KT Connects: Knowledge Translation Webinar Series - Sheila Kerr & Kelly English

Sheila Kerr, a former physio, has a strong interest in engaging knowledge users in KT. She worked at the Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability from 2001-2008 where she was exposed to some of the theory and practices of KT. Upon retirement she joined the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board of Arthritis Research Canada where she and other patient board members have the honor of interacting with researchers in an environment of inclusion and respect. She undertook leadership roles as a co-chair from 2011-2016 and is passionate about fostering meaningful patient engagement in research. Sheila tore her anterior cruciate ligament in 1967 and went on to develop early osteoarthritis (OA) in that knee. She later developed OA of the spine, hips and the other knee. Her mother is disabled by OA and Sheila brings her experiences and those of her Mom to the research process.

Kelly English is a Co-Chair of the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board for Arthritis Research Canada and has been a member for 3 years. She has been living with rheumatoid arthritis for 22 years and says “I finally feel I have a voice – about research, and about passing on information to people who need it”. She has been a mentor to a group of UBC health professional students, spoken to UBC pharmaceutical science students over several years, and recently attended the 2017 Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific Meeting to interview researchers and clinician specialists about their respective fields for the Arthritis Broadcast Network. She is a firm believer that patients can fill a valuable role in health research.