In this episode of Arthritis At Home, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Arielle Mendel, an Assistant Professor in the Division of Rheumatology at McGill University. Dr. Mendel’s research focuses on patient safety in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. She aims to improve medication safety for people living with arthritis by studying the root causes of adverse drug effects. 

In this interview, she shares highlights from her podium and poster presentations looking at the safety and effectiveness of biosimilar and originator rituximab for induction or maintenance in ANCA-associated vasculitis and antinuclear antibody testing in lupus. She concludes by introducing us to the concept of safe deprescribing of medications for older adults. 

Additional learning resource

• Vasculitis Foundation Canada
• Arthritis Consumer Experts’ About Lupus page
• MedSafer: Safe Deprescribing for Older Adults

In this episode of Arthritis At Home, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Muhammad Mamdani, Vice President of Data Science and Advanced Analytics at Unity Health Toronto.  Dr. Mamdani presented a keynote presentation at this year’s CRA annual scientific meeting called Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medicine: Moving from Hype to Reality. 

Dr. Mamdani provides some real-world examples where AI is already improving patient care and describes some of the biggest challenges or risks when using AI in medicine, and how we can ensure that AI-based decisions are safe and reliable for patients.

Additional learning resource

• Application of AI for Healthcare and Medicine (Muhammad Mamdani)
• Canadian Medical Association Journal Podcast: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
• Unity Health Toronto: How is AI transforming health care? Unity Health’s VP of Data Science and Advanced Analytics weights in

In honour of #WorldLupusDay, this episode of #ArthritisAtHome will highlight the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Stephanie Keeling, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta and a member of the lupus working group – consisting of lupus specialists from across Canada along with two national patient organizations, Arthritis Consumer Experts and Lupus Canada.

Dr. Keeling discusses about lupus and pregnancy in women in Alberta. In her study, they looked at what happens to women in pregnancy and what health care providers are doing with medications.

Additional learning resource

• Lupus Canada
• JointHealthTM insight – Living with Lupus
• Arthritis At Home 259 – The latest on lupus treatment and care in Canada with Dr. Stephanie Keeling

Saturday, May 3 is World AS Day – an annual day dedicated to people living with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). 

AxSpA is a chronic rheumatic disease that can cause severe pain and stiffness in the lower back, hips and buttocks and if left untreated can cause permanent damage to your spine. The pain often gets worse with rest and often appears before the age of 40. 

In honour of #WorldASDay2025, this episode of #ArthritisAtHome will highlight the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Water Maksymowych, a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the Unversity of Alberta. He is co-founder and principal investigator the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC).

Dr. Maksymowych discusses his presentation during the Controversies in Rheumatology session at this year’s meeting. The presentation focuses on the complexities of first-line targeted therapies for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). He outlines how advanced therapies work differently in managing axSpA and what factors rheumatologists consider when deciding which of these medications should be used first for a patient with axSpA. He concludes by recommending how patients can work with their health care providers to ensure they receive the most effective treatment for their axSpA.

Additional learning resource

• About World AS Day 
• Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada
• Arthritis Consumer Experts’ About Axial Spondyloarthritis page
• Canadian Spondyloarthritis Association 

In this episode of Arthritis At Home, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Mr. Shawn Brady, Vice President Rehabilitation & Education Program and Innovation at Arthritis Society Canada. 

Wait times are significantly increasing in accessing specialty care, like rheumatology, in particular in remote or underserved communities. Kelly Lendvoy, ACE’s Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs, speaks to Shawn about the Rheumatology Rapid Assessment Clinic Model (Rheum RAC) and how it works to reduce wait times for referral and diagnosis. Shawn also discusses how this model effectively improves access to arthritis care for remote and equity-deserving communities. 

Additional learning resource

• About Rheum RAC
• About Arthritis Society Canada
• Implementing Interprofessional Rapid Assessment Clinic Models for Rheumatology to Support Equitable and Timely Access to Care

In this episode of Arthritis at Home, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Alaa Shehab, a Fellow at SickKids The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, about her “Clinical pearls and mysterious cases” presentation at this year’s meeting. Before working at SickKids, she was a staff and educator at Kuwait for the pediatric residency program. Dr. Shehab explains a mysterious case of autoinflammation she encountered in her practice and shares where the future is with gene therapy. 

Additional learning resource

• JointHealth™ Education: Arthritis and Exercise
• ACE National Survey on Arthritis and Mental Health
• ACE National Survey on Arthritis and Self-Advocacy

In this episode of Arthritis at Home, we are sharing the #CRArthriits interview with Dr. Victoria Werth. Dr. Werth presented at CRA RheumReview: Canadian Clinical Updates– a full-day virtual event that runs concurrently with the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific Meeting and is designed to update rheumatologists on hot topics in arthritis research. She speaks with ACE’s Kelly Lendvoy about her session at RheumReview titled “Approach to Cutaneous Lupus for the Rheumatologist” and will review clinical findings of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) and approaches to treatment.

In their conversation, Dr. Werth describes the importance of early diagnosis and testing for co-morbidities in patients with CLE. She also elaborates on the treatment options most commonly used for CLE and how patients should prepare for their treatment conversations with their health care providers.

Additional learning resource

• Arthritis Consumer Experts’ About Lupus page
• Lupus Canada
• The CLASI (Cutaneous LE Disease Area and Severity Index): an outcome instrument for cutaneous lupus erythematosus 
• Inspired by Patient Need, Dermatologist Specializes in Cutaneous Lupus

In this episode of Arthritis at Home, we are sharing the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Jackie Whittaker. Ellen Wang, ACE’s Programs Coordinator, interviews Dr. Whittaker about her Arthritis Health Professions Association Pre-Course session titled StopOsteoARthritis (SOAR), a virtually delivered knee health program for persons living with increased risk of osteoarthritis (OA) due to activity related knee injury. They discuss why knee injuries occur, how they can lead to early onset OA and how to prevent them. 

Dr. Whittaker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia, Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada and Clinical Specialist in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy as recognized by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.

Additional learning resource

• Arthritis Research Canada: Preventing Osteoarthritis (OA) After a Sport or Activity Related Injury 
• 3 fab facts for happy joints
• FIFA 11+ Warm-up Program 
• Play Safe: Physical Literacy and Injury Prevention Guide for Leaders

In this episode of Arthritis at Home, Kelly Lendvoy interviews Ms. Deb Fowler from Ottawa, Ontario. Ms. Fowler has been living 17 years with dermatomyositis, a rare inflammatory autoimmune disease. She shares her experience living with dermatomyositis, from diagnosis, its affect on daily life to treatment and the barriers to accessing certain therapies like physiotherapy and pain management. Ms. Fowler also provides viewers and listeners with advice to help them advocate for better care and feel less alone in their patient journey.

Additional learning resource

• The Myositis Association: About Myositis 
• JointHealthTM education: Arthritis and Exercise

In this episode of #ArthritisAtHome, we are sharing the #CRArthritis 2025 interview with Mr. Nathan Barreth, a Public Health Science Student of Medicine at the University of Calgary. He joins ACE’s Kelly Lendvoy to review his participation in a workshop focussed on systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) and some of the unmet needs in SARD patients, the impact of SARDs on our healthcare system, and the potential value of biomarkers that can help close the gaps related to managing these patients. 

Additional learning resource

• Nathan Barreth’s Podcast “Journey to Medicine”  
• The Myositis Association: About Myositis 
• The role of sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like-lectin-1 (siglec-1) in immunology and infectious disease