For the first time, Lyme disease patients will have a chance to weigh in on what research into the disease is most needed and most beneficial during a virtual roundtable on Oct. 12.

The roundtable is being conducted by researchers from Mount Allison University, who will explain their areas of expertise and invite comments and suggestions from the community on research priorities and initiatives.

“Asking patients to assess research directions seems like an obvious way to ensure that the research is relevant and addresses patient, rather than researcher needs,” says Dr. Vett Lloyd, a biologist at Mount Allison and a leading Lyme disease researcher. “But this obvious step of community engagement is rare in medical research and is a first for Lyme disease research in Canada.”

Lyme disease is a serious, potentially debilitating and even fatal infection caused by the bite of infected ticks. It is also a rapidly expanding disease in Canada.

Mount Allison recently established a multi-disciplinary Lyme disease research centre with the support of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation. The virtual roundtable is the centre’s first initiative.

The roundtable reflects recent work by the Public Health Agency of Canada to develop a federal framework on Lyme disease — a move prompted by a private member’s bill introduced by the Green Party’s Elizabeth May, which received all party support in both Parliament and the Senate.

The agency recently held a national conference on this issue. Among the suggestions of ways to improve management of the disease in Canada was the need for multi-disciplinary Lyme disease research and a call to include patients as equal partners in setting research priorities.

The virtual roundtable takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 3:30 AST. Members of the Lyme community, family, caregivers, healthcare providers, veterinarians, and all others who are interested are invited to join this one-hour live webcast.

To join the webcast, log in at 3:30 AST at: https://meet44326647.adobeconnect.com/lymediseaseroundtable/


Photo caption: Mount Allison University biologist Dr. Vett Lloyd