Join us this week as Jon meets with a truly influential woman in the medical field, Dr. Elizabeth Ang, being one of the first pediatric rheumatologists in the Southeast Asian region to receive pediatric rheumatology training and is the Co-Convenor of the Paediatric Rheumatology Special Interest Group of APLAR (Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology). Beyond this, and so that children with rheumatic disease in the region have the opportunity to be diagnosed and treated, Dr. Ang trains local doctors and shares her knowledge and experience with them in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar. In this episode she and Dr. Hausmann discuss Singapore’s healthcare system, access to biologics, cultural barriers to treatment and much, much more.

Bone health may not be first on the mind when discussing rheumatology, however, Dr. Marcy Bolster believes it plays a vital role in caring for ‘the whole patient’. As such, Dr. Bolster’s innovative contributions to the field of Osteoporosis cannot be overstated. She joins us today to discuss the role of the rheumatologist in helping to prevent or treat Osteoporosis, how often it’s under-recognized, plus the services she created to help identify, diagnose and treat the condition among patients.

When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, treatments that force the immune system into overdrive are given in hopes that it will recognize the cancer and destroy it. Unfortunately, this can mean that various Immune Related Adverse Events (IRAEs) can occur. In rheumatology, our treatments are meant to tame an overactive immune system, creating a unique dilemma. Joining us today is Dr. Laura Cappelli, MD, MHS. Dr. Cappelli explains what these IRAEs really are, how they commonly occur, what risk factors exist in their development, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment and much, much more.