Canadian Arthritis Summer School 2025 Steering Committee

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Vienna Cheng

Vienna Cheng is a Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences candidate at the University of British Columbia (UBC) under the supervision of Dr. Mary De Vera. Having completed her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) training at UBC, she currently enjoys serving patients in her community as a community pharmacist. In addition to patient care, Vienna has a keen interest in using her expertise in drug therapy and research methods to inform clinical guidelines, shape drug policy and enhance patient health outcomes through drug safety research. The goal of Vienna's project is to evaluate the effect of arthritis medications on pregnancy outcomes (in the mom and baby) among those with inflammatory arthritis.

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Nejat Hassen

Nejat Hassen is a research assistant at Arthritis Research Canada. She earned her MSc degree in Population and Public Health from the University of British Columbia, where she focused on identifying disease-related and non-disease-related factors that influence the health-related quality of life in individuals living with rheumatoid arthritis, as well as identifying trends of the disease burden of rheumatoid arthritis in Canada over the last 30 years. Nejat currently manages a national project aimed at developing a flexible care delivery model for inflammatory arthritis.

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Roselyn Jiang

Roselyn Jiang is a PhD student at McGill University. Her research interests include defining innate immune memory in inflammatory arthritis and extra-articular manifestation - interstitial lung disease and exploring its potential as a novel therapeutic method. Patient partners heavily support Roselyn’s project; thus, it is very important to her to engage with the community and communicate research to people who are influenced.

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Hilda Ma

Dr. Zhiyao (Hilda) Ma underwent training as a biomedical engineer in Hong Kong and earned her master's degree in the same field at RWTH Aachen University in Germany. She has now completed her PhD in the surgery department, working under the guidance of Dr. Adesida, and is continuing her research as a postdoctoral fellow. Her PhD research focused on utilizing tissue-engineered meniscus constructs as a model to investigate the sex-dependent molecular mechanisms of knee osteoarthritis in simulated microgravity conditions.

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Julie McKenna

Julie McKenna (she/her) emigrated to Canada from Scotland as a child, and has lived coast to coast in Canada since then. She now resides in Regina on Treaty 4 territory. Retired from a fulfilling career in senior leadership in libraries, she is enjoying this new phase of life and a renewed opportunity to use her research and critical analysis skills. Julie has a Master of Library and Information Science in addition to a Master of Human Resource Management.

Julie has had Rheumatoid Arthritis for 27 years, and has Sjogren’s Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Raynaud’s. After decades of experience with drug and other treatment approaches, she is enthusiastic to support research into better ways to navigate autoimmune treatment. She is currently a patient research partner on three teams and has been pleased to serve on the CASS steering committee.

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Laurie Proulx

Laurie Proulx has lived with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis since she was 14 years old, and her experiences led to her involvement in the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA), a grass-roots patient-driven and managed organization. She currently works part-time for CAPA as managing director and is self-employed as a consultant for health care organizations, researchers, patient organizations, and health charities. Her work focuses on patient engagement, knowledge translation, and pharmaceutical policy. She worked as the first-ever Patient Advisor to the Canadian Drug Agency Transition at Health Canada in 2024.

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Tracy Slaney

Tracy Slaney is from a small rural community in Newfoundland. She is a mom, a spouse, a Fisheries Officer, and a caregiver. She has been living with arthritis since childhood and is an advocate for all those who struggle with life after an arthritis diagnosis.

Tracy and her husband are starting their 5th year of treatment for colorectal cancer, and despite undergoing 156 chemotherapy treatments, her spouse has not only endured but flourished. It's a tremendous source of pride for them.

Currently, Tracy serves as a provincial Ambassador for Colorectal Cancer Canada, an ACT lead with the Canadian Cancer Society, and a member of Newfoundland’s Public Interest Group on Cancer.

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Bob Strain

In his university career, Bob Strain earned a BA and MEd along with Teacher Training, and certificates in Business and Technical Writing, and Security Officer training. Bob taught at all levels in the public school system, from K-University including administrative, District, and Provincial roles in Curriculum Development and Evaluation, as well as secondment by the Ministry of Education for accreditation and Curriculum.

Bob’s interests and curiosity led to his qualification as a local FIFA referee during which time he organized a seven-team junior soccer squad. He was also a director of two music schools, an actor in local community theatre groups and a writer, collaborator and contributor to several educational books and publications.

Bob has lived experience with numerous significant health conditions and issues, which prompted him 14 years ago to be trained for services with Patient Voices Network. Bob likes the challenge of learning more about his personal afflictions such as Parkinson’s Disease or Arthritis or Sepsis, and continues to volunteer opportunities ranging from collaborations with individual medical staff, team-based projects, research studies, and policy development. At the heart of every initiative Bob strives to champion the patient’s voice.

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Min Xi

Min Xi is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She is experienced in health services research, health technology assessment, and global health. Recognizing the complex needs and gaps in care for osteoarthritis patients during her volunteer work at the Peter D Clark Long Term Care Centre and The Ottawa Hospital, Min Xi’s research interests lie in equitable healthcare delivery and access, pain management, and osteoarthritis. Min Xi’s PhD thesis investigates trends in and access to virtual care use among adults living with knee osteoarthritis before, during, and as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Her thesis also examines the impact of virtual versus in-person care on opioid prescription among adults living with knee osteoarthritis. By investigating inequities in virtual care access and opioid prescription post-virtual care for osteoarthritis patients, Min aims to help optimize the integration of virtual and in-person care and improve healthcare delivery so adults with osteoarthritis can get the care they need.

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John Yan

John is a Master’s student in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of British Columbia, studying under the supervision of Dr. Jackie Whittaker. He holds a Bachelor of Integrated Sciences in Biochemistry and Physiology from UBC (2019). His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms behind muscle performance decline resulting from knee joint injuries. By identifying contributing factors, John’s work aims to inform the development of preventative and therapeutic interventions to improve muscle performance and mitigate the risk of burdensome musculoskeletal conditions such as knee osteoarthritis.

John is a research trainee at Arthritis Research Canada and has contributed to the Scientific Committee for the Canadian Arthritis Research Conference (2024). Outside the lab, he enjoys snowboarding and exploring the breathtaking mountains in British Columbia.

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