ACR Journals On Air

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.  

Our guest this week is Dr. Tony Merriman, whose latest work: “Association of Gout Polygenic Risk Score With Age at Disease Onset and Tophaceous Disease in European and Polynesian Men With Gout“, attempted to determine whether a gout polygenic risk score (PRS) is associated with age at gout onset and tophaceous disease in European, East Polynesian, and West Polynesian men and women with gout. However, what this study found regarding the predictability of these associations, specifically how it affects men and women differently, may have been something no one could have predicted. 

Dr. Isabelle Amigues, author of a manuscript on myocardial inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, discusses the link between inflammation and heart health in these patients. The podcast also includes reflections on a personal cancer diagnosis and the incorporation of holistic practices in rheumatology.

Dr. Alexandru-Emil Matei, a researcher in immunology, discusses his study on immune cell activation in scleroderma using biophysical phenotyping. They explore Young's Modulus and the RTFDC technique for analyzing cell mechanics. They also analyze PBMCs from patients with different diseases and discuss the correlation between biophysical properties of cells and disease activity scores. The podcast concludes with a conversation on balancing clinical practice and research in biomedical research.