David Cabral
David Cabral, a Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Head of its Division of Rheumatology since 2004, has been named the first holder of the Ross Petty-Arthritis Society Research Chair in Pediatric Rheumatology.
The Chair, created in collaboration with the Department of Pediatrics, was made possible through the generosity of donors to the Arthritis Society and through key partner organizations: the B.C. Ministry of Health, the Child & Family Research Institute and the Cassie and Friends Society for Children with Juvenile Arthritis.
Dr. Cabral co-founded the Young Adult Rheumatic Disease (YARD) clinic, the first chronic disease transition clinic at BC Children’s Hospital, which has been a model for other pediatric rheumatology programs across the country.
His research interests include the study of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and pediatric vasculitis. He has participated in, or helped establish, national and international physician networks and patient registries for the study of children with rheumatic disease. Most recently he has helped establish a basic science research laboratory for pediatric rheumatology within the Child & Family Research Institute at BC Children’s.
“We are delighted to have Dr. Cabral become the first holder of The Ross Petty-Arthritis Society Research Chair in Pediatric Rheumatology,” said Richard Mulcaster, Executive Director with The Arthritis Society, BC & Yukon Division. “He is highly esteemed and is known for his insight and clinical judgment, and incredible research that will improve treatments and move us closer to a cure for this complex disease in children. The Chair will act as a bridge between research done in the lab and actual treatment, which means discoveries made in the lab will be used more quickly to improve the care of children living with juvenile arthritis.”
In his role as Chair, Dr. Cabral will ensure children with juvenile arthritis (JA) benefit from research findings sooner, and he will play a critical role in treating children with arthritis and training the next generation of pediatric rheumatologists.
Ross Petty, for whom the Chair is named, is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pediatrics. He played a vital role in the field of pediatric rheumatology for more than 40 years. Among the earliest pediatricians to be formally trained as a rheumatologist, he has made significant contributions to the field of rheumatology and improved the lives of children with rheumatic diseases.
Dr. Cabral trained in medicine at the University of Western Australia, and did specialty training in pediatrics and rheumatology in Western Australia, and then in Vancouver, where he trained with Dr. Petty.