Applications for the 2025-26 year are now closed.
The Annual Lupus Ontario Geoff Carr Fellowship was established in 1990. The project is named for the late Geoff Carr, a member of the Association of Commercial Travellers, and a strong supporter of Lupus Ontario. The Fellowship year is served at an Ontario Lupus clinic. Since 1990, Lupus Ontario has funded the training of 35+ rheumatologists, the majority of them continue to practice in Ontario. The Fellowship is open to applicants from around the world with preference given to Canadians.
Goal of the Fellowship: to train a rheumatologist to become expert in diagnosing and treating lupus. The Fellow is also required to complete a research project.
Objectives of the Fellowship
- Learn best practices of diagnosing lupus.
- Learn best practices of treating lupus and of predicting and managing flares.
- Participate in a lupus research project.
The value of the Fellowship is described by some of the past Fellows.
Dr. Zahi Touma who currently leads the Lupus Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital states:
‘Supporting research is crucial, and one effective way to do this is through the Geoff Carr Fellowship. Research is essential for developing future lupus scientists, researchers, and healthcare professionals who manage lupus.’
Dr. Amanda Steiman, who currently leads the Young Adult SLE Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, states:
“The Geoff Carr Lupus Research Fellowship supported my pursuit of advanced training in SLE. I emerged a stronger clinician, researcher and advocate for lupus patients. It allowed me to engage deeply with lupus care and research under the expert supervision of world leaders in the field, it and reinforced my passion for caring for patients with SLE.”
Dr. Barry Sheane, a lupus researcher in Ireland states:
“Lupus is becoming an increasingly treatable disease although challenges remain and there remains a significant shortfall in our knowledge of lupus-related pathology. Through the Geoff Carr Fellowship, rheumatologists with an interest in lupus can be facilitated in their pursuit of increasing our knowledge base with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of lupus sufferers.”
Geoff Carr Fellow Timeline
Exploring racial disparities in disease-related activity and damage in SLE.
Therapeutic drug monitoring of HCQ is feasible in the cSLE population, allowing for individualized HCQ treatment with optimal efficacy and prevention of long- term toxicity.
Research focuses in neuropsychiatric (NPSLE), specifically examining the longitudinal prevalence of cognitive impairment and relationship to disease and health-related quality of life in cSLE.
Determination of the clinical subtypes of cognitive impairment in SLE patients to facilitate precision health care and better outcomes.
The potential role of serum HMGB1 from NETs as a biomarker to predict residual renal inflammation and subsequent flares in patients with lupus nephritis.
The potential role of serum HMGB1 from NETs as a biomarker to predict residual renal inflammation and subsequent flares in patients with lupus nephritis.
Prolonged antimalarial treatment may increase the risk for subclinical heart damage in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Depression in paediatric SLE patients.
Prolonged antimalarial treatment may increase the risk for subclinical heart damage in systemic lupus erythematosus.
The management of Arterial Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia in patients with SLE. Are the current treatment guidelines adequate for lupus patients?
Pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies and lupus.
Cardio vascular risks in patients with SLE.
Predicting flares in patients who are serologically active and and clinically quiescent.
SRI-50 Index which is used to measure disease activity.
Lupus Nephritis.
Long term outcome of children with SLE with emphasis on the Central Nervous System
Outcome measures used in clinical trials in SLE in order to find an optimal measure.
Lupus Nephritis.
Atherscerlosis in SLE
Definition of thrombitis risk associated with anticardiolipin antibofy in SLE
Vascular disease in systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Methods to improve paediatric Lupus treatment.
Impact of the updated 1997 revised criteria for classification of SLE, Prolonged remission in SLE
The effective of menopause on disease activity in SLE
Bone mineral density in premenopausal females with SLE
Pathogenic mechanisms in lupus patients with CNS involvement
Assess the prevalence of ischemic heart disease in patients with SLE, current management of risk factors for coronary artery disease
Osteonecrosis in SLE
- Anticardiolipin Antibodies in SLE: Clinical and Laboratory Correlations
- The Significance of Anticardiolipin Antibodies in patients with Lupus Nephritis
Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) in Neuropsychiatric SLE
- Prolactin in SLE
- Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA) in SLE
- Evaluation of predictive factors for neurocognitive dysfunction in patients with SLE
Serologically Active Clinically Quiescent Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) - Predictors of Clinical Flares