ACR on Air Podcast
ACR on Air seeks to have informative conversations rheumatology professionals want to hear – ranging in topic from trends in clinical practice, to issues affecting rheumatology professionals, and the changing landscape of the rheumatology field. Tune in bi-weekly for new interviews and commentary that are sure to empower listeners to excel in their specialty.
Podcast Host
Our host, Jonathan Hausmann, MD, is a pediatric and adult rheumatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. He is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. His research interests include autoinflammatory diseases, health technology, and medical education. Connect with Dr. Hausmann on Twitter (@hausmannMD).
Episodes
New episodes will be available twice a month on Tuesdays.
Episode 128 – Understanding Haploinsufficiency of A20
Episode 127 – Chronic Inflammatory Calcium Pyrophosphate Arthritis
Episode 126 – 2026 ACR JIA Guidelines: What Clinicians Need to Know
Episode 125 – Cell Therapy in Rheumatology: CAR-T vs. Regulatory T Cells
Episode 124 – 50 Years of Pediatric Rheumatology: A Retrospective
Browse previous episodes in the ACR on Air archive.
Episode Show Notes
What if some patients who never quite fit their diagnosis actually have an underlying genetic disorder? In this episode, we explore Haploinsufficiency of A20 (HA20), a condition first described less than a decade ago that is already reshaping our understanding of autoinflammation, autoimmunity, and immune dysregulation. How many patients in our clinics have a genetic diagnosis we've never thought to consider? Join us as we discuss this emerging disease and its clinical implications with Daniella M. Schwartz, MD.
Daniella M. Schwartz, MD – Daniella M. Schwartz, MD, completed her BA in Biochemistry and French at Rice University (cum laude) followed by an MD at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine (Alpha Omega Alpha). She completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she also served as a chief medical resident. After completing a clinical fellowship in rheumatology at the National Institutes of Health, NIAMS, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in T cell epigenetics with Dr. John O'Shea and studied inborn errors of immunity under the mentorship of Dr. Joshua Milner, Dr. Daniel Kastner, and Dr. Pamela Guererrio. In 2022, Dr. Schwartz was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh, where she is currently an Assistant Professor in the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology. Her lab investigates mechanisms of immune dysregulation, with a focus on genetic and epigenetic regulation of immune cells and cytokines through the lens of inborn errors of immunity. She is the founding co-director of the Pittsburgh Immunogenetics Discovery Center (PIDC) and of the UPMC Autoinflammatory Center of Excellence. She has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications in major journals and was awarded the NPF Robertson Fellowship (2018), the ASCI Young Physician Scientist Award (2020), and the ICIS Regeneron Young Investigator Award (2024).
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Could chronic inflammatory calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) be hiding in plain sight? In this episode, we explore why CPPD may be far more common than previously recognized, how it can masquerade as conditions such as refractory inflammatory arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and erosive osteoarthritis, and why it is so often overlooked in clinical practice. We discuss the growing role of musculoskeletal ultrasound in diagnosis and disease management, the structural damage associated with chronic CPPD, and where the field may be headed as researchers pursue more effective treatment strategies.
Janeth Yinh, MD – Janeth Yinh, MD, is a recognized leader in musculoskeletal ultrasound within rheumatology. She previously served for a decade as Director of the Rheumatology Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Clinic at Tufts Medical Center, where she played a pivotal role in advancing ultrasound-based diagnostics and training. She now serves as Associate Director of the Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Yinh has been deeply committed to education and dissemination of ultrasound techniques in rheumatology, contributing to the training of clinicians and the broader adoption of imaging-guided care. She is a co-author of the Clinical Atlas of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Rheumatology, a key resource for practitioners in the field.
Her scholarly work includes significant contributions to the understanding of calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD). Notably, she participated in the development of the 2023 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for CPPD and has authored multiple publications focused on imaging in this condition. Through her clinical, educational, and research efforts, Dr. Yinh continues to shape the evolving role of ultrasound in rheumatologic practice.
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The 2026 ACR Guidelines for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) are here, and lead author Karen Brandt Onel, MD, joins us to unpack the key updates shaping pediatric rheumatology care. From a biologics-first approach in systemic JIA to more individualized treatment pathways for non-systemic disease, the new recommendations emphasize earlier intervention, faster treatment tailoring, and risk-based decision-making. Dr. Onel also discusses the guidelines’ broader focus on mental health, physical activity, rehabilitation, and the challenges of growing up with a chronic illness. More than an update to treatment algorithms, these guidelines reflect a fundamental shift in philosophy—one that puts the whole child, not just the diagnosis, at the center of care.
Karen Brandt Onel, MD – An expert in pediatric rheumatology, Karen Onel, MD, cares for children and teens with arthritis and other autoimmune disorders. In particular, she diagnoses and treats: lupus, juvenile arthritis, vasculitis, uveitis (an inflammatory disorder of the eye), chronic non-infectious osteomyelitis, dermatomyositis and the periodic fever syndromes. Her goal is to work with the patient and his/her family to create a long-term care plan that will lead to improved quality of life.
Dr. Onel's research focuses on gaining a greater understanding of the causes of rheumatic illnesses, as well as evaluating the safety and tolerability of new treatments. She is collaborating with other institutions to define evidence-based best treatment practices for children with JIA, SLE and recurrent non-infectious osteomyelitis.
Dr. Onel has authored numerous papers, reviews and book chapters on pediatric rheumatology. In addition, she serves as a reviewer for many scientific journals, is on the editorial board of Pediatric Rheumatology and is Associate Editor for Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.
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In the future, can autoimmune disease become curable? A groundbreaking study from Germany suggests there may be a pathway in some cases. Patients with severe, treatment-refractory lupus who received CD19 CAR-T cell therapy have remained in drug-free remission for up to five years without ongoing immunosuppression. In this episode, we discuss how these findings are shifting the conversation from disease control to the possibility of cure, and what they could mean for lupus, inflammatory myopathies, systemic sclerosis, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune diseases more broadly. We also explore CAR-T therapy, immune resets, regulatory T cells, relapse risk, and the future of rheumatology with Georg A. Schett, MD.
Georg A. Schett, MD – Georg Schett, MD, is professor of Internal Medicine and since 2006 Head of the Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology – of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany.
His scientific work focuses on creating a better understanding of the molecular basis of immune-inflammatory diseases with rapid translation into clinical practice. Initially, he investigated the immunology of atherosclerosis and focused on antibody-mediated endothelial cell damage. His research work led to the understanding of the phenomenon of LE-cells in 2007. He was awarded the renowned START Award in 2002 and founded a research group for arthritis in Vienna. Professor Schett is an ERC award winner and speaker of several DFG- and BMBF-funded joint projects. His work has been awarded numerous prizes, including the Carol-Nachman Prize. In March 2023, Professor Schett received the 2023 “Funding Prize in the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Programme” awarded by the DFG. He has published over 1,150 peer reviewed articles.
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Fifty years ago, pediatric rheumatic disease was often marked by disability, limited treatment options, and low expectations for long-term outcomes. In 1976, a small group of clinicians and scientists helped launch a new understanding of immune-mediated disease in children and laid the foundation for modern pediatric rheumatology. In this episode, we explore how the field evolved from managing chronic disability to expecting remission, transforming both treatment and quality of life for children. We also examine the scientific breakthroughs, models of care, and remaining challenges that continue to shape the future of pediatric rheumatology.
Ekemini Ogbu, MD, MSc – Ekemini Ogbu, MD, MSc, is a pediatric rheumatologist and physician-scientist. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Rheumatology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC)/University of Cincinnati. She is the Director of Neuroinflammatory Disease Services in Rheumatology at CCHMC and Co-Director of the Cincinnati Children's Lupus Center. She conducts clinical and translational research in childhood-onset systemic lupus. Dr. Ogbu is the chair of the American College of Rheumatology Committee on Pediatric Rheumatology.
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