The 2022 ARP President’s & Merit Awards

In 2022, Ms. MacQueen was awarded the Leadership and Advocacy Award by the Ontario Physiotherapy Association and recently received a Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Woman of the Year Award for her professional activities. A proud member of the ARP, Ms. MacQueen has participated in annual meetings and Pediatric Rheumatology Symposiums (PRSYMs) since the 1990s.

“It is a great honor to receive the Ann Kunkel award for advocacy. So many of my colleagues work tirelessly, not only to advocate for their patients, but also within our professions, to create system changes that will improve access to care for people living with arthritis. It is humbling to have been nominated for this award by my peers—people I admire and strive to emulate,” says Ms. MacQueen.

Ms. MacQueen recently retired from the Arthritis Rehabilitation and Education Program of the Arthritis Society and is enjoying her new role as proud grandma to three wonderful granddaughters.

Distinguished Scholar Award

The 2022 Distinguished Scholar Award was presented to Aileen Davis, BScPT, MSc, PhD, for her exceptional achievements in scholarly activities pertinent to arthritis and rheumatic diseases. Dr. Davis is professor emeritus, University of Toronto, Ontario.

Dr. Davis’s primary research focus is musculoskeletal disease, particularly in identifying modifiable predictors of patient outcomes. She has extensive experience in outcome measure development and evaluation and has published and lectured extensively on various aspects of patient evaluation and outcomes in arthritis. Her research has focused on models of care for osteoarthritis (OA), including the development, implementation and evaluation of care pathways to improve access to services for people having total hip or knee replacement, and implementation and evaluation of evidence-based, non-surgical management for people with hip and knee OA.

“I’m extremely honored to be recognized by my peers in the ARP and selected for this award. I’ve been a member and volunteer with the ARP for many years and this  involvement has afforded me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with so many talented members. The ARP community plays a critical role in advocating for and conducting research to improve care and outcomes for people with arthritis,” says Dr. Davis.

“It is a privilege to have the opportunities afforded by involvement with the ARP and to receive this award in acknowledgment of my contributions to this role of the ARP. These clinical and research accomplishments would not have been possible without the mentorship and collaboration of my many colleagues, collaborators, trainees and staff, and this award is a testament to their support,” she adds.