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 90 – AI for Nonpharmacologic Management of Chronic Rheumatic Diseases
Episode 89 – Multibiomarker Panel for RA-ILD
Episode 88 – Apremilast in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
Episode 87 – Genetic Risk Score for Pain in RA
Episode 86 – Peripheral Blood Gene Expression and Scleroderma Lung Disease
Browse previous episodes in the ACR Journals on Air archive.
Episode Show Notes
In this episode, we speak with Nirali Shah, PhD, PT, about the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) 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.
Nirali Shah, PhD, PT – Nirali Shah, PhD, PT, is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan studying how artificial intelligence can support chronic disease management in ways that are safe, evidence-based, and patient-centered. She currently leads the development of Sprout, an AI health coach for systemic sclerosis, and her work focuses on ensuring digital health tools reflect patients’ needs and preferences, not just technical capability.
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In this episode, we explore the emerging role of biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis–associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) with Brent Luedders, MD, MS, 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.
Brent Luedders, MD, MS – Brent Luedders, MD, MS, is a rheumatologist and assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE, where he co-directs the multidisciplinary psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis clinic. His research interests include the study of peripheral blood biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease.
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In this episode, Nilasha Ghosh, MD, MS, RhMSUS, and Anne Bass, MD, 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.
Nilasha Ghosh, MD, MS, RhMSUS – Nilasha Ghosh, MD, MS, RhMSUS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Assistant Attending at the Hospital for Special Surgery/Weill Cornell Medical College, where she also completed her fellowship. She also serves as a consultant at Memorial Sloane Kettering Hospital. She focuses on inflammatory arthritis, particularly those that are a result of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). She is a member of the ACR/EULAR classification criteria steering committee aimed at defining ICI-related rheumatic diseases, starting with ICI-inflammatory arthritis.
Anne R. Bass, MD – Anne R. Bass, MD, is an Attending Physician in the Division of Rheumatology at HSS and a Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. She specializes in the treatment of patients with autoimmune side effects of cancer immunotherapy, and patients with inflammatory arthritis.
Dr. Bass directs the HSS Checkpoint inhibitor associated arthritis registry and is doing translational research to better understand this condition.
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- Use of Apremilast for the Treatment of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
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In this episode, Katie McMenamin, MD, and Josh Baker, MD, MSCE, 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.
Katie J. McMenamin, MD – Katie J. McMenamin, MD, is a rising internal medicine chief resident at Boston Medical Center and recipient of the Promoting Research in Residency (PRIMER) program NIH R38 grant. Her clinical and research interests are now in cardiovascular disease, particularly improving the recognition and management of cardiac amyloidosis. She received her MD from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and BS from Swarthmore College in engineering.
Joshua F. Baker, MD, MSCE – Joshua F. Baker, MD, MSCE, is an Associate Professor of Rheumatology and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Philadelphia VA where his work has been supported primarily by the VA Awards. Through this support, he has focused on identifying modifiable risk factors with the goal of improving clinical care of chronic forms of arthritis, particularly rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Specifically, he aims to conduct observational and interventional studies with a focus on skeletal muscle health, obesity, bone, and joint health, cardiovascular disease, and other long-term outcomes in patients with common forms of arthritis.
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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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