OARSI Weekly Briefing - June 16, 2021

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July 16, 2021 Briefing-at-a-Glance
Board of Directors Nominations | Member Spotlight: Jamie Collins | Towards a global strategy to improve musculoskeletal health | OARSI Discussion GroupsHey OA! Podcast | OARSI Live Call for Presenters | OARSI Connect '21 Recordings | Important Dates | Weekly Briefing Archive

 

Board of Directors Call for Nominations

OARSI is now accepting applications for the Board of Directors for a 4-year term beginning in May 2022. The Board requires members whose backgrounds, skills, and experience match the OARSI mission and its current and future needs. Service on the OARSI board demands a considerable commitment of time and talent to advance the goals and objectives of the organization.

The Nominating Committee will review all applications and make a recommendation to the Board. The nominating committee seeks to maintain gender, geographical, and specialty balance. All OARSI members, except those employed by industry, or who own a for-profit company related to the OA field, are eligible to serve on the Board of Directors. 

If you are interested in applying for a board position, please complete the short application form. Once we receive it, you will be sent a user name and password in order to complete an online disclosure. The deadline for receipt is August 31, 2021.

To learn more about the process and submit an application, please click HERE.

 

Member Spotlight: Jamie Collins

Over the course of the next few weeks, we will spotlight the 2021 OARSI Award Winners. This week’s Member Spotlight is Rising Star Award winner, Jamie Collins. Once again, congratulations Jamie on a very deserving award!

How long have you been a member of OARSI and why did you join?
I have been a member of OARSI since the 2013 meeting in Philadelphia. I joined so that I could connect with other researchers in the field, and being a member of OARSI was especially helpful as I started out in the field as a graduate student.

What do you enjoy most about OARSI?
The forum to trade ideas and debate with other researchers. OARSI is such an open and welcoming community and it’s been a lot of fun to collaborate with and get feedback from such a diverse group of experts.  

Tell us a little bit about your research?
I am a biostatistician and have been interested in modeling longitudinal changes in disease status and in investigating predictors of disease progression. I’ve thought about how missing data affects our estimates of OA progression and have used trajectory modeling in an attempt to uncover subgroups of fast progressors. My work on the FNIH OA Biomarkers Consortium – and the enormous amount of data that we collected and analyzed! – inspired an interest in machine learning methods that can better handle high dimensional data, both for clustering (phenotyping) and risk prediction.

What does winning the Rising Star Award Award mean to you?
Winning the Rising Star Award is such an honor, and it’s also a huge honor to share it with Dr. Ida Haugen!! It’s an exciting but strange transition to move away from being a “Young Investigator”, so this recognition is especially meaningful as I embark on my path to becoming an independent investigator in the field.  

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love the outdoors and like to spend time at my home on Cape Cod. My husband and I have started fishing and clamming (without much success so far) and are hoping to take sailing lessons this summer.

Towards a global strategy to improve musculoskeletal health

Research commissioned by the Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health (G-MUSC) has found that despite being the world’s leading cause of pain, disability, and healthcare expenditure, the prevention and management of musculoskeletal health, including conditions such as low back pain, fractures, arthritis, and osteoporosis, is globally under-prioritized. This report, co-designed with over 100 international organizations, including OARSI, proposes a blueprint for actions that health systems need to take in all countries to address this gap.  

OARSI Discussion Groups

OARSI's Discussion Groups bring together individuals with a focus on specific OA-related specialty areas. To make the Discussion Groups easier to join we have updated our database. Now OARSI members can log in to their profile and select the Discussion Group(s) that they would like to join. By updating your profile with your Discussion Group preferences, we will be able to send targeted emails to each Discussion Group and maintain an official roster for each group. To update your profile, follow these steps.

Log in to OARSI.org
Click on the menu button in the top left of the screen
Select ‘My Profile’
Select ‘Edit'
Select the ‘My Account’ tab
Scroll to Discussion Groups and select your group(s)

Hey OA! Podcast - Call for Volunteers

OARSI's Hey OA! Podcast covers topics ranging from groundbreaking new research to clinical care and policy, knowledge translation, career paths, and more. During each episode, OARSI Young Investigator, Kerry Costello, interviews a new guest to discuss OA-related topics. To check out the latest podcast click HERE. You can also listen to the podcast using your favorite podcast app. 

Hey OA! is currently expanding. We have a number of exciting episodes planned for the upcoming months and we are looking for at least two volunteers to help with the following ongoing aspects of producing the podcast:

  1. Episode planning/preparation: identifying and contacting potential guests, preparing interview questions, scheduling interviews
  2. Episode editing: episodes typically involve minimal editing beyond adding intro/outro, theme music, and removing the occasional sneeze/cough. Editing can be done using free, open-source software. Opportunities to contribute to episode format exist for those with more experience.

Both positions involve a regular commitment (approximately 1 episode per month). Prior experience in these roles is not necessary (training will be provided) but is a plus. All are encouraged to apply, including young investigators.

 To apply for these positions, please fill out this online form.

For any questions, email Kerry Costello.

Have ideas for an episode but don’t have time to volunteer? Submit your topic idea or guest nomination anytime using this form.

 

OARSI Live Call for Presenters

The OARSI Live webinar series is currently on hiatus and will resume this fall. We are looking to schedule our fall program and are seeking webinar presenters. If you would like to present on an OARSI Live webinar, please contact Vincenzo Nelli with a brief summary of your proposed presentation.

 

OARSI Connect '21 Recordings

Did you know that all of the recorded sessions from OARSI Connect ‘21 are available to registered attendees through April 2022!? If you missed a session because you attended another session or it occurred at a time that was inconvenient for you, you can view it by logging into the virtual meeting website. Just navigate to the Agenda page and select the session(s) you want to view.

If you missed OARSI Connect ‘21, you can still register and have access to the recordings. It simple, just register HERE.

 

Important Dates & Upcoming Deadlines

  • 2021 Membership Dues: Be sure to renew your OARSI dues. Renew Now.
  • August 31, 2021 - Call for Board of Director Nominations Deadline
  • April 6 - 10, 2022 - OARSI World Congress in Berlin, Germany

 

Past OARSI Weekly Briefings