1. Web-based Binational Student Presentations
Joint Oxford & Toronto Student Symposium for MSc in Musculoskeletal Sciences
Web-based Binational Student Presentations
24th-25th June 2019

2. Institute Leads Toronto Leads: Oxford Leads:
Associate Professor Stephanie Dakin Professor Alan Silman Lydia Underdown
Toronto Leads:
Professor Gillian Hawker Assistant Professor Amir Koshbin Assistant Professor Heather Baltzer Dr Bheeshma Ravi, Assistant Professor Lihi Eder

3. Educational Objectives
Vehicle to enhance and broaden MSc Musculoskeletal students experiences from their respective taught course contents
Connecting students with University Toronto and University Oxford Faculty, providing a platform to enhance future career opportunities / choices

4. Symposium Outcomes
Bring together early stage clinician and basic scientist investigators:
Foster collaborative international working within the MSK sciences
Integrate studies of disease mechanism, therapeutic discovery and implementation of treatment strategies and clinical outcome
Encapsulate a bench to bedside approach to the MSK sciences

5. How will the Symposium be run? Pre-symposium activities
Students from both institutes sign up to one of a number of choices of a pre-defined research topics with a combined clinical / scientific research theme
Topics will be allocated based on the student preferences and assigned in February 2019
Each group will have 2-4 students with 1 Faculty member as a facilitator
Faculty member from either institution

6. Suggested research topics 1
Orthopaedics & Rheumatology
Development of disease modifying drugs to treat OA
New and emerging therapies for the management of seronegative RA
Management of delayed fracture healing
The future landscape for metal on metal hip implants
Blood markers for OA and inflammatory arthropathies
Markers for peri-prosthetic joint infection
How has the introduction of DMARDs influenced joint-related surgeries for inflammatory arthritis?
Topics span the musculoskeletal sciences, encompassing orthopaedics, trauma and rheumatology

7. Suggested research topics 2
Orthopaedics & Rheumatology
Inpatient vs. outpatient total joint arthroplasty 
Myoelectric vs. conventional prostheses: evidence for outcome measures in upper extremity amputees
Cardio-metabolic diseases in rheumatic diseases
Personalized approach for selecting medications in rheumatic diseases
Pre-clinical phases of rheumatic diseases
Imaging as  point-of-care in rheumatology
Topics span the musculoskeletal sciences, encompassing orthopaedics, trauma and rheumatology

8. Suggested research topics 3
Regenerative Medicine
Potential cell-based therapies to treat degenerative disc disease
Stem cells in OA
Smart biomaterials to enhance tissue repair
Trials
Improving the quality of surgical trials
Placebo controlled trials of orthopaedic surgery
Placebo controlled trials for knee arthroscopy

9. Suggested research topics 4
Pain
Novel pain management approaches to combat chronic back pain
Nerve conduits vs. allografts vs. autografts for nerve defects
Cannabinoids for post-operative pain management
Treatment modalities for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Treatment for delayed/chronic nerve injuries

10. How will the Symposium be run? Pre-symposium activities
Each group needs to:
Come to a consensus on the problem area (research topic)
Generate objectives for a research project
Describe how the research could be conducted
Please remember:
You will not be formally assessed on your performance
The process will build upon your course learning and should be seen as an opportunity to broaden your knowledge

11. How will the Symposium be run? Pre-symposium activities
Each group will have ~3 scheduled skype calls plus time for pre-reading between Feb-June 2019
One assigned facilitator (Faculty member) will support each group after students signed up for research themes
Facilitator mentors students, discusses progress via skype 2-3 times
Facilitators briefed upon presentation format

12. Research Symposium
Students present their deliberations at the Symposium in June 2019 via webinar
A prize will be awarded for the best presentation and responses to questions

13. Symposium Timing
The symposium will run over 2 afternoons of the Oxford MSc June residential week (13:00-18:00 UK Summer Time and 08:00-13:00 EST) on 24th-25th June 2019
Symposium run via video link
Series of 20 minute presentations where each student participates
Each presentation will be followed by a 10 min Q&A session from both students and Faculty at each Institute.

14. What you will need to do, once topics are assigned:
We expect students to:
Establish contact with your group
Plan & implement strategy for dividing tasks and developing your presentation
We expect this will entail organising Skype meetings with each other and your facilitator
You will need to make time to prepare your power point presentation

15. Action plan:
Select your research theme
Groups and facilitators assigned
Establish contact with your group and facilitator
Skype meetings with each other and facilitator between February and June 2019
Attend Symposium on 24th and 25th June 2019

16. Joint MSc Symposium Information Resources
Website showing list of research themes, template for presentations and list of assigned facilitators:  
Link to sign up to research theme:
Who to contact for help / advice at Oxford:
Who to contact for help / advice at Toronto:

17. Thank you for listening
Any questions?