Research

Arthritis New Zealand supports research on the causes, diagnostics and management of different forms of arthritis by funding and co-funding research projects and summer scholarships. Since 1994 Arthritis New Zealand has had a strong focus on research and worked closely with the New Zealand Rheumatology Association, Otago Medical School, University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology and the Malaghan Institute. In the last five years Arthritis New Zealand has spent more than one million dollars to support New Zealand based research projects including:

  • Examining the causes and inflammatory mechanisms of rheumatoid arthritis and gout
  • Cartilage repair and development of new cartilage for osteoarthritis
  • Determining the genetic causes of gout in New Zealand
  • Examining the efficiency and safety of different drug therapies in rheumatoid arthritis and gout
  • Examining the importance and accuracy of MRI and other diagnostic tests in rheumatoid arthritis
  • Examining the use of complementary therapies in spondyloarthritis.


Arthritis New Zealand has a small pool of funding to contribute to research projects. As the funding is limited Arthritis New Zealand is likely to be the sole funder only for small research projects or pilots for larger projects. It is unlikely that Arthritis New Zealand will fund more than $120,000 per project.

Arthritis New Zealand Research Funds
Arthritis New Zealand will have approximately $150,000 available for distribution in 2013/2014 towards research projects in the field of Arthritis.

Irwin Isdale Memorial Fund
Arthritis New Zealand will have approximately $4,000 available for distribution from this fund in 2013/2014. This fund is available to enable trainee rheumatologists to attend appropriate conferences and meetings in New Zealand or Australia.

Wellington Regional Densitometry Trust – Osteoporosis Fund
Arthritis New Zealand will have approximately $115,000 available for distribution from this fund in 2013/2014. This fund is available for research in the field of Osteoporosis.

Applications for 2013 are now closed.

Arthritis New Zealand Research Grants 2012

Arthritis New Zealand awarded 4 research grants and 3 summer scholarships in 2012.

The successful applicants:

Professor Keith Rome, Auckland University of Technology – FOOT AND ANKLE CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH FALLS AND FALLS RISK IN PEOPLE WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Professor Madhav Bhatia, University of Otago, Christchurch – HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND SUBSTANCE P: NOVEL MARKERS OF INFLAMMATION IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND GOUT PRE-CLINICAL MULTI-SPECTRAL (MARC) IMAGING OF CARTILAGE AND BONE FOR EARLY DETECTION OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

Professor Lisa Stamp, University of Otago, Christchurch – RESPONSE TO BIOLOGICS IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Associate Professor William Taylor, University of Otago, Wellington – ACR-EULAR REVISED CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA FOR GOUT – NEW ZEALAND DATA COLLECTION ARM.