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 91 – Late-Onset Scleroderma Renal Crisis
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
Browse previous episodes in the ACR Journals on Air archive.
Episode Show Notes
In this episode, we speak with Swati Mehta, MD, and Lee Schulman Shapiro, MD, about their study examining early- and late-onset scleroderma renal crisis using data from three patient cohorts. They discuss key clinical findings, including important differences related to sex, autoantibodies, presentation, dialysis outcomes, and long-term prognosis, as well as the implications for patient care. The conversation also explores the personal journeys of both guests—from Dr. Mehta’s path from northern India to a career at the intersection of nephrology and rheumatology, to Dr. Shapiro’s reflections on nearly five decades in clinical practice and life after retirement.
Swati Mehta, MD – Swati Mehta, MD, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of acute kidney injuries, chronic kidney diseases, glomerulonephritis, and end stage renal diseases. She is co-director of the Glomerular Disease Center at Albany Medical Center.
As an associate program director of the Nephrology Fellowship at Albany Medical College, Dr. Mehta is actively involved in the education and training of nephrology fellows and has received multiple awards for her dedication in the field of education.
Dr. Mehta's research interests include scleroderma and kidney disease, sarcoidosis and kidney disease, and glomerulonephritis, and she has published numerous papers on these topics.
Lee Schulman Shapiro, MD – Lee Schulman Shapiro, MD, is a distinguished rheumatologist recognized for more than four decades of clinical care, research, and leadership in systemic sclerosis and Degos disease. Dr. Shapiro earned his BA magna cum laude in 1973 and his MD from Columbia University in 1977 before completing internal medicine training and a rheumatology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh under Dr. Gerald Rodnan.
Dr. Shapiro spent his career practicing and teaching in New York’s Capital Region, serving on the rheumatology staff of St. Peter’s Hospital, Albany Medical Center, and Saratoga Hospital, and ultimately becoming Professor of Medicine (Emeritus) at Albany Medical College and Director of its Scleroderma Clinic.
A fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and American College of Physicians, he has authored numerous influential publications on systemic sclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, and Degos disease. He founded and serves as Chief Medical Officer of both The Steffens Scleroderma and Degos Disease Foundation, advancing clinical research and patient advocacy internationally.
Widely honored—including the Scleroderma Foundation’s Distinguished Physician Lifetime Achievement Award and repeated Castle Connolly “Best Doctor” recognitions—Dr. Shapiro is regarded as a leading voice in rare disease research, interdisciplinary education, and compassionate patient-centered care.
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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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