Can a brief conversation ignite a flame of innovation in health care? An upcoming McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health event is bringing scientists and clinicians together to do just that.
Dozens of bone and joint health experts are expected to gather at the University of Calgary's Last Defence Lounge on April 15 for the eighth annual SPARC event (Scientists Partnering for Research with Clinicians). Participants will have quick elevator-pitch discussions, many meeting for the first time, before moving to the next potential collaborator.
PhD student Donald Golden, whose research is supported by SPARC funds, performs a treatment. Photo Courtesy Better Mobility Lab
It's all in pursuit of SPARC Ignite Grants, competitive awards for clinicians and scientists to collaborate with a proposal to do research into bone and joint health. Since launching in 2016, 42 projects have been funded a total of $640,000. After a multi-year COVID pause, the program is growing again, with more than $230,000 in seed grants to distribute this year. Researchers have successfully leveraged these grants to access additional funding, achieving an impressive almost eightfold increase in external funding for the initial 13 funded projects.
Grant supporters span various UCalgary faculties, departments, and institutes, with notable backing from the Section of Orthopaedics in the Cumming School of Medicine's Department of Surgery, since SPARC's inception. This broad university support is complemented by contributions from private companies and independent partners such as the Workers' Compensation Board - Alberta. This year, there is an opportunity to expand the grants further. For the first time ever, donations can be made to the SPARC program through UCalgary Giving Day, which runs April 2 to 16.
This year, there is an opportunity to expand the grants further. For the first time, donations can be made to the SPARC program through UCalgary Giving Day, which runs April 2 to 16.
Research synergies build momentum
Drs. Ranita Manocha, MD, and David Hart, PhD, were awarded grants in 2023 after discovering their shared research interests at a SPARC event.
"As researchers, we often concentrate on a specific set of problems without realizing that our efforts might be solving someone else's issues," says Manocha.
In this case, Hart's research from 15 years prior had highlighted that knee laxity excessive looseness in the knee joint peaks during ovulation in more than 50 per cent of young, healthy females. Meanwhile, clinician-scientist Manocha's work with individuals experiencing hypermobility uncovered that they reported an increased risk of injury at certain points in their menstrual cycles.
Together, Manocha and Hart are using SPARC seed grant funding to research menstrual cycle effects on joint laxity in hypermobile individuals. "This study aims to uncover hormonal mechanisms influencing knee laxity and injury risk," says Hart.
Funds leveraged to expand hypermobility study
Initially recruited as an master of science student, Donald Golden, hired through SPARC funds, is now tackling this question as a PhD student. As a result of Golden's work, the research team secured funds to expand their research.
"We've leveraged the seed grant funding to obtain another $400,000 towards this project. Initially, we proposed studying nine people with hypermobility. Now we can study 30 people," says Manocha. Hart adds, "We've also expanded the initial proposal to include muscle studies and to examine what levels and types of physical activity are safe for individuals with hypermobility."
Golden, like his mentors, is passionate about working with study participants. "We need to help these people use their joints effectively without pain," says Golden. "Movement enriches life and enables necessary daily activities."
Golden's experience doing research has influenced his career aspirations to become a clinician-scientist. "It's cemented my desire to work with patients, identify their problems, bring those insights to research, and find solutions," he says.
Accelerating research innovation
The power of the SPARC program lies in its ability to function as an accelerant for innovation. SPARC grants offer researchers the initial support needed to cultivate their ideas, gather early data, and build the resources necessary to secure larger grants from a variety of funding sources. This foundational support enables researchers at the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health to advance their projects, contributing to significant developments in health research and beyond.
By donating to SPARC this Giving Day, you will play a vital role in advancing research that can lead to life-changing solutions in bone and joint health.
Ranita Manocha, MD, is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Clinical Neuosciences at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). She is an adjunct associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology. Manocha is a member of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health and Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the CSM.
David Hart, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Surgery at the CSM and Faculty of Kinesiology. He is a member of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health.
UCalgary Giving Day 2025 is April 2-16. Whether you support research, student awards or any one of UCalgary's innovative funds, your gift will help change lives and shape the future. Eligible gifts made from April 2-16 will be matched, up to $2,500 per gift, per fund but only while matching funds last, so be sure to give early! Make your gift today.
