Musculoskeletal Diseases and Movement Sciences
Axis leader :
M.D. Hubert Labelle
Axis leader assistant :
Ph.D. Carl-Éric Aubin
Pursuant to the implementation of the Research Center's strategic planning for 2003-2007, a research axis was established for musculoskeletal diseases and movement sciences. The objective was to promote a consolidation of the efforts of the investigators working in two of the Center's major themes: neurobiological development and musculoskeletal sciences with the aim of better meeting the needs of the clientele served by the CHU Sainte-Justine. In fact, since 1997-98, the CHU has reoriented its structure in order to better serve its clientele by opting for an organizational model based on patients' needs. Since then, health care has been linked to 10 client programs, including the movement and developmental sciences program that covers all the disciplines that concern the nervous system, muscles, bones and joints. This is a natural connection, since the Center's orthopedists and neurologists are already collaborating closely in this regard.
Patients with myoneural disorders often develop musculoskeletal complications that require orthopedic treatment or rehabilitation and they are already jointly monitored in multidisciplinary clinics. It, therefore, seems logical and natural that these activities should fall under the umbrella of one theme in order to foster synergy among the Center's investigators and focus their research questions on the specific needs of the CHU's clientele.
The selected themes are: i) scoliotic deformities; ii) movement disorders in children with major handicaps; iii) the neurobiology of epilepsy; iv) attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and, as an emerging theme, the Center intends to pursue research into v) developmental neurobiology. Consolidating two teams allows us to improve the multi- and interdisciplinary aspect of this line of research by favoring the convergence of disciplines and approaches. This new line of research is well developed in biomedical research thanks to a strong component in engineering and clinical research, the strong presence of clinical investigators and the clinical orientation of the research themes.
