Celebrating a career committed to improving the lives of people with arthritis
SOURCE: McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
March 26, 2025
Susan Bartlett, PhD, a Senior Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute), has been awarded the Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA) Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of her significant contributions to the field of rheumatology.
This prestigious award honours an AHPA member who has made a substantial impact throughout their career in clinical practice, research, education, academics and/or administration. For Prof. Bartlett, the Association expressly acknowledged her outstanding contributions to rheumatology as a clinical psychologist, educator, mentor, and researcher, profoundly impacting the arthritis community. Her advocacy for the inclusion of patients as partners in research and for the collaboration of health professionals in the care of rheumatology patients has been instrumental in advancing the role of interdisciplinary care in the field.
Prof. Bartlett is also a Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University and a scientist with Arthritis Research Canada. She received the award at the 2025 Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) Annual Scientific Conference in Calgary, Alberta, on February 28.
“I am honoured to receive the AHPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award,” Prof. Bartlett said. “This award underscores the essential role that arthritis health professionals – including psychologists, epidemiologists, nurses, and physical and occupational therapists, among others – play in improving arthritis research and care. I’m deeply committed to patient-centred research and care addressing the well-being and quality of life of children and adults living with arthritis.”
Prof. Bartlett will also receive the AHPA’s Carolyn Thomas Award for the year’s best scientific abstract. At a CRA plenary session, she will present her research on anxiety, depression, pain and fatigue in newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis and how these factors influences response to treatment. The study titled “Distinct Symptom Clusters Predict Initial Response to Methotrexate in Adults with New Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort.”
“Arthritis Research Canada is thrilled to see Prof. Bartlett’s hard work recognized by the Association. Her incredible dedication to improving the mental health and well-being of people living with arthritis is truly inspiring, and her contributions to patient engagement in research have set an example worldwide,” said Dr. Diane Lacaille, Arthritis Research Canada’s Scientific Director.
About Arthritis Research Canada
Arthritis Research Canada is the largest clinical arthritis research institution in North America. Our mission is to transform the lives of people impacted by arthritis through patient-centred research and engagement. Arthritis Research Canada’s scientific director, Dr. Diane Lacaille, leads a team of over 100 researchers, trainees and staff whose life-changing research is creating a future where people with arthritis have the knowledge and tools to triumph over pain and disability. Arthritis Research Canada is now conducting arthritis research from coast to coast with centres in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia and scientists affiliated with eight major Canadian universities: University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Calgary, Université Laval, McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke and Dalhousie University. Arthritis Research Canada is leading research aimed at preventing arthritis, facilitating early diagnosis, finding new and better treatments, and improving quality of life
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