The First Mexican-Canadian Congress of Rheumatology united the annual meetings of the Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología and the 61st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA). The congress fostered collaboration on practice, research, and education between Mexican and Canadian rheumatologists under the presidency of Dr. Francisco A. Rosas of Mexico and President Michel Zummer of Canada.

The meeting was held at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess Hotel in Acapulco, Mexico, February 17–21, 2006, where simultaneously translated symposia covered a wide range of clinical and basic topics. More than 200 abstracts were presented, with the best 12 abstracts from each association chosen for simultaneously translated plenary podium presentation. The winning images of the CRA Slide Competition by Drs. Sai Yan Yuen, Raheem Kherani, Kam Shojania, and Arthur Bookman, from the University of Toronto, were also displayed. There were also discussion groups added to viewing sessions conducted by Chair Dr. John G. Thomson, Vice President and President-elect of the CRA.

A number of awards were presented. The Ian Watson Lupus Award went to Igor Karp of Halifax, Nova Scotia, for his presentation of work in lupus showing that the recent use of corticosteroids and lupus activity are independently associated with higher prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors.

The Basic Science Award went to Dr. Mélanie Dieudé of the University of Montreal. Dr. Dieudé presented experimental evidence that mice immunized with bacterial heat-shock protein (HSP) 65 showed a break in tolerance to self-HSP 60, leading to the production of anti-HSP 60 autoantibodies and pathologic consequences.

The PS Rosen Award went to Debbie Norris of the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, who reported on the prevalence of fatigue and its correlates in a cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Mandana Nikpour of the University of Toronto won the Overall Merit Award for her work measuring lupus disease activity using microarray gene expression analysis. She also made a presentation on trends in lupus activity and steroid requirements after onset of chronic renal disease.

The Award for Best Paper by an Undergraduate Student was won by Emily Kelly from the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. Her study showed that although lupus patients have increased B and T cell activity, their parents do not.

Dr. Ian Tsang of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, won the Distinguished Rheumatologist Award. His contributions to the Arthritis Research Center of Canada stem from his directorship of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Division. Dr. Tsang cited a Chinese proverb to illustrate his aspirations as a rheumatologist, "Concentrate on the cultivation, not the harvest."

Dr. Jean-Luc Senecal, of the University of Montreal, received the Distinguished Investigator Award. He founded the connective tissue diseases clinic and autoimmunity research laboratory at Notre Dame Hospital, now integrated into the Centre hospitalier de L'Université de Montréal. His success is founded on the establishment of a strong clinical research and basic science interface, offering patients the best possible medical investigation and care.

A highlight of the meeting was the Dunlop-Dotteridge Lecture presented by Dr. Ruben Burgos-Vargas of Mexico City on the topic of outcome measures in spondyloarthropathy. His lecture emphasized newer radiographic aspects of this condition.

Finally, Dr. Gunnar Kraag was installed as President of the CRA. During his tenure, Gunnar will face a manpower crisis in Rheumatology. For this he outlined the need to develop strategies to introduce Rheumatology to medical students at the earliest possible stage and encourage them to consider a career in our specialty. He emphasized the career opportunities for practice, research, and medical education and combinations of these available across Canada for the internist or the pediatrician. He noted that the CRA has the momentum and vitality to tackle an ever-increasing number of challenging opportunities.

Duncan A. Gordon, MD,

Editor, The Journal of Rheumatology

CRA Slide Collection Competition.