Dr. Alexandra Legge is the inaugural Quigley Family Endowed Chair in Rheumatology. (Darren Hubley - QEII Foundation)
The causes of inflammatory arthritis – which encompasses rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and more—are varied and still being researched. They're often defined by joint pain, stiffness, and swelling—debilitating symptoms that are managed medically through physical therapy and medication and, in some cases, surgically.
"Arthritis can interfere with your ability to work or even perform basic activities like dressing or bathing," says rheumatologist Dr. Alexandra Legge. "It can have a profound impact on one's quality of life."
Dr. Legge is the newly appointed and first-ever chairholder of the Quigley Family Endowed Chair in Rheumatology, a long-term research position supported by the Quigley family—the latest in a long line of philanthropic gifts from this generous family who appreciate the importance of this research. Over the last 20 years, the Quigley family has donated more than $3 million to the QEII Foundation to both fund and accelerate critical arthritis research and care at the QEII Health Sciences Centre—impacting patients from across Atlantic Canada and beyond.
Ross and Patricia Quigley have a firm belief in supporting education and medicine, fuelled no doubt by a personal connection to the cause of rheumatology; Ross' mother, Marian Henrietta Quigley, who suffered from polymyalgia rheumatica. "When studying immunology at Dalhousie, I would often visit with my grandparents, John William and Marian, and see firsthand how much pain my grandmother would deal with," says Ross' son, John Jason Quigley.
Several members of the Quigley family and plenty of their friends suffered from arthritis or other inflammatory diseases, including Jason himself, who was routinely hospitalized as a child thanks to asthma. Though asthma and arthritis may seem unrelated, both conditions can be linked to inflammation and an overactive immune system—making the Quigleys' support of this research all the more personal. "The developments in immunology and rheumatology were a game-changer to people like me who saw how important it was to simply breathe."
"Over the last 25 years there has been an explosion of therapies making a major impact on the treatment of these rheumatic diseases," says Dr. John Hanly, a rheumatologist, professor emeritus Dalhousie University and QEII affiliated scientist.
"It's a beautiful example of how basic scientific research has led to discovery of new treatments for testing in clinical trials, eventually translating to clinical practice and routine management of disease, truly transforming outcomes."
As the former head of the QEII's Division of Rheumatology, Dr. Hanly has witnessed firsthand the longstanding impact the Quigley family has made possible through their generosity. With the recent appointment of Dr. Legge as the inaugural Quigley Family Endowed Chair in Rheumatology and the latest innovations in this ever-evolving field, he's looking forward to what's ahead.
According to Dr. Legge, two areas of promising research that excite her include ongoing efforts aimed at preventing arthritis before it starts and new therapies that aim to permanently reset the immune system, essentially offering a cure for autoimmune forms of arthritis. "We're looking towards the possibility of patients entering into drug-free disease remission where they don't require chronic medications—and these are conditions that are not currently thought of as curable."
It's important research, but it requires, above all, time to do the actual research and money to fund it; that's where the endowed research chair comes in. As Jason explains, "Leading a happy, healthy and hard-working life is what we should hope for and medical research assists this in all aspects," he says. "Over the years, we've seen how medical advancements have helped our family—without the generosity of others before us, where would we be? Rheumatology advancements lead to better arthritis care."
The Quigley Family Endowed Chair in Rheumatology position through the QEII Foundation provides stability and protection for a leading-edge clinician to conduct important, life-saving research.
"Every academic health centre has a responsibility to support research, because research drives and provides the foundation for excellent care," says Dr. Hanly.
"The support of families like the Quigley family is essential because there's a limit to how much hospitals and even governments can do to support research."
As the newly appointed chair, Dr. Legge is well-equipped to steer rheumatology research in exciting ways for the future. "Leveraging the research we can do thanks to the Quigley family's tremendous support is going to directly impact and improve the way we deliver arthritis care to Nova Scotians," says Dr. Legge.
It's a goal the Quigley family has backed for several generations through their vision and longstanding philanthropy. "We've benefited from the past generosity of others in science and medicine, but we know there's still work to be done," says Jason. "We believe in the acts of sharing, giving and charity as a necessity."
