November 2025

RHEUMATOLOGY

ACR CONVERGENCE 2025 RECAP: NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE RHEUMATOLOGY

The Division of Rheumatology at Northwestern Medicine was proud to showcase its leadership at the Annual Convergence Meeting, held October 24 – 29 in Chicago. Our expert faculty shared their research and advancements in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, reinforcing our commitment to innovation and patient care.

News:

Eric Ruderman, MD, Named Treasurer of the ACR
​
Eric Ruderman, MD, has been appointed as the new treasurer of the American College of Rheumatology. Dr. Ruderman brings extensive experience in rheumatology and clinical research to this leadership role. As professor of medicine and associate chief for clinical affairs in the Division of Rheumatology at Northwestern Medicine, Dr. Ruderman has contributed significantly to advancing patient care and research in systemic autoimmune diseases. 

Poster Recaps:

Laura Arneson, MD

2162: An Updated Needs Assessment for the Virtual Rheumatology Program for Fellows in Training (V-FIT)
  • The ACR developed V-FIT, a virtual lecture series for rheumatology fellows, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assessed how V-FIT can evolve to fit fellowship programs' needs in the post-pandemic era. 
  • Fellows and program directors continue to utilize V-FIT, particularly valuing it for access to subspecialty experts. They expressed interest in future sessions that are less than 30 minutes, incorporate active learning methods and support board review.
Burcu Aydemir, PhD

1249: Association between Positive Emotions and Physical Function in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
  • The findings suggest that interventions integrating strategies to enhance emotional well-being alongside effective pain management may help improve and maintain physical function during the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis.
Carla M. Cuda, PhD

0935: Oral Antibiotic Treatment Reduces Anxiety in a Murine Model of Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  • Oral antibiotic treatment reduced anxiety in NPSLE-prone mice but further expanded microglia, DAM and macrophage populations, highlighting complex gut–brain–immune interactions in lupus-related neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Matthew Dapas, PhD

0624: Polygenic Risk of Lupus is Differentially Associated with Individual EHR-Derived Classification Criteria
  • Higher polygenic risk scores for SLE are strongly associated with specific immunological and clinical criteria, particularly low complement levels, suggesting genetic risk influences disease phenotype.
Anisha B. Dua, MD

0738: Real World Steroid Burden, Treatment Patterns, and Rheumatologists' Perceptions on Advanced Therapy in Giant Cell Arteritis
  • Despite goals to taper off glucocorticoids by 24 months, most GCA patients remain on steroids for years, underscoring the need for early steroid-sparing advanced therapies to reduce toxicity and improve outcomes.
Damini Jawaheer, PhD

1309: Transcriptomic Biomarkers of Progression from Undifferentiated Arthritis to Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, MD, DrPH

2455: Lupus Intervention Fatigue Trial: Preliminary Analysis of Baseline Data
  • At the baseline visit to assess eligibility for enrolling in the Lupus Intervention Fatigue Trial, LIFT (NCT02653287), 167 participants had significant fatigue, only one-third met US physical activity guidelines, and 80% needed to make some changes in their diet intake.
  • Some measures of lower levels of physical activity and total vegetable in the diet were associated with individuals living in neighborhoods with fewer resources.
  • Tailored interventions such as those in the LIFT trial which address individual and contextual barriers are needed to improve physical activity and diet intake impact on fatigue.
Carrie Richardson, MD

0883: Predictive Significance of Serum Proteins for the Course of Systemic Sclerosis-Related Interstitial Lung Disease in the Multicenter CONQUER Cohort
  • This study confirmed the predictive significance of IP-10, MIG, and KL-6 for the course of SSc-ILD, identified α2M and SAP as potential biomarkers and developed a multivariable model combining clinical and serum protein variable data to predict the SSc-ILD course. 
Deborah Winter, PhD

1227: The Composition of Circulating Immune Cells is Associated with Nociplastic Pain in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
1362: Multimodal Spatial and Single-Cell Profiling of Synovial Tissue Reveals Macrophage Programs Associated with Biologic Therapy Treatment Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis​

Brian Jaros, MD, ACR Coverage With RheumNoW

A Nose for Vasculitis: ENT Manifestations in ANCA-Associated Disease
Diagnostic Delays in PsA: A Radiographic Perspective
Airway Disease in GPA
From Pain to Wellness in PsA
Day Four Recap: ACR Convergence 2025 Highlights
Mimics of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: How can we Tell?
With increased disease awareness and more regular, accessible testing for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) has become an increasingly recognized clinical entity in rheumatologic practice. 
​Psoriatic Arthritis: Which Biologic Agent is the Best First Choice?
A growing arsenal of therapeutic targets in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has enhanced the landscape of treatment in patients with this disease.

More coverage from Acr: 

Anisha Dua, MD, on the Two-Year Outcomes of a Phase 3 Trial of Upadacitinib in GCA
Anisha Dua, MD, joins Ben Boone, MD, to review Phase 3 trial findings on upadacitinib in GCA, highlighting efficacy and safety outcomes such as remission rates, flare incidence and glucocorticoid use in patients who continued versus discontinued treatment.
Listen to the podcast>
 
Unseen Symptoms: Cognitive Decline in SLE Tied to Disease Activity and Quality of Life
At ACR 2025, Carla Cuda, PhD, presented research showing that cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) correlates with disease activity, affecting executive function and memory. These findings underscore the need for improved tools to detect subtle cognitive changes that significantly influence patients’ daily lives.
Read the interview>
 
Carla Cuda, PhD, Explores How Lupus Disease Activity Correlates With Cognitive Function
Carla Cuda, PhD, presented research at the meeting showing that systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity independently correlates with specific cognitive domains, including executive function and memory. Findings suggest that controlling disease activity may improve cognition, highlighting the need to integrate cognitive outcomes into future clinical trials.
Watch the video>
 
Incorporating Cognitive Quality of Life Into Lupus Trials
Carla Cuda, PhD, highlights the NIH Toolbox as a practical solution for assessing cognitive effects in lupus clinical trials, offering sensitive, quantitative insights that traditional tools may miss.
Watch the video>
 
Bringing Attention to the Cognitive Impacts of Lupus
Carla Cuda, PhD, sheds light on the overlooked cognitive challenges faced by people with SLE and emphasizes the need for streamlined screening strategies and longitudinal research to better track these impacts.
Hear from Dr. Cuda>

northwestern medicine-hosted events

Northwestern Scleroderma Educational Event
Our leaders presented on a wide range of topics, equipping attendees with valuable insights and knowledge to enhance patient care, exploring the latest developments in scleroderma research and management from a multidisciplinary perspective. ​​
Picture
From left to right Northwestern Medicine faculty and patient speakers: George Georges, MD (Hematology/Oncology), Carrie Richardson, MD (Rheumatology), SSc patient panel speaker Christy Reiber, Brad Bemiss, MD (Pulmonary/Critical Care), Harris Perlman, PhD (Rheumatology), Scott Budinger, MD (Pulmonary/Critical Care), Duncan Moore, MD (Rheumatology), Anthony Esposito, MD (Pulmonary/Critical Care) Not pictured: Alexander Misharin, MD (Pulmonary/ Critical Care), John Pandolfino, MD Gastroenterology/Hepatology)
Ultrasound Guided Synovial Biopsy Course
Northwestern University hosted an ultrasound guided synovial biopsy course that includes background and indications for synovial biopsies, procedures, interpretations, discussion and live demonstration and hands-on simulation practice for attendees. Course led by faculty from Northwestern Medicine, University of Rochester, Northwell and UCSD/UCLA. ​

EULAR Global Research Exchange Meeting
Northwestern Medicine is proud to have hosted the EULAR Global Research Exchange Meeting this fall. This meeting aimed to foster international collaboration in Rheumatology by sharing clinical and research skills and expertise. It highlighted exceptional professionals in laboratory and clinic-based research, showcased innovative work from abroad and encouraged collaboration. Research exchange participant attendees came from Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Brazil and Japan.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) Meeting
All Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) members were invited to participate in this meeting at Northwestern Medicine, engaging in discussions and networking with peers from across the country and around the world. 

Vasculitis Investigator Conference
All Vasculitis Patient-Powered Research Network (VPPRN) members were invited to participate in this conference hosted at Northwestern Medicine. Presentations and discussions were vasculitis-focused from investigators from across the country.

Amgen Rheumatology Clinical Research Meeting
Meeting attendees connected with other rheumatologists and learned about ongoing research efforts and clinical care across a variety of disease areas.

​NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE RHEUMATOLOGY

The Division of Rheumatology works to prevent and treat arthritis and rheumatic diseases through research, education and clinical care. Our diverse faculty are world-renowned experts in all spectrums of rheumatic disease including:
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Scleroderma
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Gout
  • Myositis
  • Vasculitis
​​Our scleroderma and vasculitis clinical programs are among the largest in the nation. In addition, we are one of the few rheumatology programs in the U.S. with a dedicated ultrasound-imaging clinic, which maintains state-of-the-art equipment and performs experimental procedures, such as ultrasound-guided synovial biopsies. We work to improve treatments, identify new therapeutics, find the underlying basis of disease and establish a precision medicine approach.