We are pleased to share that Dr. Anthony Cooper from the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedics and Dr. Julian Sernik from the Division of Comprehensive Orthopaedics were amongst the recipients of the 2022 Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation (COF) Research Awards.
Canadian Orthopaedic Research Legacy (CORL) Grant
Dr. Anthony Cooper received a Canadian Orthopaedic Research Legacy (CORL) Grant for his research: “International Field Test and Translation and Cultural Adaptation of LIMB-Q Kids: A new patient reported outcome measure for children with lower limb deformities.”
The CORL program was founded in 2006 to help ensure the legacy of Canada’s world-class status in orthopaedic research, thereby ensuring orthopaedic patients reap the rewards of new techniques and treatments made possible through research grants from this program.
The research will provide the first validated tool to measure health-related quality of life (HRQL) reported directly by children with lower limb differences (LLD). The tool will provide investigators a standardized way to assess their HRQL and find out how well various treatments work. This information will be helpful to children with LLD, their families and clinicians in deciding which treatment option is best for them.
Dr. Anthony Cooper
Dr. Anthony Cooper is the Head of the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedics at UBC and specializes in limb lengthening and reconstruction. He is passionate about improving the care of children with musculoskeletal problems locally and globally through research, education and advocacy. He is an orthopaedic innovator who established the International Limb Differences Network, a global network of orthopaedic surgeons, researchers and allied healthcare professionals with a common goal to improve the health-related quality of life of patients with limb differences.
He is a Clinical Associate Professor in the UBC Department of Orthopaedics and holds a Clinical Investigator Award from the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. He integrates research and innovation into his clinical program to improve health-related quality of life. Dr. Cooper is the Director of the Canadian Paediatric Orthopaedic Trauma Course and is currently completing a Global Executive MBA in Healthcare and Life Sciences at the Rotman School of Management.
Community Innovation Award
Dr. Julian Sernik received a Community Innovation Award for his research: “Simultaneous Physiotherapy and Orthopedic Surgeon Interdisciplinary Care (SPOSIC) is superior to traditional siloed care for knee arthroplasty patients.”
The Community Innovation Award celebrates community-based surgeons and research studies dedicated to improving patient care or musculoskeletal health in their community.
The study will investigate an interdisciplinary approach to orthopedic care in which orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapists simultaneously evaluate patients and develop education and physical fitness plans in preparation for knee arthroplasty and following surgery. The hallmark of this surgical optimization approach is to establish a high-functioning team that includes the patient as a pivotal member.
Dr. Julian Sernik
Dr. Julian Sernik is a Clinical Instructor in the UBC Department of Orthopaedics and has been the Orthopaedic Program Lead for the Vernon Integrated Community Clerkship Program since 2019. He is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in lower extremity trauma and reconstruction, and he performs primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty as well as foot and ankle surgery at his community-based practice: Progression Muscle, Bone and Joint Clinic—an interdisciplinary musculoskeletal clinic in Vernon, BC. He is passionate about physician-led healthcare redesign and explores opportunities for improvements in healthcare made possible by redeploying existing healthcare resources in creative new ways.
Dr. Sernik is a graduate of the Navig8 Emerging Physician Leaders Program, Physician Quality Improvement Program and the UBC Sauder Physician Leadership Program. He is the founder of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer Clinic and the Amputee mentorship program in the BC Interior. He also heads a quality improvement team that is examining the role of interdisciplinary teams to optimize outcomes of total knee arthroplasty outcomes under the Surgical Patient Optimization Collaborative (SPOC) program.
Congratulations Dr. Anthony Cooper and Dr. Julian Sernik on your research awards!
