Dr. Diane Lacaille

2019 Distinguished Investigator Award

Diane Lacaille is Associate Head of Academic Affairs, Professor of Medicine and Mary Pack Chair, University of British Columbia (UBC), and Associate Scientific Director of Arthritis Research Canada. She completed medical school and internal medicine at McGill University, and her Rheumatology training and Master’s in Health Sciences, at UBC.

Dr. Lacaille has established an internationally recognized health services research program in arthritis care and employment.  She has pioneered the use of administrative data for quality of care and pharmacoepidemiologic research. Dr. Lacaille’s research program, KT activities and committee work have had a profound impact on optimizing the delivery and uptake of health services for people living with RA worldwide.

Dr. Lacaille’s population-based research evaluating quality and outcomes of care identified alarming gaps in the care of RA and comorbidities. She developed and tested innovative strategies to improve care, such as academic detailing to family physicians to optimize guideline-concordant care; and an online Arthritis Health Journal for disease activity self-monitoring, facilitating treat-to-target. Her community-based research with First Nations communities developed and evaluated arthritis programs consistent with indigenous approaches to health. Her Arthritis Wellness Program, a culturally-relevant family-based self-management program, and her case manager model to improve management of arthritis and comorbidities offer much needed alternatives to current care.

Dr. Lacaille’s pharmacoepidemiology studies have drawn attention to the huge toll of cardiovascular, infectious, pulmonary complications of RA, and the importance of controlling inflammation with RA medications, to prevent complications, morbidity and premature mortality.

Dr. Lacaille’s employment research highlighted the impact of arthritis on work. She developed the first comprehensive program to prevent work disability in people with inflammatory arthritis, Making it WorkTM, filling an important unmet need in services available to people with arthritis.

Dr. Lacaille’s contributions have been recognized by national awards including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.