This week on ‘Journals’, we turn our attention to a rare but challenging and heart-breaking complication of rheumatic disease, Congenital Heart Block. Sir Deryck and Lady Va Maughan Professor of Rheumatology and Director of the Division of Rheumatology at New York University School of Medicine, Dr. Jill Buyon joins us today to present her latest research “Prospective Evaluation of Anti-SSA/Ro Pregnancies Supports the Utility of High Titer Antibodies and Fetal Home Monitoring for the Detection of Fetal Atrioventricular Block.”. 

This podcast explores the development of an MRI-based definition of knee osteoarthritis and the diagnostic accuracy of different MRI knee osteoarthritis definitions. The guest, Dr. Jean Liew, discusses her role as a social media influencer. The speaker also shares experiences with mentors, discusses the career pathway of a physician scientist, and highlights the ACR Donut Bake Off Challenge. Excitement surrounds limited edition stickers and bracelets.

This podcast discusses the challenges of measuring Raynaud's Phenomenon, the development of a patient-reported outcome instrument for assessing it, and the role of the Sclerodama Clinical Trials Consortium in enhancing clinical trial outcomes. The speaker also shares their research on platelets and microvascular dysfunction in systemic sclerosis, and the importance of prioritizing tasks and focusing on personal work.

Learn about assessing disease activity in large vessel vasculitis using new imaging techniques. Dr. Kaitlin Quinn discusses her study on the association between PET activity and angiographic changes in patients with large vessel vasculitis. The podcast also covers patient recruitment, imaging protocols, limitations of imaging vasculitis, collaboration between Duke University and the NIH, and the diverse range of patients in rheumatology.

Dr. Joyce Chang, recipient of the Lupus Foundation of America’s 'Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Award', discusses her study on improving outcomes of pediatric lupus care. Topics include using the pediatric Lupus Care Index and population management strategies, developing a multidisciplinary care model, challenges in obtaining clear information about print-as-own tapers, and managing time and focusing efforts in a rheumatology career.

Dr. Kaleb Michaud, researcher on rehabilitation dose in adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis, discusses a study examining the association between rehabilitation dose and clinical outcomes. The podcast explores advancements in Rheumatoid Arthritis therapy, collecting data for the rehabilitation study, the speaker's life outside of work, handling boredom and personal limitations, and volunteering and mentoring in rheumatology.

Dr. J. Michelle Kahlenberg, an expert in Rheumatology and cutaneous lupus, discusses photosensitivity in lupus patients and the surprising findings of their study on the regulation of photosensitivity by the Hippo Pathway in Lupus Skin. They also explore epigenetic modifications in lupus, the impact of gardening, navigating the Valley of Death in research, and the parallels between farm life and managing a research lab.

It has only been three years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and we’re only just now beginning to investigate the impact it has had on our collective societies. The full impact will likely not be known for years to come, if ever. As those studies are beginning, our next guests wanted to evaluate the pandemic’s impact in their spheres of interest. First author, Dr. Kristie Kuhn, MD, PhD along with Dr. Liana Fraenkel, MD, MPH and team asked the question: “What is the impact of COVID on our early career investigators and trainees and what can be done about it?”. The results of their study are found in “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Career Investigators in Rheumatology: Recommendations to Address Challenges to Early Research Careers” and were recently published in “Arthritis Care & Research”  

This week, we take a look at the practical management of pain and the advancement of science regarding it, with our guest Dr. Dan Clauw. Co-author of the paper: “Identifying and Managing Nociplastic Pain in Individuals With Rheumatic Diseases: A Narrative Review”, Dr. Clauw joins us today to discuss the work to introduce the three types of pain classified by “The International Association for the Study of Pain” and the mechanisms that underlie pain, as it relates to the field of rheumatology.  

Our guest this week is Dr. April Barnado, the first author of a study which analyzed a cohort of 3.2 million patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), during pregnancy, from 1989 to 2020. Her team’s work, titled “Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Delivery Outcomes Are Unchanged Across Three Decades“ was published in “ACR Open Rheumatology”, and found some amazing trends regarding outcomes of the pregnancies and even in medication use. The study, its methods, conclusions and Dr. Barnado’s advice on breaking into academic research, is the focus of our show.