working together to conquer lupus
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The Lupus Society is proud to provide funding support for projects, clinical training, and most recently, a research scholarship. Through fundraising activities such as our Music ‘XPO and Walk A Block, bequests, legacies and donations, the Lupus Society is able to do our part so that research in BC and other parts of Canada is sustainable.
ANNOUNCEMENT - RESEARCH SCHOLAR By Josie Bradley, Vice President At our Annual General Meeting on April 17, 2007 at the Vancouver Golf Club we had a lot to celebrate. Not only did we commemorate 30 years of working together to conquer lupus, but we had an amazing announcement to present to our membership. I was extremely pleased to announce on behalf of the Board of Directors, that the BC Lupus Society is retaining our own world class Lupus Research Scholar working out of the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada in Vancouver. Our new research scholar is Dr. Antonio Avina – a renowned researcher who is in great demand internationally and across Canada. After many months of discussions and negotiations, BCLS was successful in enticing Dr. Avina to stay in Canada and contract with BCLS in joint venture with ARC. We recognize our partnership with Dr. Avina is very unique – in fact this may be the only such arrangement in North America and possibly internationally. We can be exceptionally proud that BCLS has introduced major lupus research in BC and we anticipate, with ARC support, that research momentum will rapidly increase in the next few years. Our utmost gratitude goes to one who made this possible with her research bequest to BCLS.
PEDIATRIC LUPUS RESEARCH - BCLS contributes financial support The following excerpt is from the Summer 2007 edition of the Lupus Lighthouse newletter. By Lori B. Tucker, MD BC Children’s Hospital Vancouver, BC The Pediatric Rheumatology Team at BC Children’s Hospital not only cares for most of the children and adolescents with lupus in BC, but we also have one of the most active research programs in Canada focused on pediatric lupus. Our entire pediatric rheumatology team (5 pediatric rheumatologists, pediatric rheumatology nurse specialists, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, social worker and research staff) are involved in our lupus research program. Pediatric lupus research takes place in our clinics- children and their families participate in research projects during their regular clinic visits for the most part. Nearly every pediatric lupus patients is involved in research- a fact of which we are very proud! Currently, we have one project ready to publish, two studies which are active and enrolling new patients, and two studies ready to begin in the next 3 months. In the next few issues of the Lupus Lighthouse, we would like to take this opportunity to let you know about the exciting research taking place at BC Children’s Hospital.
CaNIOS (Canadian Network for Improved Outcomes in SLE) CaNIOS is a unique tool for the Canadian lupus community, since it brings together widespread scientific and clinical expertise in a coordinated and collaborative spirit for the benefit of all persons with lupus. BC Lupus Society provides annual funding to CaNIOS in combination with other member organizations of Lupus Canada.
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He did his Internal Medicine training from 1990 to 1991 at the University of Guadalajara and the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). From 1991 to 1993 he pursued his rheumatology fellowship at the Autonomus National University of Mexico (UNAM) and “La Raza” Hospital at the National Medical Center in Mexico City (IMSS). 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.