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EULAR program features novel treatments and targets in immune pathways and key overviews of the field
Novel treatments involving the interleukin-17, IL-23, and Janus kinase (JAK) pathways and the growing importance of early diagnosis and treatment will be some of the key themes covered in the scientific program at this year’s EULAR congress in Madrid, June 14-17.
The annual EULAR congress’ traditional spirit of giving congress attendees a thorough scientific update of the evidence published in peer-reviewed journals across the broad spectrum of rheumatic diseases is reflected in the wide range of state-of-the-art lectures, clinical and basic science symposia, practical workshops, and special interest sessions running throughout the packed 4-day congress, said João Eurico Cabral da Fonseca, MD, PhD, chair of the Scientific Programme Committee.
“Our program is driven by novelty and not by a particular area we need to cover,” said Dr. Fonseca of the rheumatology and metabolic bone disease department at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon.
“There has been a lot of research in the past year on the IL-17 and IL-23 pathway, on the use of IL-6 inhibitors in vasculitis, and exploring the several diseases in rheumatology where the inhibition of the JAK pathway and other intracellular pathways will be relevant,” he said.
Some of these advances and innovation in rheumatology will be highlighted in the many “What is New” (WIN) and “How to Treat” (HOT) sessions scattered throughout the scientific program. WIN sessions are a review of the evidence that has been published during the year on a specific area of rheumatology, whereas the purpose of the HOT sessions is to update attendees on the new research in that space while also allowing experts to impart some of their hands-on experience in the area.
“For the HOT and WIN sessions, we invite people to present who are not only scientifically active but are clinically active in order to give some input, particularly for the HOT sessions. They are also usually well skilled in speaking to and engaging with large audiences.”
In WIN and HOT sessions to be held on the afternoon of Saturday, June 17, Josef Smolen, MD, of the Medical University of Vienna will update attendees on the latest developments in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr. Smolen’s talk will be followed by a presentation from pediatric rheumatologist Nico Wulffraat, MD, PhD, of the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, Utrecht, the Netherlands on the latest developments in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Another WIN session that has been popular with attendees in previous years is EULAR’s collaborative session with The Lancet. The purpose of the collaborative session with The Lancet is twofold: to give attendees an excellent state-of-the-art session on the latest developments in rheumatoid arthritis and also to showcase to the wider global medical community the latest developments in the field of rheumatology, Dr. Fonseca said.
“The long-term goal is to distribute the information we’re gathering in rheumatology journals and at the congress to a broader audience,” he said, noting the relevance of bringing the innovations in rheumatology to audiences outside the field.
The Lancet session this year is on Saturday morning and will focus on the pathogenesis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. High-profile speakers at this session include Iain McInnes, PhD, professor of experimental medicine and rheumatology at the University of Glasgow, who will be presenting a WIN session entitled “Dissecting the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis – what have therapeutics taught us?” and EULAR President Gerd Burmester, MD, director of the department of rheumatology and clinical immunology and professor of medicine at Charité University Hospital and Free University and Humboldt University of Berlin, who will present the WIN session “Don’t delay – new treatment concepts in rheumatoid arthritis.”
The importance of diagnosing and treating patients early is a message that is close to EULAR’s heart, Dr. Fonseca said.
The organization, which celebrates its 70th birthday this year, will launch its first awareness campaign‚ “Don’t delay, connect today!” at the congress. The message of the campaign is that “early diagnosis and access to treatment are the key to preventing further damage and burden on individuals and society.”
He said that while the sessions cover all the major rheumatology disciplines, there are some particularly interesting sessions on psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis.
“There’s a lot more interest in these areas than compared to 5 years ago,” he said in an interview. On the morning of Thursday, June 15, there will be an abstract session titled “PsA: A fascinating disease,” followed by a session the next morning called “PsA: The options grow!”
Attendees can also join a poster tour on Thursday morning to discover exactly what progress has been made in the management of spondyloarthritis.
There are new developments in systemic diseases such as lupus and scleroderma that will be highlighted at this year’s congress. However, osteoarthritis is still waiting for its time in the sun, Dr. Landewé said.
“I would say keep an eye on OA over the next few years. ... There are not many sessions this year, but I am very certain there are many new developments on the horizon, perhaps not at this congress, but in the next couple of years,” he said.
Perhaps the pièce de résistance of the scientific program is the conference highlights session on the last day of the congress. Attendees will need to arrive early to get a seat as this session represents a huge effort by two experts who are selected by the Scientific Programme Committee to summarize the most important research published since EULAR 2016 from a clinical, translational, and basic science perspective.
This year, Loreto Carmona, MD, PhD, an epidemiologist and rheumatologist from the Musculoskeletal Health Institute in Madrid, will take the podium to present the clinical highlights. She will be followed by Thomas Dörner, MD, of the Charité University Hospital, Berlin, who will present the translational and basic science highlights.
“This session is a very useful one for delegates as it simplifies the major bits of the congress,” Dr. Fonseca said.
Novel treatments involving the interleukin-17, IL-23, and Janus kinase (JAK) pathways and the growing importance of early diagnosis and treatment will be some of the key themes covered in the scientific program at this year’s EULAR congress in Madrid, June 14-17.
The annual EULAR congress’ traditional spirit of giving congress attendees a thorough scientific update of the evidence published in peer-reviewed journals across the broad spectrum of rheumatic diseases is reflected in the wide range of state-of-the-art lectures, clinical and basic science symposia, practical workshops, and special interest sessions running throughout the packed 4-day congress, said João Eurico Cabral da Fonseca, MD, PhD, chair of the Scientific Programme Committee.
“Our program is driven by novelty and not by a particular area we need to cover,” said Dr. Fonseca of the rheumatology and metabolic bone disease department at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon.
“There has been a lot of research in the past year on the IL-17 and IL-23 pathway, on the use of IL-6 inhibitors in vasculitis, and exploring the several diseases in rheumatology where the inhibition of the JAK pathway and other intracellular pathways will be relevant,” he said.
Some of these advances and innovation in rheumatology will be highlighted in the many “What is New” (WIN) and “How to Treat” (HOT) sessions scattered throughout the scientific program. WIN sessions are a review of the evidence that has been published during the year on a specific area of rheumatology, whereas the purpose of the HOT sessions is to update attendees on the new research in that space while also allowing experts to impart some of their hands-on experience in the area.
“For the HOT and WIN sessions, we invite people to present who are not only scientifically active but are clinically active in order to give some input, particularly for the HOT sessions. They are also usually well skilled in speaking to and engaging with large audiences.”
In WIN and HOT sessions to be held on the afternoon of Saturday, June 17, Josef Smolen, MD, of the Medical University of Vienna will update attendees on the latest developments in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr. Smolen’s talk will be followed by a presentation from pediatric rheumatologist Nico Wulffraat, MD, PhD, of the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, Utrecht, the Netherlands on the latest developments in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Another WIN session that has been popular with attendees in previous years is EULAR’s collaborative session with The Lancet. The purpose of the collaborative session with The Lancet is twofold: to give attendees an excellent state-of-the-art session on the latest developments in rheumatoid arthritis and also to showcase to the wider global medical community the latest developments in the field of rheumatology, Dr. Fonseca said.
“The long-term goal is to distribute the information we’re gathering in rheumatology journals and at the congress to a broader audience,” he said, noting the relevance of bringing the innovations in rheumatology to audiences outside the field.
The Lancet session this year is on Saturday morning and will focus on the pathogenesis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. High-profile speakers at this session include Iain McInnes, PhD, professor of experimental medicine and rheumatology at the University of Glasgow, who will be presenting a WIN session entitled “Dissecting the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis – what have therapeutics taught us?” and EULAR President Gerd Burmester, MD, director of the department of rheumatology and clinical immunology and professor of medicine at Charité University Hospital and Free University and Humboldt University of Berlin, who will present the WIN session “Don’t delay – new treatment concepts in rheumatoid arthritis.”
The importance of diagnosing and treating patients early is a message that is close to EULAR’s heart, Dr. Fonseca said.
The organization, which celebrates its 70th birthday this year, will launch its first awareness campaign‚ “Don’t delay, connect today!” at the congress. The message of the campaign is that “early diagnosis and access to treatment are the key to preventing further damage and burden on individuals and society.”
He said that while the sessions cover all the major rheumatology disciplines, there are some particularly interesting sessions on psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis.
“There’s a lot more interest in these areas than compared to 5 years ago,” he said in an interview. On the morning of Thursday, June 15, there will be an abstract session titled “PsA: A fascinating disease,” followed by a session the next morning called “PsA: The options grow!”
Attendees can also join a poster tour on Thursday morning to discover exactly what progress has been made in the management of spondyloarthritis.
There are new developments in systemic diseases such as lupus and scleroderma that will be highlighted at this year’s congress. However, osteoarthritis is still waiting for its time in the sun, Dr. Landewé said.
“I would say keep an eye on OA over the next few years. ... There are not many sessions this year, but I am very certain there are many new developments on the horizon, perhaps not at this congress, but in the next couple of years,” he said.
Perhaps the pièce de résistance of the scientific program is the conference highlights session on the last day of the congress. Attendees will need to arrive early to get a seat as this session represents a huge effort by two experts who are selected by the Scientific Programme Committee to summarize the most important research published since EULAR 2016 from a clinical, translational, and basic science perspective.
This year, Loreto Carmona, MD, PhD, an epidemiologist and rheumatologist from the Musculoskeletal Health Institute in Madrid, will take the podium to present the clinical highlights. She will be followed by Thomas Dörner, MD, of the Charité University Hospital, Berlin, who will present the translational and basic science highlights.
“This session is a very useful one for delegates as it simplifies the major bits of the congress,” Dr. Fonseca said.
Novel treatments involving the interleukin-17, IL-23, and Janus kinase (JAK) pathways and the growing importance of early diagnosis and treatment will be some of the key themes covered in the scientific program at this year’s EULAR congress in Madrid, June 14-17.
The annual EULAR congress’ traditional spirit of giving congress attendees a thorough scientific update of the evidence published in peer-reviewed journals across the broad spectrum of rheumatic diseases is reflected in the wide range of state-of-the-art lectures, clinical and basic science symposia, practical workshops, and special interest sessions running throughout the packed 4-day congress, said João Eurico Cabral da Fonseca, MD, PhD, chair of the Scientific Programme Committee.
“Our program is driven by novelty and not by a particular area we need to cover,” said Dr. Fonseca of the rheumatology and metabolic bone disease department at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon.
“There has been a lot of research in the past year on the IL-17 and IL-23 pathway, on the use of IL-6 inhibitors in vasculitis, and exploring the several diseases in rheumatology where the inhibition of the JAK pathway and other intracellular pathways will be relevant,” he said.
Some of these advances and innovation in rheumatology will be highlighted in the many “What is New” (WIN) and “How to Treat” (HOT) sessions scattered throughout the scientific program. WIN sessions are a review of the evidence that has been published during the year on a specific area of rheumatology, whereas the purpose of the HOT sessions is to update attendees on the new research in that space while also allowing experts to impart some of their hands-on experience in the area.
“For the HOT and WIN sessions, we invite people to present who are not only scientifically active but are clinically active in order to give some input, particularly for the HOT sessions. They are also usually well skilled in speaking to and engaging with large audiences.”
In WIN and HOT sessions to be held on the afternoon of Saturday, June 17, Josef Smolen, MD, of the Medical University of Vienna will update attendees on the latest developments in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr. Smolen’s talk will be followed by a presentation from pediatric rheumatologist Nico Wulffraat, MD, PhD, of the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, Utrecht, the Netherlands on the latest developments in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Another WIN session that has been popular with attendees in previous years is EULAR’s collaborative session with The Lancet. The purpose of the collaborative session with The Lancet is twofold: to give attendees an excellent state-of-the-art session on the latest developments in rheumatoid arthritis and also to showcase to the wider global medical community the latest developments in the field of rheumatology, Dr. Fonseca said.
“The long-term goal is to distribute the information we’re gathering in rheumatology journals and at the congress to a broader audience,” he said, noting the relevance of bringing the innovations in rheumatology to audiences outside the field.
The Lancet session this year is on Saturday morning and will focus on the pathogenesis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. High-profile speakers at this session include Iain McInnes, PhD, professor of experimental medicine and rheumatology at the University of Glasgow, who will be presenting a WIN session entitled “Dissecting the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis – what have therapeutics taught us?” and EULAR President Gerd Burmester, MD, director of the department of rheumatology and clinical immunology and professor of medicine at Charité University Hospital and Free University and Humboldt University of Berlin, who will present the WIN session “Don’t delay – new treatment concepts in rheumatoid arthritis.”
The importance of diagnosing and treating patients early is a message that is close to EULAR’s heart, Dr. Fonseca said.
The organization, which celebrates its 70th birthday this year, will launch its first awareness campaign‚ “Don’t delay, connect today!” at the congress. The message of the campaign is that “early diagnosis and access to treatment are the key to preventing further damage and burden on individuals and society.”
He said that while the sessions cover all the major rheumatology disciplines, there are some particularly interesting sessions on psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis.
“There’s a lot more interest in these areas than compared to 5 years ago,” he said in an interview. On the morning of Thursday, June 15, there will be an abstract session titled “PsA: A fascinating disease,” followed by a session the next morning called “PsA: The options grow!”
Attendees can also join a poster tour on Thursday morning to discover exactly what progress has been made in the management of spondyloarthritis.
There are new developments in systemic diseases such as lupus and scleroderma that will be highlighted at this year’s congress. However, osteoarthritis is still waiting for its time in the sun, Dr. Landewé said.
“I would say keep an eye on OA over the next few years. ... There are not many sessions this year, but I am very certain there are many new developments on the horizon, perhaps not at this congress, but in the next couple of years,” he said.
Perhaps the pièce de résistance of the scientific program is the conference highlights session on the last day of the congress. Attendees will need to arrive early to get a seat as this session represents a huge effort by two experts who are selected by the Scientific Programme Committee to summarize the most important research published since EULAR 2016 from a clinical, translational, and basic science perspective.
This year, Loreto Carmona, MD, PhD, an epidemiologist and rheumatologist from the Musculoskeletal Health Institute in Madrid, will take the podium to present the clinical highlights. She will be followed by Thomas Dörner, MD, of the Charité University Hospital, Berlin, who will present the translational and basic science highlights.
“This session is a very useful one for delegates as it simplifies the major bits of the congress,” Dr. Fonseca said.
The changing face of JIA sets the tone for pediatric sessions at EULAR
The heterogeneous nature of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), the use of biologics in childhood rheumatic diseases, and a look at the long-term outcomes for children with JIA are just some of the highlights from the pediatric rheumatology sessions at this year’s EULAR Congress in Madrid, June 14-17.
EULAR Standing Committee Chairperson for Paediatric Rheumatology Tadej Avcin, MD, PhD, said that a bench-to-bedside session on the heterogeneity of JIA on the afternoon of Thursday, June 15, would explore the biologic basis of the disease, the role of cytokine profiling, and the clinical variability in the disease.
“By highlighting the heterogeneity of JIA, we hope this session will contribute to the further understanding of differences between JIA subtypes, as well as contribute some scientific background for the further classification of children with JIA,” he said.
Another “not to miss” session from the pediatric program that will be held on the afternoon of Friday, June 16, is the open issues session on the use of biologic agents in JIA, according to Dr. Avcin, professor of pediatrics and head of the department of allergology, rheumatology, and clinical immunology at University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Speaking on the long-term side effects of biologics, Joost Swart, MD, from Utrecht in the Netherlands will present some novel data from the large ongoing pharmacovigilance project Pharmachild that follows children aged 3-10 years who have been treated with methotrexate or a biologic.
At the same session, Pierre Quartier, MD, from Paris will take delegates through data on autoimmune phenomena that can occur in children who are on biologic treatment.
“We know that, in treating children with biologics, they can sometimes develop antidrug antibodies and various induced autoimmune phenomena. We would like to highlight this aspect so that physicians can have more of an overview of possible immune-mediated adverse effects in their patients,” Dr. Avcin said.
The session will also address what Dr. Avcin describes as an emerging and important clinical question: When and how do you discontinue treatment in children with sustained remission?
It’s a question he hopes Gerd Horneff, MD, from Germany will be able to shed some light on when he shares data on how frequently children experience disease flares after discontinuing treatment.
Another pediatric highlight is a morning session on Saturday, June 17, that will address the long-term outcomes of children with JIA.
A presentation by Marion van Rossum, MD, PhD, from the Netherlands will explore whether there are certain clinical or laboratory markers that can help identify children who are more likely to respond well to treatment, compared with other children.
Dirk Foell, MD, from Germany will follow with a session on immunological markers of remission in JIA.
As Dr. Avcin explained, immunological markers such as S100 proteins have shown promise as a biomarker of subclinical active disease.
“Even if a child appears to have clinically inactive disease, elevated levels of these markers may help predict which children will remain in remission after discontinuing treatment and which children may be at an increased risk of a disease flare,” he said.
Rounding off the session, Berit Flatø, MD, PhD, from Norway will present delegates with data from an epidemiological study of long-term outcomes of children with JIA as they move into adulthood.
“Dr. Flatø will present the long-term outcome data from children followed for up to 20 years,” Dr. Avcin said. “Biologics have been in pediatric rheumatology for around 17 years so we will be able to see what is the outcome of children with JIA moving into adulthood with our current treatment protocols.”
In the afternoon, on Friday, pediatric experts will team up with their adult rheumatology colleagues in a “challenges in clinical practice” session to update delegates on life-threatening presentations of rheumatic diseases.
“We will highlight life-threatening presentations that are of particular interest in children, like macrophage activation syndrome and complications of systemic connective tissue diseases and systemic vasculitides like Kawasaki disease and Takayasu’s arteritis,” Dr. Avcin said.
The heterogeneous nature of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), the use of biologics in childhood rheumatic diseases, and a look at the long-term outcomes for children with JIA are just some of the highlights from the pediatric rheumatology sessions at this year’s EULAR Congress in Madrid, June 14-17.
EULAR Standing Committee Chairperson for Paediatric Rheumatology Tadej Avcin, MD, PhD, said that a bench-to-bedside session on the heterogeneity of JIA on the afternoon of Thursday, June 15, would explore the biologic basis of the disease, the role of cytokine profiling, and the clinical variability in the disease.
“By highlighting the heterogeneity of JIA, we hope this session will contribute to the further understanding of differences between JIA subtypes, as well as contribute some scientific background for the further classification of children with JIA,” he said.
Another “not to miss” session from the pediatric program that will be held on the afternoon of Friday, June 16, is the open issues session on the use of biologic agents in JIA, according to Dr. Avcin, professor of pediatrics and head of the department of allergology, rheumatology, and clinical immunology at University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Speaking on the long-term side effects of biologics, Joost Swart, MD, from Utrecht in the Netherlands will present some novel data from the large ongoing pharmacovigilance project Pharmachild that follows children aged 3-10 years who have been treated with methotrexate or a biologic.
At the same session, Pierre Quartier, MD, from Paris will take delegates through data on autoimmune phenomena that can occur in children who are on biologic treatment.
“We know that, in treating children with biologics, they can sometimes develop antidrug antibodies and various induced autoimmune phenomena. We would like to highlight this aspect so that physicians can have more of an overview of possible immune-mediated adverse effects in their patients,” Dr. Avcin said.
The session will also address what Dr. Avcin describes as an emerging and important clinical question: When and how do you discontinue treatment in children with sustained remission?
It’s a question he hopes Gerd Horneff, MD, from Germany will be able to shed some light on when he shares data on how frequently children experience disease flares after discontinuing treatment.
Another pediatric highlight is a morning session on Saturday, June 17, that will address the long-term outcomes of children with JIA.
A presentation by Marion van Rossum, MD, PhD, from the Netherlands will explore whether there are certain clinical or laboratory markers that can help identify children who are more likely to respond well to treatment, compared with other children.
Dirk Foell, MD, from Germany will follow with a session on immunological markers of remission in JIA.
As Dr. Avcin explained, immunological markers such as S100 proteins have shown promise as a biomarker of subclinical active disease.
“Even if a child appears to have clinically inactive disease, elevated levels of these markers may help predict which children will remain in remission after discontinuing treatment and which children may be at an increased risk of a disease flare,” he said.
Rounding off the session, Berit Flatø, MD, PhD, from Norway will present delegates with data from an epidemiological study of long-term outcomes of children with JIA as they move into adulthood.
“Dr. Flatø will present the long-term outcome data from children followed for up to 20 years,” Dr. Avcin said. “Biologics have been in pediatric rheumatology for around 17 years so we will be able to see what is the outcome of children with JIA moving into adulthood with our current treatment protocols.”
In the afternoon, on Friday, pediatric experts will team up with their adult rheumatology colleagues in a “challenges in clinical practice” session to update delegates on life-threatening presentations of rheumatic diseases.
“We will highlight life-threatening presentations that are of particular interest in children, like macrophage activation syndrome and complications of systemic connective tissue diseases and systemic vasculitides like Kawasaki disease and Takayasu’s arteritis,” Dr. Avcin said.
The heterogeneous nature of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), the use of biologics in childhood rheumatic diseases, and a look at the long-term outcomes for children with JIA are just some of the highlights from the pediatric rheumatology sessions at this year’s EULAR Congress in Madrid, June 14-17.
EULAR Standing Committee Chairperson for Paediatric Rheumatology Tadej Avcin, MD, PhD, said that a bench-to-bedside session on the heterogeneity of JIA on the afternoon of Thursday, June 15, would explore the biologic basis of the disease, the role of cytokine profiling, and the clinical variability in the disease.
“By highlighting the heterogeneity of JIA, we hope this session will contribute to the further understanding of differences between JIA subtypes, as well as contribute some scientific background for the further classification of children with JIA,” he said.
Another “not to miss” session from the pediatric program that will be held on the afternoon of Friday, June 16, is the open issues session on the use of biologic agents in JIA, according to Dr. Avcin, professor of pediatrics and head of the department of allergology, rheumatology, and clinical immunology at University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Speaking on the long-term side effects of biologics, Joost Swart, MD, from Utrecht in the Netherlands will present some novel data from the large ongoing pharmacovigilance project Pharmachild that follows children aged 3-10 years who have been treated with methotrexate or a biologic.
At the same session, Pierre Quartier, MD, from Paris will take delegates through data on autoimmune phenomena that can occur in children who are on biologic treatment.
“We know that, in treating children with biologics, they can sometimes develop antidrug antibodies and various induced autoimmune phenomena. We would like to highlight this aspect so that physicians can have more of an overview of possible immune-mediated adverse effects in their patients,” Dr. Avcin said.
The session will also address what Dr. Avcin describes as an emerging and important clinical question: When and how do you discontinue treatment in children with sustained remission?
It’s a question he hopes Gerd Horneff, MD, from Germany will be able to shed some light on when he shares data on how frequently children experience disease flares after discontinuing treatment.
Another pediatric highlight is a morning session on Saturday, June 17, that will address the long-term outcomes of children with JIA.
A presentation by Marion van Rossum, MD, PhD, from the Netherlands will explore whether there are certain clinical or laboratory markers that can help identify children who are more likely to respond well to treatment, compared with other children.
Dirk Foell, MD, from Germany will follow with a session on immunological markers of remission in JIA.
As Dr. Avcin explained, immunological markers such as S100 proteins have shown promise as a biomarker of subclinical active disease.
“Even if a child appears to have clinically inactive disease, elevated levels of these markers may help predict which children will remain in remission after discontinuing treatment and which children may be at an increased risk of a disease flare,” he said.
Rounding off the session, Berit Flatø, MD, PhD, from Norway will present delegates with data from an epidemiological study of long-term outcomes of children with JIA as they move into adulthood.
“Dr. Flatø will present the long-term outcome data from children followed for up to 20 years,” Dr. Avcin said. “Biologics have been in pediatric rheumatology for around 17 years so we will be able to see what is the outcome of children with JIA moving into adulthood with our current treatment protocols.”
In the afternoon, on Friday, pediatric experts will team up with their adult rheumatology colleagues in a “challenges in clinical practice” session to update delegates on life-threatening presentations of rheumatic diseases.
“We will highlight life-threatening presentations that are of particular interest in children, like macrophage activation syndrome and complications of systemic connective tissue diseases and systemic vasculitides like Kawasaki disease and Takayasu’s arteritis,” Dr. Avcin said.
EMEUNET tailors EULAR experience for young rheumatologists
Young rheumatologists and researchers will find plenty of relevant content at this year’s EULAR Congress in Madrid, June 14-17, thanks to a dedicated presentation track. Other tailored opportunities include networking events, mentorship for first-time attendees to help them make the most of their EULAR experience, and a unique opportunity for small group discussion and networking with key opinion leaders in rheumatology in the so-called mentor-mentee meetings.
The Young Rheumatologists track provides three sessions with a special focus on researchers and clinicians who are early in their careers, Sofia Ramiro, MD, PhD, explained in an interview. Dr. Ramiro chairs the steering committee of the Emerging Eular Network (EMEUNET), a network of young clinicians and researchers in the field of rheumatology in Europe.
Another session will zero in on osteoarthritis, vasculitis, spondyloarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, with a shorter lecture format and more time left for a question-and-answer session and discussion. With a group of younger rheumatologists in attendance, “the sessions are somewhat more informal,” promoting a comfortable and interactive environment for discussion and learning, Dr. Ramiro said.
The third session in the Young Rheumatologists track will consist of case discussions focused on how to counsel and take care of women who have rheumatoid arthritis and would like to become pregnant. Two patient cases will be presented and discussed by leaders in the field. “Again, the idea is to make these presentations as real-world as possible,” Dr. Ramiro said.
The EMEUNET booth will be in the EULAR Village, and, for the first time, the booth will be incorporated in the EULAR booth, as a “pillar” under the bigger EULAR umbrella. Dr. Ramiro said to be sure to stay tuned for a surprise associated with EULAR’s 70th anniversary. On the evening of Thursday, June 15, EMEUNET will host a networking event.
On the morning of Friday, June 16, mentor-mentee meetings organized by EMEUNET link five to six young attendees with mentors, according to area of interest. Sign up is available online, allowing small group discussion with leaders in academic rheumatology. This year, meetings will be led by Iain McInnes, PhD (Glasgow, Scotland), Josef Smolen, MD (Vienna), and William Dixon, MBBS, PhD (Manchester, England). Mentorship topics can include the incorporation of research into a clinical career, general career advice, and insight into international collaboration, Dr. Ramiro said.
“These are usually very well-attended meetings and very popular,” she said. “People who have participated in them always give us very good feedback and are very enthusiastic about how easily accessible these very famous key opinion leaders are and what good advice they give to them.”
Finally, the Ambassador program helps first-time attendees get the most out of EULAR. “I think that we all know that the first time we attend such a huge conference the experience can be daunting,” Dr. Ramiro said. Now in its third year, the ambassador program pairs an EMEUNET member with up to six first-timers. The ambassador helps the newcomers decide which sessions to attend and remains available through mobile phone, social media, and the meeting app throughout the meeting.
All of EMEUNET’s activities during EULAR support the organization’s aim of “widening collaboration and fostering collaboration among young researchers and clinicians,” Dr. Ramiro said. “The ultimate aim is to improve and promote education in the area of our diseases and to foster research collaborations,” she said of the 1,500-member strong organization.
Young rheumatologists and researchers will find plenty of relevant content at this year’s EULAR Congress in Madrid, June 14-17, thanks to a dedicated presentation track. Other tailored opportunities include networking events, mentorship for first-time attendees to help them make the most of their EULAR experience, and a unique opportunity for small group discussion and networking with key opinion leaders in rheumatology in the so-called mentor-mentee meetings.
The Young Rheumatologists track provides three sessions with a special focus on researchers and clinicians who are early in their careers, Sofia Ramiro, MD, PhD, explained in an interview. Dr. Ramiro chairs the steering committee of the Emerging Eular Network (EMEUNET), a network of young clinicians and researchers in the field of rheumatology in Europe.
Another session will zero in on osteoarthritis, vasculitis, spondyloarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, with a shorter lecture format and more time left for a question-and-answer session and discussion. With a group of younger rheumatologists in attendance, “the sessions are somewhat more informal,” promoting a comfortable and interactive environment for discussion and learning, Dr. Ramiro said.
The third session in the Young Rheumatologists track will consist of case discussions focused on how to counsel and take care of women who have rheumatoid arthritis and would like to become pregnant. Two patient cases will be presented and discussed by leaders in the field. “Again, the idea is to make these presentations as real-world as possible,” Dr. Ramiro said.
The EMEUNET booth will be in the EULAR Village, and, for the first time, the booth will be incorporated in the EULAR booth, as a “pillar” under the bigger EULAR umbrella. Dr. Ramiro said to be sure to stay tuned for a surprise associated with EULAR’s 70th anniversary. On the evening of Thursday, June 15, EMEUNET will host a networking event.
On the morning of Friday, June 16, mentor-mentee meetings organized by EMEUNET link five to six young attendees with mentors, according to area of interest. Sign up is available online, allowing small group discussion with leaders in academic rheumatology. This year, meetings will be led by Iain McInnes, PhD (Glasgow, Scotland), Josef Smolen, MD (Vienna), and William Dixon, MBBS, PhD (Manchester, England). Mentorship topics can include the incorporation of research into a clinical career, general career advice, and insight into international collaboration, Dr. Ramiro said.
“These are usually very well-attended meetings and very popular,” she said. “People who have participated in them always give us very good feedback and are very enthusiastic about how easily accessible these very famous key opinion leaders are and what good advice they give to them.”
Finally, the Ambassador program helps first-time attendees get the most out of EULAR. “I think that we all know that the first time we attend such a huge conference the experience can be daunting,” Dr. Ramiro said. Now in its third year, the ambassador program pairs an EMEUNET member with up to six first-timers. The ambassador helps the newcomers decide which sessions to attend and remains available through mobile phone, social media, and the meeting app throughout the meeting.
All of EMEUNET’s activities during EULAR support the organization’s aim of “widening collaboration and fostering collaboration among young researchers and clinicians,” Dr. Ramiro said. “The ultimate aim is to improve and promote education in the area of our diseases and to foster research collaborations,” she said of the 1,500-member strong organization.
Young rheumatologists and researchers will find plenty of relevant content at this year’s EULAR Congress in Madrid, June 14-17, thanks to a dedicated presentation track. Other tailored opportunities include networking events, mentorship for first-time attendees to help them make the most of their EULAR experience, and a unique opportunity for small group discussion and networking with key opinion leaders in rheumatology in the so-called mentor-mentee meetings.
The Young Rheumatologists track provides three sessions with a special focus on researchers and clinicians who are early in their careers, Sofia Ramiro, MD, PhD, explained in an interview. Dr. Ramiro chairs the steering committee of the Emerging Eular Network (EMEUNET), a network of young clinicians and researchers in the field of rheumatology in Europe.
Another session will zero in on osteoarthritis, vasculitis, spondyloarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, with a shorter lecture format and more time left for a question-and-answer session and discussion. With a group of younger rheumatologists in attendance, “the sessions are somewhat more informal,” promoting a comfortable and interactive environment for discussion and learning, Dr. Ramiro said.
The third session in the Young Rheumatologists track will consist of case discussions focused on how to counsel and take care of women who have rheumatoid arthritis and would like to become pregnant. Two patient cases will be presented and discussed by leaders in the field. “Again, the idea is to make these presentations as real-world as possible,” Dr. Ramiro said.
The EMEUNET booth will be in the EULAR Village, and, for the first time, the booth will be incorporated in the EULAR booth, as a “pillar” under the bigger EULAR umbrella. Dr. Ramiro said to be sure to stay tuned for a surprise associated with EULAR’s 70th anniversary. On the evening of Thursday, June 15, EMEUNET will host a networking event.
On the morning of Friday, June 16, mentor-mentee meetings organized by EMEUNET link five to six young attendees with mentors, according to area of interest. Sign up is available online, allowing small group discussion with leaders in academic rheumatology. This year, meetings will be led by Iain McInnes, PhD (Glasgow, Scotland), Josef Smolen, MD (Vienna), and William Dixon, MBBS, PhD (Manchester, England). Mentorship topics can include the incorporation of research into a clinical career, general career advice, and insight into international collaboration, Dr. Ramiro said.
“These are usually very well-attended meetings and very popular,” she said. “People who have participated in them always give us very good feedback and are very enthusiastic about how easily accessible these very famous key opinion leaders are and what good advice they give to them.”
Finally, the Ambassador program helps first-time attendees get the most out of EULAR. “I think that we all know that the first time we attend such a huge conference the experience can be daunting,” Dr. Ramiro said. Now in its third year, the ambassador program pairs an EMEUNET member with up to six first-timers. The ambassador helps the newcomers decide which sessions to attend and remains available through mobile phone, social media, and the meeting app throughout the meeting.
All of EMEUNET’s activities during EULAR support the organization’s aim of “widening collaboration and fostering collaboration among young researchers and clinicians,” Dr. Ramiro said. “The ultimate aim is to improve and promote education in the area of our diseases and to foster research collaborations,” she said of the 1,500-member strong organization.