The average person with axial spondyloarthritis has back pain without a diagnosis for *over 6 years*. This needs to change! Thanks to @spartanrheum.bsky.social and #PANLAR2026 for the opportunity to highlight this in the pre-congress symposium.

Funding rates for R01s decreased in 2025 for applicants from all career stages. grants.nih.gov/news-events/...

Scenes from CAThens @rheumcat.bsky.social

🐎I just learned of this interesting treatment possibility for #axSpA: HIPPOTHERAPY! A simulator mimics movement of a horse. This makes sense bc of the lumbar spine & hip mobility that riding requires. My relative with axSpA said "Should I start horsing around?!" www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

It is an honor to continue serving on the board of SPARTAN alongside this esteemed group. We met last week to discuss the direction of #spondyloarthritis research and the future looks bright!💡 @spartanrheum.bsky.social @nigil-haroon.bsky.social @rheumcat.bsky.social

🧵 New study alert! 💊 Does early TNF inhibitor (TNFi) therapy reduce chronic opioid use in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA)? 👉 We looked at real-world US data to find out. 📄 Arthritis Care & Research, 2025 🔗 acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... @rheumcat.bsky.social

Our paper looking at annual prescription rates of opioids 💊 vs NSAIDs 💊and TNF inhibitors 💉for people with axial spondyloarthritis in the US & UK is now out @acr-journals.bsky.social pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40977482/ @degirmenciberk2.bsky.social is preparing a visual abstract, so stay tuned

We at BU Rheum had the pleasure of learning from Drs. Divya Shankar and Mari-Lynn Drainone to speak today on Implementation Science. sites.bu.edu/ciis/ @bu-bmc-rheum.bsky.social

We found that adults with axSpA or PsA had ⬇️ odds of hip/knee replacement with use ofTNFi, non-TNFi biologics or DMARDs as compared to NSAIDs. Odds w/ JAK inhib was also lower but not statistically significant. Use this info in shared decision-making!

Veterans I care for at VA Boston showed me so much love today with tasty treats! Incredible tomatoes, spaghetti & meatballs and homemade BBQ sauce! @vaboston.bsky.social

This is critically important to our understanding of SpA!

The SPARTAN Review Course is on! Dr. Aki Nakamura presented on the pathogenesis of axial spondyloarthritis, highlighting new science around HLA-B27, arthritogenic peptides and mechanisms of disease independent of HLA-B27. deptmed.queensu.ca/index.php/pe...

💫As part of our T32 lecture series @bu-bmc-rheum.bsky.social welcomed Drs. Sarah Bagley (GIM) and Vanessa Xanthakis (Preventive Med) to discuss LIFE HACKS FOR BUSY RESEARCHERS. Highlights here. Do you have any tips to share? www.bumc.bu.edu/rheumatology...

Today we learned from osteoporosis expert Dr. Alan Malabanan about management of patients at very high risk for fracture. @alanmalabanan.bsky.social www.bumc.bu.edu/medicine/pro...

🌏The 7th Annual Global Spondyloarthritis Summit is May 2nd & 3rd! Enjoy interactive activities, rooms, networking, gamification, exercise and yoga classes, poster hall, exhibit hall, swag bags, social media wall and more. spondyloarthritissummit2025.vfairs.com

Editor's Picks Spotlight Disparities in Time to Diagnosis of Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis with Drs. Renato Ferrandiz-Espadin, Jean W. Liew and Maureen Dubreuil @renatoferrandiz.bsky.social @rheumcat.bsky.social @spondymd.bsky.social 📖 doi.org/10.3899/jrhe... 📽️ youtu.be/jXAe-dlbxsc

💡 We recently had the pleasure of learning from my colleague, Dr. Monica Crespo-Bosque, who discussed Treatment of Arthritis in Lupus. www.bumc.bu.edu/camed/profil...

Congrats to Deepak Kumar sites.bu.edu/kumarlab/ who found that earlier PT and >12 sessions were associated with lower risk of future intra-articular therapy use in people w/ knee OA. doi.org/10.1002/art....

Excited to share our latest publication on demographic & geographic diversity in axial spondyloarthritis drug trials! We analyzed 59 trials (16,000+ participants) since 2000. Big thanks to the team @wissamghusn.bsky.social @spondymd.bsky.social @joergermann pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40089303/

We found that diagnostic delay in axial spondyloarthritis was 21% longer (7 months) among people with a social need, using an accelerated failure time model. @jrheumatol.bsky.social @renatoferrandiz.bsky.social www.jrheum.org/content/52/4...

We had the pleasure of learning from Dr. Robert John Fontana today about liver injury related to DMARDs and other rheum meds #rheumsky www.michiganmedicine.org/profile/3966...

Our study was covered by Healio: TNFi were associated with 29% lower odds of fracture relative to NSAIDs in axSpA! www.healio.com/news/rheumat...

I just came across *3 messages* I sent myself in the middle of the night with additional thoughts on a sick person I recently cared for. #Rheumsky

Access to timely health information is critical for emergency care. #MedSky #EMSky #EMedSky

Last week I visited the Anne Frank House- I urge you to visit, too. On this Holocaust Remembrance Day and every day, we stand against hatred.

SPARTAN's call for trainee abstracts in #spondyloarthritis is out. Due Feb 28. Annual Meeting May 9 & 10 in Toronto. (review course May 8) spartangroup.org/call-for-202...

SPARTAN Announced $10,000 Mentored Fellowship Award for rheumatology trainees to fund #spondyloarthritis research projects. Awards announced at the SPARTAN. Membership not required. Due Feb 28. spartangroup.org/mentored-fel...

SPARTAN announced a $25,000 Early Career Investigator Award for members. Due Feb 28. t.co/k232lhj2uw

If you’ve been directly impacted by a pause or cancellation of an NIH study session, we @forbes.com would like to talk to you

If not immediately reversed, Trump's effective shut down of the NIH is going to cause permanent damage to the reputation of US as a leader in science. www.science.org/content/arti...

It was a pleasure to attend the ASAS Annual Meeting in the historic city of Maastricht, especially with my SPARTAN colleagues! Congratulations to ASAS on their 30th birthday!!🎉

We are celebrating winter holidays with all the treats!! 😍 @bu-bmc-rheum.bsky.social

⬇️🦴 We found that TNF inhibitor use in axSpA was associated with 29% lower odds of fracture (relative to NSAIDs). Check out our paper in A&R: acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1... Congrats to Devin Driscoll, Navya George, @rheumcat.bsky.social and collaborators!

Congratulations to Drs. Mohamad Bittar and Atul Deodhar for this *outstanding* review of axial spondyloarthritis. Bookmark this for a read!

It's an honor to serve alongside this illustrious crew on the SPARTAN (Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network) board. Our retreat was a great success! Spartangroup.org