The Lupus Ontario Anne Matheson Biobank at McMaster University
Lupus Ontario committed $150,000 to fund the start-up and first 2 years of operations of the Lupus Ontario Anne Matheson Biobank at McMaster University. The project was led by Dr. Konstantinos Tselios, Assistant Professor with the Division of Rheumatology, and aims to collect demographic, clinical, laboratory and therapeutic data from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus attending the clinic on a longitudinal basis. It will also collect biosamples (including serum, plasma, DNA and urine) from the patients to facilitate basic and clinical research in the field.
The Biobank has been successfully implemented and is now collecting samples which the team feels will be critical to future research.
Anne Matheson is passionate about the need for support and factual information for lupus patients and their families and has put in years of contribution towards the Lupus Society of Hamilton and Lupus Ontario. While Anne stepped back from her duties with Lupus Ontario in 2014, her legacy will live on through the establishment of the Lupus Ontario Anne Matheson Biobank at McMaster University in Hamilton.
The Dr. Murray Urowitz Professorship in Lupus Research at the University of Toronto
Lupus Ontario committed $50,000 towards the establishment of the Dr. Murray Urowitz Professorship at the University of Toronto. For over 50 years, Dr. Murray Urowitz has led the world in lupus diagnosis, treatment, research and education. The Dr. Murray B. Urowitz Professorship in Lupus Research will ensure that the tradition of international excellence in patient care, research and education is kept alive and well at Toronto Western Hospital. The research objectives defined to the Professorship are:
- Define personalized medicine for our patients.
- Reduce the reliance on steroids as a primary treatment.
- Prevent long-term complications such as heart disease.
- Better define and promote new research in brain and bone complications in patients with lupus.
Dr. Zahi Touma has been appointed Chair of the Professorship.
The Lupus Data Bank at Toronto Western Hospital
In 1987, Honey Agar, founder of Lupus Ontario, was instrumental in raising $1 million dollars for the start-up of the Lupus Data Bank at Toronto Western Hospital. This databank has collected lupus data from thousands of lupus patients since it was established and continues to provide critical data for multiple research projects in Canada and around the World.