This summer, new recommendations were released for the management of patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis by the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) and the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC). In this episode, Dan and Janet are thrilled to welcome the lead author of the updated recommendations, for a fascinating discussion on what's in, what's out, and what is coming down the pipeline. Access to these "living guidelines" can be found at magicapp.org 

Dr. Sherry Rohekar is an associate professor in the division of rheumatology at Western University in London, ON. (In fact, her office is near Janet's!) She has a MSc. in clinical epidemiology and focuses her research on clinical outcomes in patients with spondyloarthritis. She is currently on the executive committee of SPARCC.

If you have questions you would like answered by the experts, please get in touch through the CRA Twitter account (@crascrrheum) or by email ([email protected]). For future Medical Mysteries episodes, please get in touch with us if you have challenging cases that you would like to present on the podcast!

A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), Dr. Janet Pope (Co-Host), David McGuffin (Producer, Explore Podcast Productions), and Erin Stewart (Marketing and Communications Director, CRA) for leading production. Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell. For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit www.rheum.ca (http://www.rheum.ca/) or check out our X (Twitter) account - @CRASCRRheum

Dan and Janet are thrilled to welcome the University of Alberta's Dr. Mo Osman to 'Around the Rheum' for a fascinating conversation about scleroderma and chronic fatique. Dr. Osman is a clinician scientist who is interested in better understanding the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis. He also uses point-of-care vascular devices for risk stratifying patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). His team was recognized as making one of the Top 10 research advances of 2023 by Arthritis Society Canada. They discovered intriguing similarities between systemic sclerosis and cancer and uncovered a new biological marker for scleroderma. 

Dr. Osman is an Associate Professor and Rheumatologist with a focus in Clinical Immunology. He is the Director of the Systemic Sclerosis and Microvascular Clinics at the University of Alberta.

If you have questions you would like answered by the experts, please get in touch through the CRA Twitter account (@crascrrheum) or by email ([email protected]). And for future Medical Mysteries episodes, please get in touch with us if you have challenging cases you want to present on the podcast!

A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), Dr. Janet Pope (Co-Host), David McGuffin (Producer, Explore Podcast Productions), and Erin Stewart (Marketing and Communications Director, CRA) for leading production. Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell. For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit www.rheum.ca (http://www.rheum.ca/) or check out our X (Twitter) account - @CRASCRRheum

Thanks!

Welcome to part two of Dan and Janet's fascinating ANCA Vasculitis interview with Dr Arielle Mendel, centered around treatment with a focus on GPA and MPA. Definitely go and listen to Part 1 first, if you haven't already.

In this episode, they dig into the Advocate trial, as well as maintenance and duration of treatment.

Dr Mendel is a Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University.

And a Rheumatologist at the MUHC. Her research focuses on patient safety in systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease with an aim to improve medication safety. And she was the first author on the CanVasc consensus recommendations for the management of ANCA vasculitis 2020 update. 

If you have questions you would like answered by the experts, please get in touch through the CRA Twitter-X account (@crascrrheum) or by email ([email protected]). And for future Medical Mysteries episodes, please get in touch if you have challenging cases you want to present on the podcast! A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), Dr. Janet Pope (host), David McGuffin (Producer, Explore Podcast Productions), and Erin Stewart (Marketing and Communications Director, CRA) for leading production. Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell. For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit www.rheum.ca or check out our X (Twitter) account - @CRASCRRheum

Dr. Arielle Mendel is Dan and Janet's guest on this first of two episodes focused on ANCA Vasculitis. 

In this fascinating conversation, they focus on induction treatment, Cyclo vs Ritux, PLEX vs no PLEX, and a bit about steroid dosing. They reference several leading trials in the area.

Dr. Mendel is a scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University and a Rheumatologist at the MUHC. Her research focuses on patient safety in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases, with an aim to improve medication safety. She was the first author on the CanVasc consensus recommendations for the management of ANCA vasculitis 2020 update.

If you have questions you would like answered by the experts, please get in touch with us through the CRA Twitter account (@crascrrheum) or by e-mail ([email protected]). For future Medical Mysteries episodes, please contact us if you have challenging cases you want to present on the podcast!

A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), Dr. Janet Pope (host), David McGuffin (Producer, Explore Podcast Productions), and Erin Stewart (Marketing and Communications Director, CRA) for leading production. Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell.

For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit www.rheum.ca or check out our X (Twitter) account - @CRASCRRheum.

Dan and Janet are thrilled to welcome UBC's Dr. Fergus To to Around the Rheum for a fascinating conversation about Myositis.

In this discussion, they delve into the general categories of Myositis that rheumatologists need to know about, important clinical features that help differentiate the subtype before you get the panel back, a broad approach to understanding serologies, establishing a firm diagnosis, most common mimics and how to differentiate them from Inflammatory Myositis, the decision making process when selecting first and second line treatments, when to use IVIG for both induction and maintenance, advances in the treatment of RPILD, as well as prognosis and cancer screening and what's in the pipeline.

Dr To is a Clinical Assistant Professor at UBC and serves as a consultant rheumatologist at Vancouver General Hospital and Saint Paul's Hospital. He started the Vancouver Coastal Health Myositis Clinic for which he was awarded the BC Society of Rheumatology Award for Innovation. His research interests are in QI and novel therapies for myositis.

If you have questions you would like answered by the experts, please get in touch through the CRA Twitter account (@crascrrheum) or by email ([email protected]). And for future Medical Mysteries episodes, please get in touch if you have challenging cases you want to present on the podcast! A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), Dr. Janet Pope (host), David McGuffin (Producer, Explore Podcast Productions), and Erin Stewart (Marketing and Communications Director, CRA) for leading production. Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell. For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit www.rheum.ca (http://www.rheum.ca/) or check out our X (Twitter) account - @CRASCRRheum

On this special Indigenous Episode of Around the Rheum, Dr. Brent Ohata welcomes Dr. Hani El-Gabalawy. 

In this fascinating and thoughtful conversation, they discuss Dr El-Gabalawy's groundbreaking work in Manitoba with a unique cohort of at-risk First Nations family members of patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) who are being followed longitudinally for the earliest evidence of RA onset. As well as what that research has revealed, this conversation focuses on some really important best practices in working with First Nations communities.

Dr. Hani El-Gabalawy is a Professor of Medicine and Immunology, a senior clinician-scientist, and Endowed Rheumatology Research Chair at the University of Manitoba. He delivered the Dunlop-Dottridge Lecture on Indigenous Health at the 2024 Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) Annual Scientific Meeting.

Dr. Ohata is a clinical assistant professor of rheumatology at the University of British Columbia. He is passionate about health equity and Indigenous health, and has established outreach rheumatology clinics to the Carrier Sekani First Nations as well as the downtown eastside in Vancouver. 

If you have questions you would like answered by the experts, please get in touch through the CRA Twitter account (@crascrrheum) or by email ([email protected]).

And for future Medical Mysteries episodes, please get in touch if you have challenging cases you want to present on the podcast!

A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), Dr. Brent Ohata (host), David McGuffin (Producer, Explore Podcast Productions), and Erin Stewart (Marketing and Communications Director, CRA) for leading production. Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell. 

For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit www.rheum.ca or check out our X (Twitter) account - @CRASCRRheum

Dans cet épisode en français d’Autour de la Rhumato, le médecin et animateur Hugues Allard-Chamard accueille le docteur Nicolas Richard pour une discussion sur l'arthrite inflammatoire.

Nicolas Richard est professeur adjoint de clinique à la Faculté de médecine de l’Université de Montréal. Il pratique également en rhumatologie à l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont.

Le Dr Hugues Allard-Chamard, diplômé en rhumatologie, a également obtenu son doctorat en pharmacologie à l’Université de Sherbrooke. Il est professeur-chercheur et clinicien à l’Université de Sherbrooke.

Societé Canadienne de Rhumatologie: rheum.ca

Dr Susa Benseler is our guest in this latest episode of our Ask The Expert segment, today focused on CNS vasculitis and autoimmune encephalitis. Joining co-hosts Daniel Ennis and Janet Pope, Dr Benseler discusses the broad categories of inflammatory brain disorders and which ones rheumatologists should be responsible for, as well as topics like lab based investigations, imaging (how you choose the right test and how should we approach interpretation), brain biopsies, what's in the pipeline and more.

Dr Benseler is the Director of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, a Professor in the Department Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, the Cenovus Energy Chair in Child and Maternal Health and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation Chair in Pediatric Research.

A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), Dr. Janet Pope (Host), David McGuffin (Producer, Explore Podcast Productions), and Erin Stewart (Marketing and Communications Director, CRA) for leading production. 

Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell. 

For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit www.rheum.ca or check out our X (Twitter) account - @CRASCRRheum

In our latest episode of "Ask the Expert," we're thrilled to have Dr. Dafna Gladman join us. She is a world expert in both lupus and psoriatic arthritis. This time around, Dafna joins hosts Daniel Ennis and Janet Pope (also a leading expert in lupus!) for a fascinating discussion on Lupus Nephritis, with a focus on treatment. There are plenty of pearls shared about both standard treatments and some of the newer agents out there! You are bound to learn something from this fascinating discussion!

Dr. Dafna Gladman is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and a Senior Scientist at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute and Krembil Research Institute. She is also Deputy Director of the Centre for Prognosis Studies in The Rheumatic Diseases, Co-Director of the Lupus Clinic, and Co-Director of the Psoriatic Arthritis Program at Toronto Western Hospital.

A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), Dr. Janet Pope (Host), David McGuffin (Producer, Explore Podcast Productions), and Erin Stewart (Marketing and Communications Director, CRA) for leading production. 

Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell. 

For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit www.rheum.ca  or check out our X (Twitter) account - @CRASCRRheum

Host Dan Ennis has to admit that AI has had him a bit concerned. So he joined up with co-host Janet Pope to talk to a couple of Rheumatologists who have done a lot of thinking about where AI is taking us, to see if they could soothe his fears. Together, the University of Alberta's Dr. Carrie Ye and UBC's Dr. Carson Chin, take a look at the practical applications of AI right now, and what the future may hold for it. It is a fun and fascinating conversation and by the end Dan said he was feeling more hopeful about "how we can use [AI] and make it make us better doctors."

Dr. Carson Chin is a Clinical Instructor in the Division of Rheumatology at UBC and is a consultant Rheumatologist at Burnaby Hospital. He is the current Vice President of the BC Society of Rheumatologists. He has a special interest in AI.

Dr. Carrie Ye is a Rheumatologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta and at the Kaye Edmonton Clinic, where she runs the Rheumatology in Immuno-oncology Clinic. 

She is a co-author of the Arthritis & Rheumatology journal article: Doctor versus AI: Patient and physician evaluation of large language model responses to rheumatology patient questions, a cross-sectional study.

Around the Rheum is produced by the Canadian Rheumatology Association's Communications Committee. 

A special thank you to the podcast team, Dr. Dax G. Rumsey (CRA Communications Committee Chair), Dr. Daniel Ennis (Host), David McGuffin (Producer, Explore Podcast Productions), and Erin Stewart (Marketing and Communications Director, CRA) for leading production. 

Our theme music was composed by Aaron Fontwell. 

For more on the work of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, visit www.rheum.ca or check out our X (Twitter) account - @CRASCRRheum