ACR Journals On Air

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Nirali Shah about the growing role of artificial intelligence in healthcare and rehabilitation. Drawing from her recent scoping review, Dr. Shah discusses the evidence behind AI-driven health apps for education, exercise, gait retraining, clinical decision support, remote patient monitoring, and pain management. The conversation also explores the challenges, risks, and ethical considerations surrounding AI in clinical care, as well as the future relationship between digital health tools and healthcare professionals.

In this episode, we explore the emerging role of biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis–associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) with Dr. Brent Luedders, discussing how prior ILD research laid the foundation for his latest multi-cohort study. He walks us through the study design, including the use of VA and non-VA cohorts, the biomarker panel that was tested, and the key findings related to prevalent and incident RA-ILD, ROC analyses, and disease risk over time. We also discuss the study's limitations, the future of biomarkers in RA-ILD care, and Dr. Luedders' personal journey into rheumatology, research, and medical education.

Performance of an Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis-Derived Multibiomarker Panel for Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

In this episode, Drs. Nilasha Ghosh and Anne Bass discuss immune-related adverse events from immune checkpoint inhibitors, focusing on psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. They review early clinical recognition, epidemiology, and findings from a multicenter observational study evaluating apremilast, including patient characteristics, outcomes, and key limitations. The conversation also highlights insights from the HSS Checkpoint Inhibitor–Associated Arthritis Registry, the need for greater precision in rheumatology, and practical perspectives on mentorship and career development for emerging clinician–scientists.

Use of Apremilast for the Treatment of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis

In this episode, Dr. Katie McMenamin and Dr. Josh Baker discuss their research on the genetic drivers of pain in rheumatoid arthritis, drawing on data from the FORWARD and VARA cohorts. They explore how genetic risk scores relate to pain and disease activity, and what these findings mean for patient care, remission, and future clinical trials. The conversation also highlights key study limitations, along with reflections on the research process and advice for trainees pursuing careers in rheumatology.

Development and External Validation of a Genetic Risk Score for Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis

In this episode, Dr. Shervin Assassi discusses a secondary analysis of the SENSCIS trial, exploring how peripheral blood gene expression may predict response to mycophenolate in systemic sclerosis–associated lung disease. He highlights key findings linking immune and metabolic gene signatures, as well as C-reactive protein, to changes in lung function, and considers their potential role in guiding treatment and clinical trial design. The episode also touches on his career journey and insights into leadership, mentorship, and sustaining research productivity.

Peripheral Blood Gene Expression Profiling and Prognostic Significance for the Course of Interstitial Lung Disease in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sasha Bernatsky about her research on the relationship between exposure to fine particulate air pollution and the development of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. She explains what fine particulate matter is, how her team used large population datasets to study environmental exposures, and what their findings suggest about the potential health impacts of air pollution. The conversation also explores the challenges and limitations of studying environmental risk factors, what comes next for this line of research, and Dr. Bernatsky's reflections on building a career in rheumatology and epidemiology, mentoring the next generation of scientists, and staying resilient through the inevitable setbacks of scientific work.

Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease Risk: Association With Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter

In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Volkmann discusses emerging research on the gut microbiome in systemic sclerosis, building on findings from early-diagnosis and prior microbiome studies. She explains her team's analysis of microbiome-derived metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, and their potential role in symptom development, highlighting key findings, clinical implications, and study limitations. The conversation also touches on holistic patient care, international collaboration, and her perspective on the future of systemic sclerosis research and treatment.

Characterization of the Fecal Metabolome in Patients With Early Systemic Sclerosis

In this episode, Dr. Madeline O'Sullivan discusses her retrospective study of U.S. veterans in the Veterans Health Administration, examining outcomes among patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors for cancer. She explains how the cohorts were defined, how use and timing of immunosuppressive therapies were analyzed, and how mortality and cause of death were determined. Dr. O'Sullivan summarizes the patient population, cancer types represented, and key findings on survival differences between RA and non-RA groups, as well as insights from secondary analyses and important study limitations. She also reflects on balancing research with clinical training, the mentorship that supported her work, lessons learned, and practical advice for trainees aiming to complete and publish research projects.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jayne MacMahon about an international collaborative study in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) involving pediatric rheumatology centers in Genoa, Italy, and Toronto, Canada. She discusses the study's motivation, key disease activity measures, treatment targets, and definitions of remission, along with major findings on time to remission, steroid exposure, and treatment outcomes across cohorts. Dr. MacMahon also reflects on the study's limitations, future research directions, her career path in pediatric rheumatology, and how international collaboration can shape the future of care for children with autoimmune diseases.

Toward a Treat-to-Target Strategy in Juvenile Dermatomyositis: What Are the Suitable Targets and Optimal Timing of Their Achievement?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Evelyne Vinet about a new study examining whether TNF inhibitors increase the risk of serious infections during pregnancy among women with chronic inflammatory diseases. Using large real-world data from the MarketScan database, the discussion explores how pregnancy, inflammatory disease, TNF inhibitor exposure, and serious infections were defined, how confounders were addressed, and what the data reveal across pregnancy and the postpartum period. Dr. Vinet also reflects on study limitations, the impact of COVID-19, and her broader work on pregnancy outcomes and long-term child health in rheumatic diseases, offering insights for clinicians and researchers alike.

Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors and Risk of Serious Infections in Pregnant Women With Chronic Inflammatory Diseases