Congrats, Dr. Andrea Knight!

The Cassie + Friends community is proud to celebrate Dr. Andrea Knight for receiving a prestigious research grant from the CARRA-Arthritis Foundation. Dr. Knight is the only lead investigator from Canada to receive an award this year – which is a big deal! 

Dr. Knight is a Pediatric Rheumatologist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada. She studies how rheumatic diseases affect the brain and children’s mental health. She is looking for ways to detect and treat these issues early to help children and youth feel better both physically and emotionally. Her work is making a big difference for kids with rheumatic diseases!

The CARRA-Arthritis Foundation research grant will fund Dr. Knight’s work on studying brain health in children with craniofacial linear scleroderma. This research will help her understand how these conditions affect the brain, which can be used to develop better treatments. She is co-leading the project with Dr. Diana Valdes Cabrera, a postdoctoral neuroimaging fellow at SickKids. They are also collaborating with Dr. Kathryn Torok, a pediatric rheumatologist and scleroderma expert at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh who is providing data for the project.

Dr. Knight is also one of the leads of Cassie + Friends’ Pediatric Rheumatology Youth Mental Health Working Group. This national group is dedicated to understanding and supporting the mental health needs of young patients with rheumatic diseases. 

Dr. Knight’s dedication to improving the lives of children with rheumatic diseases is inspiring and we are so proud to work alongside her. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Andrea Knight on her well-deserved award! 

Want to support Dr. Knight’s work and our Youth Mental Health Working Group? We’re looking for perspectives from patients, parents, caregivers, siblings, educators, healthcare providers, and researchers to help us directly shape the future of mental health support for young people with pediatric rheumatic diseases. By participating in our brief survey, you’ll be entered to win 1 of 5 $50 Amazon Gift Cards! Together, we can create stronger resources and support for young patients.