Dr. Cheryl Barnabe
Positions
Scientific Director
McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health
Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences
Contact information
Phone number
Office: (403) 220-3880
Background
Educational Background
B.Sc Science, University of Manitoba, 1999
B.Sc Medicine, University of Manitoba, 2003
Doctor of Medicine University of Manitoba, 2003
M.Sc Clinical Epidemiology, University of Calgary, 2011
Biography
Dr. Cheryl Barnabe is a Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. She is the Director for the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health. She is a Canada Research Chair in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases, and the Arthur JE Child Chair in Rheumatology Research. Her research program focusses on equity in health service delivery and arthritis outcomes, most specifically for Indigenous populations in Canada.
Projects
Inflammatory arthritis conditions of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis are chronic, autoimmune diseases. Inflammatory arthritis occurs at a higher rate in Indigenous Peoples compared to the general population, and people from Indigenous communities face increased barriers to accessing care.
Currently, we do not have enough information to know who is at risk of developing inflammatory arthritis. This project will focus on improving our prediction and understanding of inflammatory arthritis risk in people from Indigenous communities, by looking at factors like genetics, immune system health, the environment, and social conditions. It will also take a patient-centred approach to help guide and create treatment choices, that meet the holistic health needs of Indigenous patients.
This project will have two parts. First, we will focus on screening people from Indigenous communities to understand their risk of inflammatory arthritis. This will focus on addressing genetic, environmental, and social triggers of inflammatory arthritis. We will include people from rural and urban communities, of all ages and genders.
Next, we will focus on understanding how to provide culturally appropriate care for Indigenous people who already have inflammatory arthritis. We will aim to create care plans informed by persons from Indigenous communities that reflect the needs and traditions of Indigenous communities, including:
- Helping patients make treatment decisions through shared decision-making, where both the doctor and patient work together.
- Providing support and health system navigation for patients through an Arthritis Liaison resource
- Offering peer support activities and community programs focused on arthritis wellness determined by partner communities.
Partners include the Siksika First Nation, the Kainai First Nation, the Elbow River Healing Lodge, and the Otipemisiwak Metis Government.
Inflammatory arthritis conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis and gout, are characterized by impaired mobility and quality of life related to joint swelling, pain and fatigue. Despite the medical advances that have shifted the majority of rheumatology care to outpatient settings, people living with these arthritis conditions are still more likely to use acute care system resources, such as hospitals and emergency departments, than the general population. There is a critical need to maintain an efficient healthcare system, while also providing an optimal quality of care. This research will include a process to achieve consensus on which conditions that result in emergency department use and hospitalizations are avoidable. We will explore different factors, such as social determinants of health and health system access, that drive avoidable acute care use. We will then propose solutions to improve health system efficiency and quality of care.
Awards
- Killam Annual Professor, 2025
- O'Brien Institute Mid-Career Research Leader Award, O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary. 2021
- Watanabe Distinguished Achievement Award, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. 2021
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award, Department of Medicine, University of Calgary. 2020
- Canada Research Chair, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases (Tier 2), Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 2018
- College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, Royal Society of Canada. 2018
- Top 40 Under 40, Avenue Magazine, Calgary. 2015
- New Investigator, Community-Based Primary Health Care, Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 2015
- Young Investigator Award, Canadian Rheumatology Association. 2014
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