Author Archives: David Leverenz

Entheseal Eight Results

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The second round of the RheumMadness tournament is complete! To see how your bracket is doing, head over to the RheumMadness Tourneytopia website. 

Results for reach matchup in the Entheseal Eight are reviewed below, including how the 7-member Blue Ribbon Panel (BRP) voted compared to participant picks. Huge thanks to our amazing panel for their thoughtful consideration.

Overall, the Cells region turned out as participants expected. The BRP voted for CAR-T cells (5) over Anti-NET antibodies (2). Likewise, 49% of participants picked CAR-T cells to win this region compared to only 27% of participants who picked Anti-NET antibodies. The remaining 24% of participants picked Cytokine Networks or Pim kinases, which didn’t even make it to this round.

There was a major upset in the Animal House region. The BRP voted for Dog osteoarthritis (4) over Axolotl limbs (3) by a slim margin. However, only 23% of participants picked Dog osteoarthritis to win this region compared to 46% who picked Axolotls. These dogs really dug deep and found their inner peacocks!

The Machines region also features an upset. The BRP voted for PET in LVV (5) over AI: TNFi response (2). However, only 21% of participants picked PET in LVV, slightly less than the 33% who picked AI: TNFi response. It’s looking like it would have taken some machine learning to predict this region!

Finally, there was an absolute blowout in the People region, with Repro health guide (7) demolishing False+ AxSpA MRI (0). Obviously they are both quality teams, but the MRIs just didn’t have it this round. Participants saw this one coming a mile away, with 53% picking Repro Health Guide and only 14% picking False+ AxSpA MRI.

What’s up next?

Results for the next 2 rounds will be released on the following dates:

  • Saturday, April 2: The IgG Four (Round 3)
  • Monday, April 4: The Interleukin Two (Round 4, championship!)

We will also release a new RheumMadness podcast episode where we reflect on the tournament so far. Stay tuned, the learning isn’t over yet!

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Seronegative 16 Results

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The first round of the RheumMadness tournament is complete! To see how your bracket is doing, head over to the RheumMadness Tourneytopia website. 

Results for reach matchup in the Seronegative Sixteen are reviewed below, including how the 7-member Blue Ribbon Panel (BRP) voted compared to participant picks. Huge thanks to our amazing panel for their thoughtful consideration. Overall, the first round was incredibly close – 5 of the 8 matchups were decided by a single vote!

There were two major upsets in this first round. The BRP voted for PET in LVV (4 votes) over DECT in gout (3 votes), however the majority of participants favored DECT (53%). In addition, the BRP voted for False+ AxSpA (4) over Increasing +ANA (3), however the majority of participants favored increasing +ANA (57%). Upset city! Did the panel make the right call? Tell us what you think using #RheumMadness.

Cells Region Results

The BRP voted for Anti-NET antibodies (4) over Cytokine Networks (3). Participants also favored Anti-NET (62%).

The BRP voted for CAR-T cells (5) over Pim kinases (2). Participants also favored CAR-T (79%).

Animal House Region Results

The BRP voted for Axolotl limbs (5) over Dinosaur SpA (2). Participants also favored axolotl limbs (69%).

The BRP voted for Dog osteoarthritis (4) over Dalmatian urate (3). Participants also favored Dog OA (58%).

Machines Region Results

The BRP voted for AI: TNFi response (4) over AI: JIA subtypes (3). Participants also favored AI: TNFi response (68%).

The BRP voted for PET in LVV (4) over DECT in gout (3). Participants DISAGREED, favoring DECT (53%). Upset city!

People Region Results

The BRP voted for Repro health guide (6) over TNFi in cord blood (1). Participants also favored Repro health guide (71%)

The BRP voted for False+ AxSpA (4) over Increasing +ANA (3). Participants DISAGREED, favoring Increasing +ANA (57%). Upset city!

What’s up next?

Results for the next 3 rounds will be released on the following dates:

  • Monday, March 28: The Entheseal Eight (Round 2)
  • Saturday, April 2: The IgG Four (Round 3)
  • Monday, April 4: The Interleukin Two (Round 4, championship!)

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RheumMadness is Here!

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Bracket entires for RheumMadness 2022 are open! You have until Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 12:01 AM Eastern Standard Time to submit your bracket.

What is RheumMadness?

RheumMadness is a FREE educational tournament for everyone who is crazy about rheumatology. The project is funded by a Clinician Scholar Educator Award from the Rheumatology Research Foundation and inspired by a similar project in nephrology called NephMadness.

How to Play RheumMadness (it’s easy)

  1. Read “scouting reports” to learn about the teams in the tournament.
  2. Submit your picks before Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 12:01 AM ET.
  3. Enjoy the tournament!  Results will be released in 4 rounds from March 26 – April 4, 2022.

How are matches determined?

The winner of each match-up is decided by a 7-member “Blue Ribbon Panel” of rheumatologists. The panel will vote based on which topic they think is most important to patients, providers, and researchers, both now and in the future. The more your picks match those of the panel, the more points you get!  Scroll down to learn more about the panel.

More Questions? Watch this 2 minute explainer video.

What do I get if I win?

Participants with the most correct predictions will “win” RheumMadness. Prizes will be given to participants with the top scores in the following categories: (1) Attending / APP, (2) Fellow, and (3) Resident / Medical Student. The prize is a custom RheumMadness coffee mug and a lifetime of bragging rights. But really, everyone wins in RheumMadness because you get to connect, collaborate, compete, and learn together.

The 2022 Blue Ribbon Panel

We are thankful to have an amazing panel with diverse interests, areas of expertise, and practice settings.

  • Belinda Birnbaum, MD, rheumatologist at the Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists Association in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Follow her at @BelindaBirnbaum. 
  • Ashira Blazer, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Follow her at @ashira_md.
  • Kevin Byram, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Co-director of The Vanderbilt Vasculitis Clinic, and Associate Director of the Vanderbilt Rheumatology Fellowship Program. Follow him at @kwbyram.
  • Anisha Dua, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Director of the Northwestern Rheumatology Fellowship Program and Director of the Vasculitis Center. Follow her at @anisha_dua.
  • Al Kim, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL), Co-director of the WUSTL Lupus Clinic. Follow him at @alhkim.
  • Laura Lewandowski, MS, MD, Assistant Clinical Investigator at the National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and Head of the Lupus Genomics and Global Health Disparities Unit. Follow her at @LauraLewMad11.
  • Iman Qaiser, MD, first-year rheumatology fellow at LSU Health Shreveport. Follow her at @imanqwho.

More ways to connect with RheumMadness

  1. Listen to the RheumMadness podcast. In this podcast series, we dive deeper into each team, interview fellows who wrote the scouting reports, and highlight themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion as they relate to the learning concepts in RheumMadness
    You can find the podcast on all major podcasting apps.
  2. Join the conversation on Twitter (#RheumMadness).
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The Bracket is Complete!

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Behold, the full bracket for RheumMadness 2022! What happens next? Bracket submissions will open on Monday, March 14, and the first round of the tournament will happen on Saturday, March 26.

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The Scouting Reports

Over 70 collaborators from 13 institutions wrote the scouting reports for RheumMadness 2022. This includes 43 fellows, 23 faculty, 3 residents, and 1 medical student. What an amazing collaboration! We are also thankful to collaborate with the editorial staff of the Rheumatologist. Each report is available on their website, and we have posted links here so you can find them.

Use the links below to access each scouting report:

Scouting Report Archive

Click here to access the scouting reports from RheumMadness 2021

People Region

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By now, you have probably realized that the other regions are also about people. But this region is REALLY about people. The People Region challenges participants to explore an often neglected area of care: reproductive health and treatment during pregnancy. In addition, the region explores what’s “normal” in people, given recent evidence of increasing ANA positivity and a high prevalence of MRI findings that look like SpA in healthy young adults. Power to the people!

Reproductive Health Guide, written by the Duke University Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Catherine Sims, MD; Sonali Bracken, MD, PhD; Megan Milne, MD; Nathaniel Harris, MD, PhD; Poorva Apte, MD; Lena Eder, MD; Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, MD, Med; Megan Clowse, MD; & David Leverenz, MD

TNFi in Cord Blood, written by Lauren He, MD & Cuoghi Edens, MD from the University of Chicago School of Medicine

Increasing positive ANA, written by Lauren He, MD; Ana B. Arevalo, MD; & Kichul Ko, MD from the University of Chicago School of Medicine

False positive MRI in Axial Spondyloarthritis, written by the University of South Florida Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Anastasiya (Stacy) Bagrova, MD; Shreya Gor, MD; Joanne Valeriano-Marcet, MD; Larry Young, MD; & John Carter, MD

Click here to see the full bracket and read more scouting reports for RheumMadness 2022.

How to Play RheumMadness

Bracket submissions for the 2022 tournament will open March 14, 2022. For updates, you can join our email newsletter, listen to the RheumMadness Podcast, and/or join the conversation on Twitter using #RheumMadness. Important dates for RheumMadness 2022 are below:

  • Monday, March 14: Bracket entries open
  • Friday, March 24: Bracket entries close
  • Saturday, March 25: Round 1
  • Monday, March 28: Round 2
  • Saturday, April 2: Round 3
  • Monday, April 4: Round 4

Want to learn more about RheumMadness?

For a quick summary, head to our “RheumMadness 101” page and/or read our write-up in the July 2021 issue of The Rheumatologist.

Blue Ribbon Panel 2022

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We are thrilled to introduce the Blue Ribbon Panel for RheumMadness 2022.  This panel of distinguished rheumatologists will vote to determine which teams advance in the tournament.  The more your predictions match those of the panel, the more points you will get in the tournament!  Learn more about our panelists below.

Belinda Birnbaum, MD, is a rheumatologist at the Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists Association in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Follow her at @BelindaBirnbaum. 

Ashira Blazer, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Follow her at @ashira_md.

Kevin Byram, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Co-director of The Vanderbilt Vasculitis Clinic, and Associate Director of the Vanderbilt Rheumatology Fellowship Program. Follow him at @kwbyram.

Anisha Dua, MD, MPH, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Director of the Northwestern Rheumatology Fellowship Program and Director of the Vasculitis Center. Follow her at @anisha_dua.

Al Kim, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL), Co-director of the WUSTL Lupus Clinic. Follow him at @alhkim.

Laura Lewandowski, MS, MD, is an Assistant Clinical Investigator at the National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and Head of the Lupus Genomics and Global Health Disparities Unit. Follow her at @LauraLewMad11.

Iman Qaiser, MD, is a first-year rheumatology fellow at LSU Health Shreveport. Follow her at @imanqwho.

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Machines Region Scouting Reports

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It’s the rise of the machines! The scouting reports for the Machines Region are posted on the website of The Rheumatologist. Click on the team names below for a link to each report.

Artificial Intelligence: JIA Subtypes, written by the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Alisha Akinsete, MD; Malki Peskin, MD; & Jessica Perfetto, MD

Artificial Intelligence: TNFi Response, written by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Saja Almaaitah, MD; Shashank Cheemalavagu, MD; Rupal Shastri, MD; Perry Fuchs, MD; Melany Gonzalez Orta, MD; & James Vondenberg,

DECT in Gout, written by the MedStar Georgetown Washington Hospital Center: Leen Al Saleh, MD; Ajita Acharya, MD; Elena Obreja, MD; & Akrithi U. Garren, MD

PET in LVV, written by the Medical University of South Carolina Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Sean Carter, MD; Jessica English, MD; Brad Collins, DO; Ana Tucker, MD; Jen Schmidt, MD; Whitney Elg-Salsman, DO; & Faye Hant, DO

Click here to see the rest of the bracket and read more scouting reports for RheumMadness 2022.

How to Play RheumMadness

Bracket submissions for the 2022 tournament will open March 14, 2022. For updates, you can join our email newsletter, listen to the RheumMadness Podcast, and/or join the conversation on Twitter using #RheumMadness. Important dates for RheumMadness 2022 are below:

  • Monday, March 14: Bracket entries open
  • Friday, March 24: Bracket entries close
  • Saturday, March 25: Round 1
  • Monday, March 28: Round 2
  • Saturday, April 2: Round 3
  • Monday, April 4: Round 4

Want to learn more about RheumMadness?

For a quick summary, head to our “What is RheumMadness?” page and/or read our write-up in the July 2021 issue of The Rheumatologist.

 

RheumMadness in Figure1

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Thanks to Mike Putman for a great write-up in the Figure1 rheumatology newsletter.  If you are here to explore RheumMadness for the first time, you can start at our RheumMadness 101 page for a quick overview and video explainer.  Then start exploring the scouting reports and listening to the RheumMadness Podcast.  We hope you enjoy our crazy tournament!

Bracket entries won’t start until March 14, so check back later for more updates.  Even better, subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss anything RheumMadness-related.

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Animal House Region Scouting Reports

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The Animal House Region scouting reports are here! The reports are posted on the website of The Rheumatologist. Click on the team names below for a link to each report.

Axolotl limbs, written by the Wake Forest School of Medicine Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Khiem Vu, MD; Alyssa Strazanac, MD; John Herion, DO; & Rami Diab, MD

Dinosaur SpA, written by the Virginia Commonwealth University Rheumatology Fellowship Program: David Shoemaker, MD; Evan Dombrosky, MD; Nima Madanchi, MD; Abhishek Nandan, MD; & Huzaefah Syed, MD

Dalmatian Urate, written by the University of Texas Southwestern Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Kubra Bugdayli, MD; Brett Capel, MD; Yusuf Chao, MD; Melissa DeFoe, MD; Daniel Emesiani, MD; Joad Eseddi, MD; Nagendra Pokala, MD; Komal Patel, MD; Bonnie Bermas, MD; Haidy Galous, MD; Andreas Reimold, MD; & Guillermo Andres Quiceno, MD

Dog Osteoarthritis, written by the Ohio State University Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Nina Couette, DO; Jesse Reisner, DO; & Sheryl Mascarenhas, MD, Fellowship Program Director

Click here to see the rest of the bracket and read more scouting reports for RheumMadness 2022.

How to Play RheumMadness

Bracket submissions for the 2022 tournament will open March 14, 2022. For updates, you can join our email newsletter, listen to the RheumMadness Podcast, and/or join the conversation on Twitter using #RheumMadness. Important dates for RheumMadness 2022 are below:

  • Monday, March 14: Bracket entries open
  • Friday, March 24: Bracket entries close
  • Saturday, March 25: Round 1
  • Monday, March 28: Round 2
  • Saturday, April 2: Round 3
  • Monday, April 4: Round 4

Want to learn more about RheumMadness?

For a quick summary, head to our “What is RheumMadness?” page and/or read our write-up in the July 2021 issue of The Rheumatologist.

 

Cells Region Scouting Reports

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The scouting reports for the Cells Region are here!  The reports are posted on the website of The Rheumatologist. Click on the team names below for a link to each report.

Anti-NET Antibodies, written by the UNC Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Leah Bettner, MD; Shruti Chandramouli, MD; Christopher Overton, MD; Astia Allenzara, MD; Michael Cunningham, MD; & Luis Palomino, MD

Cytokine networks, written by The RheumMadness Leadership Team: David Leverenz, MD; Akrithi Udupa, MD; Guy Katz, MD; Lauren He, MD; Ben Kellog, MD; Michael Macklin, MD; Courtney Bair; Matthew Sparks, MD; & Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, MD, MEd

CAR-T Cells, written by the Mass General Hospital Rheumatology Fellowship Program: Guy Katz, MD; Ian Cooley, MD; Duncan Moore, MD; Jacquelyn Nestor, MD, PhD; & Steven Witte, MD, PhD

Pim kinases, written by the residents from the RheumMadness Leadership team: Michael Macklin, MD, PharmD; Ben Kellogg, MD; Lauren He, MD; & David Leverenz, MD

How to Play RheumMadness

Bracket submissions for the 2022 tournament will open in March 2022. For updates, you can join our email newsletter, listen to the RheumMadness Podcast, and/or join the conversation on Twitter using #RheumMadness. Important dates for RheumMadness 2022 are below:

  • Monday, March 14: Bracket entries open
  • Friday, March 24: Bracket entries close
  • Saturday, March 25: Round 1
  • Monday, March 28: Round 2
  • Saturday, April 2: Round 3
  • Monday, April 4: Round 4

Want to learn more about RheumMadness?

For a quick summary, head to our “What is RheumMadness?” page, read our write-up in the July 2021 issue of The Rheumatologist, or just watch the 4-minute explainer video below: