SPRING 2024 Vol. 10 Issue 2 | |
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Dear Lisa,
I am eagerly anticipating our upcoming annual meeting and look forward to welcoming many members and friends of SPARTAN, whether traveling to Cleveland in person or joining us virtually from around the globe. This year’s meeting promises to be exceptional, with a great program and participants registered from 50 countries – a testament to the global reach and impact of our organization.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the individuals who have played pivotal roles in organizing this event. Special thanks go to Marina Magrey, SPARTAN board member and our gracious host in Cleveland, and to Lisa Spiegel, SPARTAN's Executive Director, whose tireless efforts have been crucial in preparing for this hybrid meeting.
This is our second consecutive year in Cleveland, and I am pleased to announce that next year’s meeting will be held in Toronto from May 8-10, 2025. Please mark your calendars and prepare to join us in Canada for another enriching experience.
Our organization thrives on a dynamic governance structure, and this meeting marks a significant transition. I will be passing the leadership baton to Matt Stoll, pediatric rheumatologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who will serve as the next Chair of SPARTAN. Additionally, we bid farewell to Judy Smith, Walter Maksymowych, and Runsheng Wang, who are rotating off the board. Their contributions have been invaluable, and they leave behind a strong legacy. At the same time, we warmly welcome Jean Liew, Mohamad Bittar, Aki Nakamura, and Ignacio Garcia-Valladares as new board members. Congratulations to the incoming directors. I am confident that your involvement will propel SPARTAN to new heights.
The success of SPARTAN is deeply rooted in the contributions of its members. My vision for SPARTAN has been to provide a vibrant platform where researchers and clinicians can collaborate on projects that transcend individual capabilities. To enhance this collaborative environment, we have expanded the time dedicated to SPARTAN projects at this year’s meeting and included small group breakout sessions. I encourage you to participate actively and to share your feedback in discussions with board members in Cleveland or through our post-meeting survey. Please consider joining a SPARTAN committee.
Thank you for your dedication and engagement. Together, we are shaping the future of spondyloarthritis research, education, and care.
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Joerg Ermann, MD
Chair, SPARTAN Board of Directors
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Thursday, May 26
Ultrasound Workshop 12:15 - 3:15 Lihi Eder and Sibel Aydin, Chairs
Poster Session and Welcome Reception 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. in the North Foyer
Friday, May 17
REFRESH Breakfast for interested early career investigators, trainees, or spondy newbies at 7:00 a.m. in Salon ABC
8:20-10:00 a.m. Year in Review
Basic Science - Akihiro Nakamura, MD, PhD, Queen’s University
Clinical Trials - Jonathan Kay, MD, UMass Memorial Health
Clinical Research (Non-clinical Trial) and Imaging - Mohamad Bittar, MD, OHSU
Saturday, May 18
8:00 - 9:00 a.m Keynote Address
Discovery of the JAK/STAT Pathway and Development of Therapies Targeting This Pathway
John O’Shea, MD, NIH/NIAMS
noon - 1 p.m. The Great Debate: Is axSpA an Autoimmune Disease?
Robert Colbert, MD, PhD, NIH/NIAMS and Kristi Kuhn, MD, PhD, University of Colorado
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Meet Happy (the Haplocanthosaurus pictured above), Dunk (Dunkleosteus), and Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) Friday night at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Learn more... |
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Poster Session and People's Choice Abstract Award | |
We are excited to introduce the People's Choice Abstract Award at the Annual Meeting this year. Attendees, both in-person in Cleveland and virtually, will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite poster. The top three winners will each be awarded a $200 Amazon gift card and recognized at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History dinner. Join us at the Poster Session and Welcome Reception 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 16. | |
Full Members
Jia “Sijia” Chen MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Laura Passalent BScPT, MHSc, University Health Network
Nirupa Patel MD, LSU Health Sciences Center
Rachael Stovall MD, MAS, University of Washington
Diana Flores-Alvarado MD, Hospital Universitario José Eleuterio González
Associate Member
Deborah Durke MSN, APRN, FNP, University of Utah
Sahar Lotfi-Emran MD, PhD NIAMS/NIH
Vishnu Mohan MD, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
Gregory McDermott MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Romy Schwabe MSc, Sports Physiotherapy Caine
Trainee Members
Elizabeth Dente MD, University of California Los Angeles
Alana Haussmann MD, University of California Los Angeles
Andre Lucas Ribeiro MD, MSc, University of Toronto
Joy Um MD, Washington University in St. Louis
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SPARTAN committees are accepting new members for two-year terms.
Education Committee
Meets monthly to develop educational programs for rheumatologists and non-rheumatologists on SpA. Organizes the annual Spondyloarthritis Review Course at the annual meeting, the annual ACR Convergence adjacent symposium on axSpA and PsA (with GRAPPA and ASAS).
Research Committee
Develops SPARTAN research initiatives and grant programs. Organizes the peer review of
SPARTAN grant applications and of trainee abstract submissions for the annual meeting. Meets as needed to manage these responsibilities.
Communications Committee
Provides medical and scientific content for SPARTAN quarterly newsletters and SPARTAN social media platforms and website. Meets quarterly to plan and develop newsletters and social media posts.
Finance Committee
Assists Treasurer with developing the budget and overseeing the SPARTAN financial holdings and investment policies. Must be SPARTAN Full Member.
Governance Committee
Meets quarterly to reviews and approves SPARTAN membership applications. Reviews applications for the SPARTAN Board of Directors and nominations for the Research Career Achievement Award. Reviews and makes recommendations on SPARTAN bylaws as needed. Must be SPARTAN Full Member.
Publications Committee
Ensures that publications endorsed by SPARTAN or produced by SPARTAN initiatives meet high standards of quality and achieve prominent visibility within the general community and among SpA stakeholders.
Annual Meeting Planning Committee
Develops the programming for the SPARTAN annual meeting. Oversees logistics including marketing, registration, virtual platform selection, post-meeting evaluation. Works with the Communications Committee for comprehensive marketing strategy. Begins planning the summer before the spring meeting and meets as needed.
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EULAR Congress June 12 - 15, 2024, Vienna
GRAPPA Annual Meeting July 11-13, 2024, Seattle
International Congress on Spondyloarthritides September 5-7, 2024, Ghent
ACR Convergence November 11-19, 2024 Washington DC
SPARTAN Annual Meeting May 8-10, 2025 Toronto
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SPARTAN is a network of health care professionals in North America who are dedicated to research, awareness and treatment of spondyloarthritis. SPARTAN is funded through educational grants from companies with an interest in this area of medicine. | | | | |
