Learn about our ongoing projects, clinical trials, and research publications to learn about recent advancements in autoimmune research.

  • A central resource that collects, stores, and manages biological samples to support cutting-edge research on autoimmune diseases.

  • Focused on identifying new biomarkers to enable earlier and more accurate diagnosis of autoimmune diseases.

  • Dedicated to making research findings accessible, bridging the gap between scientific discoveries and practical, patient-centered information.

  • Harnesses AI and data science to develop predictive models that improve diagnosis, treatment, and personalized care in autoimmune research.

  • Aims to tailor treatments to individuals based on unique genetic and molecular profiles, enhancing the effectiveness of therapies.

  • Conducts rigorous trials to evaluate new treatments, ensuring safe and effective options for patients with autoimmune conditions.

Current Research Projects

CLIMB

Autoantibodies are proteins that mistakenly attack the body’s own tissues and can interact with other proteins in people with autoimmune inflammatory myopathies (AIM). We explore specific blood protein combinations that could lead to a test guiding treatment decisions and improving outcomes for those affected by AIM. Funded by Arthritis Society.

GAPS

We will examine the level of lupus awareness across the country using GoogleTrends. Supported by Lupus Canada.

ANA Reader©

Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) is a blood test to diagnose many autoimmune disorders. We developed a machine-learning algorithm that can predict ANA patterns, speeding up the rate at which these tests are performed and increasing their accuracy. Funded by the McCaig Institute SPARC grant.

SPIN

Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is a rare muscle disease that is often challenging to diagnose. We discovered several novel sIBM biomarkers involved in the immune, inflammatory, and degenerative pathways that may aid in the early diagnosis and our understanding of disease pathogenesis. Funded by the McCaig Institute SPARC grant.

RAAISE

Increase access to autoimmune diagnostic testing in remote communities including Africa and Indigenous communities. Funded by the University of Calgary Department of Medicine Clinical Research Fund and Astrazeneca.

Lupus Calculator

Patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been shown to have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular events (CVDs), such as strokes and heart attacks. We created a calculator that can predict the risk of CVDs in SLE patients, using both traditional biomarkers of CVD, as well as SLE biomarkers. Funded by CIHR

Research Publications

Sasha Ivanov Sasha Ivanov

Reflecting on a decade of the international consensus on ANA patterns (ICAP): Accomplishments and challenges from the perspective of the 7th ICAP workshop

Luis EC Andrade, Werner Klotz, Manfred Herold, Lucile Musset, Jan Damoiseaux, Maria Infantino, Orlando G Carballo, May Choi, Carlos A von Mühlen, Ignacio Garcia-De La Torre, Minoru Satoh, Paulo LC Francescantonio, Tsuneyo Mimori, Karsten Conrad, Wilson de Melo Cruvinel, Edward KL Chan, Marvin J Fritzler

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Sasha Ivanov Sasha Ivanov

Outcome clusters and their stability over 1 year in patients with SLE: self-reported and performance-based cognitive function, disease activity, mood and health-related quality of life

Ambika Gupta, Sindhu Johnson, Michelle Barraclough, Jiandong Su, Kathleen Bingham, Andrea M Knight, Juan Pablo Diaz Martinez, Mahta Kakvan, Maria Carmela Tartaglia, Lesley Ruttan, Sherief Marzouk, Joan Wither, May Choi, Dennisse Bonilla, Simone Appenzeller, Dorcas Beaton, Patricia Katz, Robin Green, Zahi Touma

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Sasha Ivanov Sasha Ivanov

Anti-KIF20B autoantibodies are associated with cranial neuropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus

Eugene Krustev, John G Hanly, Ricky Chin, Katherine A Buhler, Murray B Urowitz, Caroline Gordon, Sang-Cheol Bae, Juanita Romero-Diaz, Jorge Sánchez-Guerrero, Sasha Bernatsky, Daniel J Wallace, David Isenberg, Anisur Rahman, Joan T Merrill, Paul R Fortin, Dafna D Gladman, Ian N Bruce, Michelle A Petri, Ellen M Ginzler, Mary Anne Dooley, Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, Susan Manzi, Andreas Jönsen, Graciela S Alarcón, Ronald F Van Vollenhoven, Cynthia Aranow, Meggan Mackay, Guillermo Ruiz-Irastorza, Sam Lim, Murat Inanc, Kenneth C Kalunian, Søren Jacobsen, Christine A Peschken, Diane L Kamen, Anca Askenase, Jill Buyon, Marvin J Fritzler, Ann E Clarke, May Y Choi

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Sasha Ivanov Sasha Ivanov

Serum S100A8/A9 and MMP-9 levels are elevated in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with cognitive impairment

Carolina Muñoz-Grajales, Michelle L Barraclough, Juan P Diaz-Martinez, Jiandong Su, Kathleen Bingham, Mahta Kakvan, Roberta Pozzi Kretzmann, Maria Carmela Tartaglia, Lesley Ruttan, May Y Choi, Simone Appenzeller, Sherief Marzouk, Dennisse Bonilla, Patricia Katz, Dorcas Beaton, Robin Green, Dafna D Gladman, Joan Wither, Zahi Touma

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Sasha Ivanov Sasha Ivanov

Longitudinal analysis of ANA in the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) Inception Cohort

Choi MY, Clarke AE, Urowitz M, Hanly J, St-Pierre Y, Gordon C, Bae SC, Romero-Diaz J, Sanchez-Guerrero J, Bernatsky S, Wallace DJ, Isenberg D, Rahman A, Merrill JT, Fortin PR, Gladman DD, Bruce IN, Petri M, Ginzler EM, Dooley MA, Ramsey-Goldman R, Manzi S, Jönsen A, Alarcón GS, van Vollenhoven RF, Aranow C, Mackay M, Ruiz-Irastorza G, Lim S, Inanc M, Kalunian K, Jacobsen S, Peschken C, Kamen DL, Askanase A, Buyon JP, Costenbader KH, Fritzler MJ

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