From Vancouver Sun, July 9, 2010: ** Moose play part in arthritis discovery**

Development of osteoarthritis in mammals linked to periods of malnutrition in their youth, researchers say

Moose living on a remote Lake Superior island near the U.S.-Canada border have unlocked a mystery about how the bones of aging mammals -- including humans -- can come to suffer the ravages of arthritis. The findings have emerged as part of a remarkable 50-year study of the antlered beasts on Isle Royale, a setting that three generations of scientists have used as a unique natural laboratory to observe the predator-prey dynamics between moose and wolves.

The uninhabited island -- protected as a U.S. national park -- is part of Michigan. Over the centuries, animals from the mainland have occasionally crossed the lake during severe freeze-ups and populated the 72-kilometre-long island, Superior's largest. A team of U.S. researchers, in a study published in the latest issue of the journal Ecology Letters, has detailed an unexpected discovery that links osteoarthritis among older moose to periods of malnutrition they endured as juveniles.

It's a finding, the scientists say, that has implications for archeologists trying to understand conditions faced by prehistoric peoples, whose burial grounds can yield evidence of disease and adverse environmental conditions. And the moose bones of Isle Royale may also offer insights for current medical research on osteoarthritis, the team claims. "Our study suggests the need to consider more carefully whether osteoarthritis is like other late-onset pathologies -- including heart disease, diabetes and hypertension -- that appear to have risk factors established early in life," the paper states. Wildlife biologists began studying the Isle Royale moose in the late 1950s.

Deloitte held a series of Dialogue on diversity roundtables to discuss the role the business community can play in addressing the issues facing people with disabilities.

The roundtables began March 3, 2010, in Halifax and traveled to six other cities during the Paralympic Games, including Toronto, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Montreal, Edmonton, and concluded in Vancouver on March 19. Each session included representatives from the business community, special interest groups, government agencies, current and former Paralympic athletes, and Deloitte partners and colleagues.

This white paper is the result of these discussions, and it provides insights into key recommendations of those involved.

“I hope that the ideas that come out of this white paper will add another voice to the discussion and reinforce the importance of celebrating all aspects of diversity in Canadian business,” says Jane Allen, partner and Chief Diversity Officer.

Deloitte on Diversity

· CIHR Recruitment of New IAB Members

· 2009-10 CIHR Grants and Awards Guide

· Studentship in mobility, musculoskeletal health and arthritis across the lifespan

· IMHA Workshop held at CIHR’s Primary Health Care Summit, January 19, 2010

· The George Karpati Symposium on Neuromuscular Disease - May 10, 2010

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** CIHR Recruitment of New IAB Members**

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is renewing membership for its thirteen Institute Advisory Boards (IABs) and invites you to assist by encouraging excellent candidates to apply. We are seeking about 40 new members to serve three-year terms beginning September 1, 2010.

Diversity of expertise and experience are key to the success of IABs. Each of CIHR Institute IABs is made up of 16 volunteers from Canada and abroad who meet at least twice a year to advise the Institute on health research priorities. They also consider how best to shape and implement health research strategies in line with these priorities, and to accelerate the flow of knowledge into health benefits.

Applications may be submitted online from January 18 to March 15, 2010 at

New Member Application and by clicking on the link: How to apply to become an IAB member.

Composition of IABs

Institute Advisory Boards are made up of 16 individuals from Canada and abroad, reflecting the greatest possible diversity across the following dimensions:

Research expertise - across the disciplinary scope of Institute research, ethics and knowledge translation and across the full range of biomedical, clinical research and research respecting health systems, health services, the health of populations, societal and cultural dimensions of health, environmental influences on health.

Community sectors - voluntary health organizations, regional/provincial/federal agencies, business, health care practitioners, health care users, policy makers (national, regional, local levels).

Additional experience/expertise –knowledge of the health care sector, health care usage and of health research issues, experience with the development of health and health-related policy, experience with strategic health planning, health law, training/education, communications.

Demographics - provincial/regional/international representation, gender, linguistic preference, career stage and institutional research base.

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** 2009-10 CIHR Grants and Awards Guide**

The paper copy of the 2009-10 CIHR Grants and Awards Guide is now available. A PDF Version PDF version is also available online.

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Studentship in mobility, musculoskeletal health and arthritis across the lifespan

Application Deadline

March 15, 2010

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to provide undergraduate students with opportunities to undertake research projects with established health researchers in an environment that provides strong mentorship. This opportunity targets the early stage of the student's academic training in order to encourage the pursuit of research in areas of strategic interest to CIHR's Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) and CIHR's Institute of Aging (IA). The maximum amount awarded for a single award is $4,950 for up to 3 months.

To access the application online, please see IMHA Funding Opportunities at http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13217.html

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** IMHA Workshop held at CIHR’s Primary Health Care Summit, January 19, 2010**

Research Gaps for Primary Care in Musculoskeletal Health was hosted by CIHR’s Institute of Musculoskeletal Health & Arthritis and was one of twelve afternoon concurrent workshops held at the CIHR Primary Healthcare Summit on January 19, 2010 in Toronto. Twenty-nine people, including principal investigators, health professionals, trainees, IMHA partners, government representatives, and NGO representatives, met to discuss research issues with respect to primary care for people with MSK conditions in Canada.

Speakers included:

Dr. Gillian Hawker, Physician-in-Chief, Women’s College Hospital, and Professor, Dept. of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Dr. Linda Li, Harold Robinson/Arthritis Society Chair in Arthritic Diseases and Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia; Arthritis Research Centre of Canada

Dr. Carlo Marra, Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair in Pharmaceutical Outcomes, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar and Director, Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) Research Scientist, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Providence Health

Michael Hillmer, Manager of the Chronic Disease Unit in the Health System Policy and Relations Branch in the Health System Strategy Division, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

To access the Speakers' Presentations, please see workshop 2.11 at

For further information or an electronic copy of the summary report, please contact Gail Lush, IMHA- Senior Project Officer at gail.lush@utoronto.ca or call 613-820-3959.

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Recrutement de nouveaux membres pour les CCI des IRSC

Les Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada (IRSC) renouvellent la composition de leurs 13 conseils consultatifs d'institut (CCI) et vous invitent à encourager d'excellents candidats à poser leur candidature. Nous sommes à la recherche d'environ 40 nouveaux membres qui rempliront un mandat de trois ans à partir du 1er septembre 2010.

Le succès du CCI repose sur la diversité des compétences et de l'expérience de ses membres. Le CCI de chaque institut des IRSC est composé de 16 bénévoles du Canada ou de l'étranger, qui se réunissent au moins deux fois par année afin de donner aux instituts des conseils concernant les priorités de recherche en santé. Ils déterminent également la meilleure façon d’élaborer et de mettre en œuvre des stratégies de recherche en santé qui sont conformes à ces priorités, et de veiller à ce que les nouvelles connaissances se traduisent rapidement en bienfaits pour la santé.

Les candidatures peuvent être soumises en ligne, du 18 janvier au 15 mars 2010 à l’adresse Recrutementet en cliquant sur le lien « Comment poser sa candidature pour devenir membre d'un CCI ».

Composition des CCI

Les conseils consultatifs d'institut se composent de 16 membres provenant du Canada et de l'étranger, de façon à refléter le plus possible la diversité quant aux dimensions suivantes :

Expertise en recherche - dans l'ensemble des domaines de la recherche, de l'éthique et de l'application des connaissances; dans l'ensemble de la recherche biomédicale et clinique, et de la recherche portant sur les systèmes de santé et les services de santé; la santé des populations, les dimensions sociétales et culturelles de la santé, et les répercussions environnementales sur la santé.

Secteurs communautaires - organismes de santé bénévoles, organismes régionaux, provinciaux et fédéraux, entreprises, professionnels de la santé, utilisateurs de soins de santé, responsables des politiques (à l'échelle nationale, régionale et locale).

Expérience/expertise supplémentaire – connaissance du secteur des soins de santé, de l’utilisation des soins de santé et des questions de recherche en santé, expérience dans l’élaboration des politiques de santé et de celles qui y sont liées, expérience dans la planification stratégique dans le domaine de la santé, le droit de la santé, la formation/éducation et les communications.

Données démographiques – représentation à l’échelle provinciale/régionale/internationale, sexe, préférence linguistique, étape de la carrière et base de recherche institutionnelle.

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Guide de subventions et bourses des IRSC (2009-2010)

La version papier du Guide de subventions et bourses des IRSC (2009-2010) est maintenant

prête.

Une version PDF est également offerte en ligne (version PDF).

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Atelier de l’IALA tenu dans le cadre du Sommet sur les soins de santé primaires des IRSC, le 19 janvier 2010

L’Institut de l’appareil locomoteur et de l’arthrite des IRSC a organisé l’atelier Research Gaps for Primary Care in Musculoskeletal Health, l’un des douze ateliers simultanés de l’après-midi, tenus en marge du Sommet sur les soins de santé primaires des IRSC, le 19 janvier 2010, à Toronto. L’atelier a réuni 29 participants, notamment des chercheurs principaux, des professionnels de la santé, des stagiaires, des partenaires de l’IALA, des représentants du gouvernement et des représentants d’organismes non gouvernementaux, pour discuter des questions de recherche dans le contexte des soins primaires destinés aux Canadiennes et Canadiens atteints d’un trouble locomoteur.

Conférenciers

Dre Gillian Hawker, médecin-chef à l’Hôpital Women’s College et professeure au Département des politiques, de la gestion et de l’évaluation de la santé, Faculté de médecine de l’Université de Toronto

Dre Linda Li, titulaire de la chaire de la Société de l’arthrite/Harold Robinson sur les maladies arthritiques et professeure adjointe au Département de physiothérapie de l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique; Arthritis Research Centre of Canada

Dr Carlo Marra, professeur agrégé, titulaire de la chaire de recherche du Canada sur les résultats de la pharmacothérapie, chercheur-boursier à la Fondation Michael-Smith pour la recherche en santé, directeur, Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE), et chercheur au Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Providence Health

M. Michael Hillmer, gestionnaire de l’Unité des maladies chroniques, dans la Direction des politiques et des relations liées au système de santé, Division de la stratégie du système de santé, ministère de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée de l’Ontario

Pour consulter les présentations des conférenciers, suivez le lien sous l’atelier 2.11, à l’adresse presentations (en anglais).

Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements ou la version électronique du rapport sommaire, veuillez communiquer avec Gail Lush, agente principale de projets de l’IALA, à l’adresse gail.lush@utoronto.ca ou au 613-820-3959.

The **International Alliance of Patients Organization (IAPO) **met last October in Buenos Aires. The report from that meeting is now available.

IAPO Latin American Meeting Oct 2009

For further information on the IAPO, visit their website at IAPO Website