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SPRING 2024 Vol. 10 Issue 2

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.










Joerg Ermann, MD

Chair, SPARTAN Board of Directors

SPARTAN ANNUAL MEETING

We are livestreaming the entire SPARTAN Annual Meeting, Spondyloarthritis Review Course, & Ultrasound Workshop

Annual Meeting Agenda

All healthcare providers with an interest in spondyloarthritis are invited to attend remotely

 Meeting Registration

Please register as "other nonmember (virtual only)"

There is no registration fee


Meeting Highlights

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

Review Course Agenda

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.

2024 Abstracts

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

Save the Dates






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.

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