Our Research

Collaborating to advance pediatric rheumatology research

Cassie + Friends works in partnership with leading healthcare institutions, researchers, and organizations across Canada to support research that improves outcomes for children and youth living with rheumatic disease.

These collaborations bring together clinical expertise, academic research, and lived experience to help advance knowledge, strengthen care, and create meaningful impact.

Partnerships Matter

Strong research depends on strong collaboration.

Progress in pediatric rheumatology happens when clinicians, researchers, families, and organizations work together. Each partner brings unique expertise, perspective, and capacity to help move research forward.

By supporting collaboration across clinical, academic, and community settings, Cassie + Friends helps ensure research is clinically relevant, scientifically strong, and grounded in the real-world experiences of children and families.

“Collaboration between organizations, clinicians, and researchers is essential to advancing care. Partnerships help ensure that research is both meaningful and impactful.”
— Pediatric Rheumatology Specialist

Who We Work With

Cassie + Friends collaborates with a range of partners, including:

Pediatric rheumatology clinics and healthcare teams
Academic institutions and research organizations
Hospitals and children’s health centres
National and regional health organizations
Community partners and advocacy groups

Together, these partnerships support research, education, knowledge sharing, and improved care for children and families.

How We Support Research

Connecting people, funding, knowledge, and lived experience.

Cassie + Friends supports research in practical ways — by helping fund initiatives, building partnerships, connecting families with opportunities, and making research easier to understand and apply.

“Most clinical decisions are based on things physicians can see. By finding signs of disease in the body’s immune system, we’d be giving clinicians more specific information about the biology of a child’s disease, and potentially which drugs to use and how long to use them.”
— Dr. Kelly Brown, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute

Supporting Research Initiatives

Helping fund, develop, and advance research focused on pediatric rheumatology.

Connecting Families + Researchers

Helping families, youth, and caregivers contribute their experience to research opportunities.

Sharing Knowledge

Supporting education, events, resources, and accessible sharing of research findings.

Bringing Lived Experience Forward

Ensuring patient and family voices help shape priorities, questions, and outcomes.

Community Connection

Connecting research with community and real-world experience.

A key part of Cassie + Friends’ research approach is ensuring that research reflects the experiences of children, youth, and families. By connecting community voices with research initiatives, we help ensure that outcomes are relevant, practical, and meaningful.

This connection helps researchers better understand what families need — and helps families see how their experiences can contribute to better care for others.

Partner With Us

Partner with Cassie + Friends advance pediatric rheumatology care.

We welcome opportunities to collaborate with organizations, researchers, and healthcare teams working to advance pediatric rheumatology care.

Support Us

Support families and youth across Canada

Your donation helps make Cassie + Friends possible and funds programs and research.

Donate Volunteer

Advancing Research Together

Collaboration is key.

Through strong partnerships, shared knowledge, and a commitment to impact, we continue to support research that improves the lives of children and families across Canada.