Get Involved in Research

Across the country there are countless teams looking into new ways of diagnosing, treating and ultimately curing all different types of health conditions, including arthritis.

Arthritis Queensland often receive requests to help promote research opportunities aimed at improving the care and treatment of those living with arthritis. Details of these can be found below.

Please note, the research opportunities listed below are not run by Arthritis Queensland, so we are unable to answer enquiries about them. For enquiries, or to get involved, please refer to details in the linked websites.

Participant Opportunities:

Dragon Claw and community and patient preference research

Australian Dragon Claw Charity is partnering with Community and Patient Preference Research (CaPPRe), an independent research organisation, to conduct research with people who have been diagnosed with various chronic inflammatory diseases.

This survey aims to better understand how you feel about treatment options that may be available for your condition and how you make decisions about such treatments.

Findings from the study may be used to develop materials that can support you in your decision-making discussions with healthcare professionals.

What's involved?

Eligible participants can complete the 20-25 minute online survey on their computer or tablet device. You do not need to complete the survey in one sitting.

Who can participate?
We are looking for people aged 18+ who live in Australia and have been diagnosed with one of the following conditions:

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA)
Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
Atopic Dermatitis (AD)

Interested?
Complete Survey >
For more information, please contact maya.joshi@cappre.com.au or 0283 137 118.

Diet & Rheumatoid Arthritis Study

Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast and the University of South Australia are conducting this study which aims to explore the relationship between diet and the severity of clinical symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Australian adults.

For more information on the study and to get involved, refer to the research flyer and visit the research survey link here.

Understanding who is at risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis

A number of risk factors have been identified for developing RA. These include a family history, smoking, overweight, poor nutrition and lack of exercise, mining and exposure to certain types of dust. Some people with early signs of joint pain or swelling progress to RA and others don’t.

Arthritis Queensland Chair of Rheumatology, Professor Ranjeny Thomas and The Australian Arthritis and Autoimmune Biobank Collaborative (or A3BC), are linking risk factors with changes in the immune system and symptoms over time. Find out more and participate here.

Understanding falls risk associated with Psoriatic Arthritis

The study is being conducted because a recent survey of people with psoriatic arthritis found that almost 50% of them had experienced falls. Since falls may lead to injury, time off work and a reduction in confidence, this research aims to uncover specific features of psoriatic arthritis that may contribute to impaired balance.

For enquiries and to get involved, please contact Dr Justin Holland, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, QUT at Justin.holland@qut.edu.au

myPAinhealTH (myPATH): a digitally-enabled adaptive learning system to support quality care of young Australians living with chronic musculoskeletal pain

Researchers at Curtin University are inviting young people (aged 16 - 24 years) with chronic musculoskeletal pain to share what they would value from a digital coach to support their pain care.

Complete an online survey to measure your preferences for different versions of a digital coach and be entered into a prize draw to win 1 of 5 gift cards

Visit https://bit.ly/myPATHsurvey to find out more and sign up

Consumer Representative Opportunities:

These opportunities provide those living with arthritis the chance to participate in research as a consumer representative. This may include participating on a research team to provide consumer input, feedback and guidance in various aspects of a research study:

Partnering for better prosthesis selection project

We would like to invite members of the arthritis community to be on our research team to provide lived experience insight and to help shape our research study.

Problem the research is trying to solve:

Hip and knee replacements are common surgeries. However, there are many different types of implants that can be used. Research has found that some implants can have worse outcome for patients or are more expensive than other similar options. Despite this, surgeons sometimes choose these implants.

The research aim:

Our research aims to find ways to solve this problem. We will work with surgeons, patients, hospital leaders, and funding organizations. We want to ensure that patients get the implants that give the best outcomes, without excessive costs.

The opportunity:

We would love to have people with joint replacements for arthritis join our research team. Your experience with hip or knee replacement surgery is valuable. Your experiences can help guide our research.

We hope you can join us for the following:

One initial meeting (preferably in August) - up to 60 minutes - to learn about the project and meet the team
Four quarterly meetings (throughout 2024-2025) - 60 minutes each - to share your ideas and insights
Review project documents like interview guides or analysis results - up to 20 hours over 2024-2025

We value your time and will pay you $50 per hour. No research experience is needed, but experienced consumer representatives are welcome. We will provide support to help you understand any research terms, processes, or other aspects that are new to you.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Dr Michelle Allen on: M27.allen@qut.edu.au or (07) 3138 6182

Looking for more research opportunities?

In Australia, there are two key places you can contact to learn more about the clinical trials looking into arthritis, and all other health conditions.

If you are interested in becoming involved in a research study these places can also give you information on the relevant study and can connect you with the research teams:

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) The ANZCTR is an online registry of clinical trials being undertaken in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. The ANZTCR's search function allows you to search and find clinical trials involving arthritis. Once you find a relevant trial, you will be able to contact the person listed as the 'public contact' of the trial for more information.

Australian Clinical Trials Australian Clinical Trials is run by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science to provide information and resources about clinical trials and how you can get involved.