ACR Journals on Air Podcast
Welcome to ACR Journals on Air, the ACR’s newest podcast series featuring interviews, commentary, and analysis on research from our three peer-reviewed journals: Arthritis & Rheumatology, Arthritis Care & Research, and ACR Open Rheumatology. Join us each episode for engaging discussions with authors and independent experts about recently published studies, their implications for clinical care, and how they move the field of rheumatology forward.
Whether it’s an expert analysis of a manuscript or deep dive with an author—our goal is the same—to understand the impact of the science and bring it from the bench to the bedside.
Podcast Host
Victoria Shanmugam, MBBS, MRCP, CCD, has clinical expertise caring for patients with autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and chronic wounds. She has led several research studies investigating scleroderma, hidradenitis suppurativa, and the interplay of the host immune response and the microbiome in chronic wounds. Dr. Shanmugam is a frequently invited speaker at professional meetings. Her work in wound healing, hidradenitis, and scleroderma has been published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, such as Arthritis Care and Research, Current Opinion in Rheumatology, International Wound Journal, and Clinical Rheumatology. Connect with Dr. Shanmugam on Twitter (@VickiShanmugam).
Episodes
New episodes will be available twice a month on Tuesdays.
Episode 86 – Peripheral Blood Gene Expression and Scleroderma Lung Disease
Episode 85 – SARD Risk and Environmental Exposures
Episode 84 – Fecal Metabolome in Early Systemic Sclerosis
Episode 83 – Mortality in RA Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs)
Episode 82 – JDM Treat to Target
Browse previous episodes in the ACR Journals on Air archive.
Episode Show Notes
In this episode, Shervin Assassi, MD, 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.
Shervin Assassi, MD – Shervin Assassi, MD, is Director of the Division of Rheumatology and Professor of Internal Medicine at UTHealth Houston. He also co-directs the UTHealth Scleroderma Program, which houses one of the largest specialized systemic sclerosis programs in the USA and has importantly contributed to elucidating the genetic basis and molecular profile of this multifaceted disease.
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In this episode, we speak with Sasha Bernatsky, MD, PhD, 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.
Sasha Bernatsky, MD, PhD – Sasha Bernatsky, MD, PhD, is a rheumatologist, a James McGill Professor of Medicine at McGill University and a Senior Scientist of the Centre for Health Outcomes Research at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. She is a leader in research and knowledge translation, with over 400 peer-reviewed articles, and numerous awards. She is experienced in using large national and international data sets to study drugs and environmental exposures particularly in rheumatic disease.
Dr. Bernatsky is also affiliated with the McGill Environmental Epidemiology Research Group, a network with expertise in pharmacology/toxicology, and environmental sciences. She is a member of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC), and the Canadian Network for Improved Outcomes in SLE (CaNIOS). Her research focuses mainly on outcomes in rheumatic diseases, pharmacoepidemiology, and air pollution’s effects on health. She currently holds funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to study air pollution and autoimmune disease.
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In this episode, Elizabeth R. Volkmann, MD, MS, 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.
Elizabeth R. Volkmann, MD, MS – Elizabeth R. Volkmann, MD, MS, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Rheumatology at University of California, Los Angeles, where she serves as the Director of the UCLA Scleroderma Program and the founder and Co-Director of the UCLA Connective Tissue Disease-Related Interstitial Lung Disease (CTD-ILD) Program. Her research focuses on the discovery of novel biomarkers that predict response to ILD-targeted therapies. She also has an enduring interest in exploring how the gut microbiome contributes to the pathogenesis of ILD and systemic sclerosis. Dr. Volkmann is the proud founder of Women in Scleroderma (WINS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the careers of women scientists and clinicians working in this field.
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- Characterization of the Fecal Metabolome in Patients With Early Systemic Sclerosis
- Women in Scleroderma (WINS)
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In this episode, Madeline O'Sullivan, MD, discusses her retrospective study of US 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.
Madeline O'Sullivan, MD – Madeline O'Sullivan, MD, is a second-year rheumatology fellow at the University of Utah. She is actively involved in clinical research with a focus on rheumatologic-related adverse events secondary to immunotherapy.
She completed her undergraduate studies in psychology and human development at Duke University. Following graduation, she worked as a research coordinator at the Duke Pain Prevention & Management Program. She completed medical school at the University of Oklahoma then moved to Salt Lake City for internal medicine residency at the University of Utah and served as a chief medical resident prior to starting fellowship training. Dr. O'Sullivan is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and a member of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians.
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In this episode, we speak with Jayne MacMahon, MB BCh, BAO, FRCPCH, 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.
Jayne MacMahon, MB BCh BAO, FRCPCH – Jayne MacMahon, MB BCh BAO, FRCPCH, is a consultant and pediatric rheumatologist, currently based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, England.
Dr. MacMahon completed her initial pediatric training in Ireland. In 2020, she moved to Toronto to undertake a pediatric rheumatology clinical fellowship at SickKids. During this time, she became particularly interested in myositis and went on to complete a clinical research fellowship in childhood myositis, under the supervision of Dr. Brian Feldman. Her most recent publications include research on the use of interferon scores in patients with Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) and the JDM treat to target initiative.
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