measures for evaluation, and knowledge translation in health services. His work has contributed evidence-based tools to support the practice and evaluation of patient engagement. Notably, he led the development of the validated Patient Engagement In Research Scale (PEIRS), a significant resource for measuring meaningful patient and family engagement in research. Dr. Hamilton has received several highly competitive awards and co-authored over 20 articles in respected peer-reviewed journals. In his spare time, he enjoys going for runs with his family.