1st PAFLAR Congress: Guest Speakers

A specialist in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology (Adult & Paediatric). Trained at Guys and St Thomas Hospital, London; and the Children’s Hospital, Tufts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was appointed Prof of Rheumatology, University of Cape Town Medical School in 1996. Currently Consultant in Rheumatology (Adult & Paediatric) at St Barts & The Royal London Hospital. London, UK; and Prof of Medicine, Catholic University Zimbabwe; and Prof of Rheumatology & Immunology, University of Zimbabwe. He is also a medical scientist and some of his research work led to the development of successful biological treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune inflammatory diseases. He has published over 140 papers in peer review medical journals and 5 medical books. His research interests are in immunotherapy, neuroendocrine immunology and corticosteroid resistances. A Fellow & member of the American College of Rheumatology, British Society of Rheumatology, African League Against Rheumatism, and a past President of The Royal Society of Medicine, London, UK (Ethnic minority health section). A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London, UK; Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health, London, UK; American College of Physicians; East Central Southern Africa College of Medicine. He has been involved in setting up pioneering healthcare systems in southern Africa and USA for effective healthcare delivery; is Chairman of Board of Trustees of Arthritis Care Africa Foundation. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the European Medical Journal Rheumatology and seats on the Editorial Boards of several other Medical journals. Director of The International Arthritis & Hypermobility Centre, London, UK.

Prof. Michaël Hofer is a Paediatric Immunologist and Rheumatologist, working at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland; he is leading the Paediatric Immuno-rheumatology Service of Western Switzerland that offers decentralized consultations in 5 different sites, among them the University Paediatric departments of Lausanne and of Geneva. Paediatric inflammatory rheumatisms, including auto-inflammatory syndromes, are at the heart of Michaël Hofer’s clinical and research activity. He has established an international cohort for Juvenile Inflammatory Rheumatisms (JIRcohort) to determine patients’ long-term outcome and the tolerance of the treatments. He has been actively involved in numerous clinical studies, both nationally and internationally, and he was recently co-chairing the consensus conference to propose evidence-based classification criteria for monogenic autoinflammatory diseases PFAPA. He focused his research activities mainly on the study of auto-inflammatory diseases and in particular PFAPA (Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis syndrome) and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Since 2016, he is organizing an international Winter school on Juvenile Inflammatory rheumatisms in the Swiss mountains; this year the event is dedicated to paediatric vasculitis and will be virtual. Michaël Hofer is a member of several scholarly societies, including the International Society of Systemic Auto-Inflammatory Diseases, and the Swiss Paediatric Society, where he served as President; he was President of the French Society of Paediatric Rheumatology (SOFREMIP) and Secretary of the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS)

Helen graduated from Newcastle University in 1985, trained in adult medicine and rheumatology, subsequently general paediatrics and paediatric rheumatology with a clinical fellowship in Vancouver, Canada. She was awarded an Arthritis Research Campaign Research Fellowship 1988-1990. She has worked in the National Health Service (NHS) UK since 1985 and as a consultant since 1995 at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Helen was appointed as Clinical Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Rheumatology 2001 at Newcastle University and awarded a Personal Chair in 2008. Helen worked at Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia 2018-2020 and set up the Paediatric Global MSK Task Force with a ‘call to action’ to promote better MSK health for all children. She returned to the UK in October 2020 and appointed as Strategic Research Advisor to focus on global health and international collaborations working with charities to instigate and lobby for change. Helen is a champion of best practice, an advocate for ‘right care’ and has represented paediatric rheumatology at a national and international level to develop and implement changes in clinical practice, training and research. She has more than 250 peer reviewed publications, has contributed to many textbooks and e-learning programmes. Her academic work focuses on working with stakeholders to address challenges in an evidence-based way. Key achievements include novel clinical tools (pGALS, pREMS) widely embedded in clinical education and e-resources targeting medical students, community care and general paediatricians around the world. In various national roles she led change in clinical care delivery and training across the UK, led NHS England Specialist Commissioning in paediatric rheumatology and led development of European Recommendations for Transitional care. She contributed to NICE guidance on biologics in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, NICE guidance to support clinical assessment of children in primary care and ‘Right Path as a model of triage for children in the community (BSR Best Practice Award 2018). She is member of the WHO Expert Panel for MSK Health (appointed 2021) and is member of the Global Task Force collaboration to update the WHO Essentials Medicine List for Joint Diseases (2020).

Prof. Chris Scott is Associate Professor and head of Paediatric Rheumatology at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and the University of Cape Town. His research and educational focus is on the care of patients with rare and rheumatic diseases in Africa and other less resourced communities. Prof Scott has a special interest in access to care, Paediatric SLE, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. He is a former the chairman of the South African Arthritis Foundation and the co-chair of the Global Task Force for Musculoskeletal Health Task Force. He also serves on the Steering committee of the Paediatric Society of the African League of Against Rheumatism, the International Clinical Council for FOP and the International Presidents Council for IFOPA

Dr. Rosie Scuccimarri is a Paediatric Rheumatologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatric of McGill University. She was the Paediatric Rheumatology Residency program director from 2011-2018. Her research interests include Pediatric Rheumatology Global Health, Kawasaki Disease and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. She is currently the chair of the Therapeutics Committee of the Canadian Rheumatology Association ; and previously served as board member, and chair of the Paediatrics Committee. She is also currently a board member of Rheumatology For All ; and has been involved in educational activities in Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Dr. Migowa is an Assistant Professor and Pediatric Rheumatologist in the department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Aga Khan University Nairobi, Kenya. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Rheumatology at McGill University Health Centre, Montreal-Canada and holds a Masters in Paediatrics and Child Health (AKUH). She is the Chair of the Paediatric Society of the African. League Against Rheumatology Task Force Working Group (PAFLAR) which is mandated to oversee and advocate for Paediatric Rheumatology in Africa and also the National Vice-Chair of the Kenya Paediatric Association. Her interests include Rheumatology, Clinical Immunology, Adolescent Medicine, Leadership and Governance. She is currently a member of the PRES global task force and involved in collaborations with the Kenya Paediatric Association, ArthRheuma Society of Kenya, Allergy Society of Kenya, Association of Women in Rheumatology (AWIR), African League Against Rheumatism (AFLAR), Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA), American College of Rheumatology (ACR), European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) and Women Leaders in Global Health Movement (WLGH).
In order to raise awareness for paediatric rheumatology and primary immunodeficiencies, she has held several lectures and conference presentations across Africa, Europe and North America among medical students, doctors, nurses and patient support groups. She has pioneered the implementation of the first A project in Kenya aimed at raising awareness for primary immunodeficiencies in Africa. She partners with patient support groups such as the International Patient Organisation for Primary Immunodeficiencies (IPOPI) and Rare Disease Society of Kenya to raise awareness and advocate for patients with rheumatological and other rare diseases. She is a certified RCUK EPLS Instructor

Athimalaipet V. Ramanan is a consultant paediatric rheumatologist at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. He is the joint lead for research (Division of Women and Children) at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, and Professor of Paediatric Rheumatology at the University of Bristol. Professor Ramanan is a medical advisor for Olivia’s Vision and the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society. He is also Chair for the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network: Children/Arthritis Research UK (ARUK) Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Studies Group, and Associate Director for the UK Experimental Arthritis Treatment Centre for Children (JIA-Uveitis and Industry work streams). He was awarded the British Society of Rheumatology’s Innovation in Clinical Practice Award in 2010. He was also awarded the University of Bristol Vice Chancellor’s Health Impact award in 2017 and Royal College of Physicians/NIHR CRN Award for outstanding contribution to research in 2018. Professor Ramanan’s has published >200 articles and numerous book chapters covering a variety of topics in the field of rheumatology. He is the Co-Editor of Rheumatology and Associate Editor for the Archives of Diseases in Childhood. He is also leading trials of Tocilizumab and Baricitinib in COVID-19 and part of the paediatric steering committee of the RECOVERY trial.

Associate Professor of Paediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Batna 2, Algeria. Head of the General paediatrics Unit in the Paediatric Department, University Hospital Center of Batna, Algeria. She focused in the Paediatric Rheumatology and Paediatric pulmonology and immunology. She is a member of the PAFLAR core working Task force and the chair of the PAFLAR Scientific committee. Member of the Global Task Force for Musculoskeletal Health Task Force. Member of the French Society for Paediatric Rheumatological and Inflammatory Diseases (SOFREMIP). Member of the Algerian society of Paediatrics (SAP). Member of the Research Laboratory of Constitutional and Acquired Genetic Diseases (MAGECA).

Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Rheumatologist Head of the Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Internal Medicine, and Pediatric Nephrology Hôpital universitaire Mère Enfant A. Harouchi, CHU Ibn Rochd, Casablanca, Morocco President of SMMIRP « Moroccan society of Pediatric internal medicine and Pediatric Rheumatology » Member of SOFREMIP «Francophone Society of Rheumatology and Pediatric Internal Medicine » Member of the PRES «Pediatric Rheumatology European Society » Secretary General of the Association “Ijri”, «Moroccan Association for Aid to Children with Rheumatic Diseases » Medical consultant within the Moroccan Association of Mediterranean Family Fever “AMFMF” Secretary General of the association Alliance Rare Diseases Morocco “AMRM” Member of the reviewer committee of Ibn Rochd Journal

Rolando Cimaz is working as Head of the Paediatric Rheumatology Unit at Gaetano Pini Hospital in Milano, and is Full Professor in Rheumatology at the University of Milano. He was previously working in Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence, and as an Associate professor of Paediatrics at the University of Florence. He graduated from Milan University in Italy in 1987, is a specialist in Paediatrics (1991) and in Rheumatology (2003), and did his Fellowship in Paediatric Rheumatology in Dallas, Texas, in 1993-1994. He has been a Maître de Conferences des Universités at Université Claude Bernard in Lyon, France from 2005 to 2007. His main interest is paediatric rheumatology, and has special scientific interest in osteoporosis, antiphospholipid antibodies, Kawasaki disease, synovial T cells, and neonatal lupus. He has been in the Council of the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society from 1999 to 2005 (treasurer), and from 2014-2019 (Research Chair). He is a member of the American College of Rheumatology, Italian Society of Paediatrics, and French Society of Paediatric Inflammatory Diseases. He is co-author of more than 400 peer reviewed articles on PubMed, as well as more than 20 book chapters, all in the field of paediatric rheumatology. Editorial board member of Paediatric Rheumatology Online Journal, Lupus, Arthritis and Rheumatism, and editor of the books “Systemic Autoimmune Diseases in Paediatrics” and “Corticosteroids in Paediatrics”. Has a more than 20000 citations and a Google Scholar H index of 73.

Alexandre Belot is an academic researcher and professor of paediatric rheumatology and immunology. He was trained both in Lyon and Paris in the unit of paediatric Immunology of Pr Alain Fischer at Necker’s Hospital. After a PhD in Immunology, he attended a post-doctoral position in genetics in Manchester in the group of Pr Yanick Crow. He is now the Head of the Paediatic Rheumatology Unit and National referee centre for rare rheumatic and autoimmune diseases in children at “Femme Mère Enfant » Hospital, HCL, Lyon (RAISE). Involved in the national rare disease program, he co-chairs the network on rare autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases (FAI2R, www.fai2r.org) and is co-chair of the national research program on inflammatory diseases (www.imidiate.org). His research group is dedicated to the molecular understanding of early-onset inflammatory diseases, with a special interest for monogenic lupus. During the last years, part of his research work was also dedicated to COVID-19 in children. He is also running the educational program on paediatric rheumatology in France. He is the author of more than 150 publications in the field of paediatric rheumatology.

Professor of Rheumatology – Faculty of Medicine of Tunis – Tunis El Manar University, Head of the department of rheumatology – Kassab institute- Ksar Said- Tunisia, Head of the research unit « UR17SP04 » «Spondylarthritis : immunogenetics and early diagnosis» Associates Secretary of LITAR “Tunisian League against Rheumatism” ,Member of the Arab Adult Arthritis Awareness Group (AAAA) of the Arab League of association for rheumatology (ArLAR),Member of PAFLAR core working task force

Pierre Quartier is a paediatrician, professor at Université de Paris, Paris, France and coordinator for the French Reference Center for Paediatric Inflamamtory Rheumatisms and Systemic Auto-Immune Diseases (www.cmr-raise.fr), a French National Reference Center of Rare Diseases located in the Paediatric Immunology-Hematology and Rheumatology Unit at Necker-Enfants Malades hospital, Paris. He is also coordinator an Inter-University Paediatric Rheumatology Diploma and will take the lead of the Paediatric Immunology-Hematology and Rheumatology Unit of Necker-Enfants Malades hospital in September 2021.
Pr. Quartier has participated as an investigator in several multicentre trials in the field of paediatric rheumatology since 2004, including a number of trials of biologics in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and autoinflammatory syndromes. He is a member of the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society PReS (former Council member), a member of the Advisory board of the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trial Organization (PRINTO), a former President and Scientific Committee member of the French Society for Paediatric Rheumatological and Inflammatory Diseases SOFREMIP, as well as a former member of the Administrative Council of the French Society of Rheumatology.

Professor Isabelle Koné-Paut is the head of a world-renowned pediatric rheumatology department at the Kremlin Bicêtre hospital, university of Paris Sud-Saclay. Her department has been awarded EULAR Center of Excellence 2015-20 and 2020-25 with the Adult Rheumatology Department (Pr Xavier Mariette). Prof Koné-Paut coordinates the national reference center for rare autoinflammatory diseases and inflammatory amyloidosis (CEREMAI then CEREMAIA since 2007 which has five constitutive sites: Versailles: Dr. Hentgen, Tenon: Prof. Georgin-Lavialle, La Pitié: Pr Saadoun, and Pr Fautrel Montpellier: Pr Touitou). CEREMAIA is a member of the rare autoimmune and autoinflammatory systemic diseases French network: FAI2R. The Pediatric rheumatology team is a member of the European rare diseases network: RITA. The pediatric rheumatology department and CEREMAIA support children and adolescents with inflammatory rheumatisms (juvenile arthritis, spondyloarthritis), connective tissue diseases (lupus, scleroderma, inflammatory myopathies) and systemic vasculitis. More than 300 patients with autoinflammatory disease are seen every year. Particularly invested in clinical research, Professor Koné-Paut collaborates in a number of European and international initiatives: EUROFEVER, JIR cohort, PEDBD, IMMUNAID, and she has developed with her team the first score to measure the activity of autoinflammatory diseases: AIDAI at the service of patients and research. The creation of evaluation tools in the field of AIDs remains a priority in the clinical research of the department. Basic / translational research is developing in the area of AIDs and vasculitis with the CRB and the INSERM immunology unit of the southern GHU. The service has initiated and / or participated in more than 20 clinical trials and therapeutic trials since 2006. Professor Koné-Paut is the author of numerous international publications, the most significant of which concern Behçet’s disease, familial Mediterranean fever, CAPS syndromes and Kawasaki disease. She has held various positions in academic societies: President of SOFREMIP (French society of pediatric rheumatology), board member of the French Society of Pediatrics, PRES, ISSAID, the International Society of Behçet (ISBD). She created with Pr Touitou an inter universities diploma of autoinflammatory diseases in 2016.Professor Koné-Paut regularly carries out teaching missions and invitations to conferences in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco where it has been able to build a network of collaboration and support for the development of pediatric rheumatology. Finally, Professor Koné-Paut created the first pediatric inflammatory rheumatism care network in the area of Paris ile de France in 2012

Professor of rheumatology, faculty of medicine- Benha University, Consultant of rheumatology at Benha children hospital, Member of Paediatric rheumatology international trial organization (PRINTO), The Egyptian Society for Joint Diseases and Arthritis and The Egyptian Society of clinical immunology and Rheumatology (EGYSIR).

Professor of Rheumatology, Head of the rheumatology unit, Yaoundé Central Hospital, Coordinator of specialization cycle in Internal Medicine and Specialities. Departement of Internal Medicine and specialities. Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the University of Yaoundél t, Head of the Health and Social Welfare Center/The Univerisity of YaoundéI, Founding president of Cameroon College of Rheumatology, Member of AFLAR Exco, Member of the PAFLAR Taskforce, Member of « Société Française de Rhumatologie » Member of Cameroon Society of Internal Medicine, Member of Cameroon Women Medical Association Exco

Dr. Dey is a consultant Rheumatologist and Physician at the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics of the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School. Her career has been dedicated to developing rheumatology in Ghana as the pioneer rheumatologist who set up the first clinic in 2009 and across Africa serving as the Secretary General of the African League against Rheumatism. She also serves on several international committees. Her research portfolio includes projects that delve into the epidemiology of Systemic Lupus erythematosus, she has been particularly interested in the predictors, risk factors and outcomes in this particular group of patients focusing on their cognitive function and cardiovascular risks in particular over past few years and management of the severe connective tissue and rheumatologic disorders in resource-limited countries. She is particularly interested in preventive measures that may lead to early disease recognition to improve outcome hence her vivid interest in public health interventions and health education hence founding the Rheumatology Initiative, tRi, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing education, advocacy and research into the autoimmune rheumatic conditions with special focus on young and adolescent persons with these conditions in Ghana and West Africa. She has served as PI and CoPI on multiple grants in Rheumatology and other fields to this effect and have successfully managed these to their conclusion and publications She has numerous publications in International and Local journals. She is married with 3 children and enjoys reading poetry and discovering new recipes and places.

Dr. Laura Lewandowski completed paediatric residency training at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre and went on to serve as a chief resident in paediatrics. During her chief resident year, she developed a specialty track for paediatric residents in Global Health, including curriculum design and coordination of international rotations. She completed a combined four-year paediatric rheumatology/ global health fellowship at Duke University Medical Center, during which she characterized a paediatric lupus patient cohort in South Africa. She holds a Masters in Global Health from Duke University. During her fellowship, she collaborated with Dr. Chris Scott to establish a registry of paediatric lupus patients that continues to grow and is now the largest cohort in sub-Saharan Africa. She was awarded a Fogarty Global Health Fellowship and a Lupus Foundation Early Career award for her work with paediatric lupus patients in South Africa. In 2015, she joined the NIAMS under Dr. Mariana Kaplan as a Lawrence Shulman Scholar in Translational Medicine. She currently holds the position of Assistant Clinical Investigator and Head of the Lupus Genomics and Global Health Disparities Unit at NIAMS, NIH. Her current research interests include clinical and translational research in paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with a focus on genetic drivers of severe disease and inflammation in varied cohorts around the world. Dr. Lewandowski has held several leadership positions including serving as co-chair Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Research Alliance (CARRA) Lupus Nephritis workgroup, co-chair of the CARRA Lupus Genetics Workgroup, chair of the CARRA Translation Research and Technology Committee Data Management, and chair CARRA Annual Meeting Planning Committee. She is a member of Early Career Investigator Committee within the American College of Rheumatology; whose aim is to develop the next generation of researchers in the rheumatology field. In addition, she has mentored students and trainees in North America and South Africa in rheumatology research. She is a USA representative on the Paediatric Musculoskeletal Task Force. She has published many articles on lupus in Africa and the challenges to rheumatology clinical care, education and practice in less resourced countries. She has lectured nationally and internationally on the genetics of paediatric lupus in global populations and global rheumatology clinical care and research.

Dr Rebecca James is a consultant Paediatric Rheumatologist at Queensland Children’s Hospital. She undertook her Paediatric training at the Royal Children’s Hospital (Melbourne) before moving to London for an extended fellowship at Great Ormond Street Hospital. In 2017 she completed an additional UK fellowship at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital, where she commenced work as a rheumatology consultant before returning to Australia in 2018. Rebecca is the recipient of the Australian Rheumatology Association Leanne Stafford Award, an APLAR fellowship grant and the Great Ormond Street Junior Doctor of the Year Award. Prior to studying medicine, Rebecca attained a Bachelor degree in Indonesian Studies, which – combined with her rheumatology training – inspired her interest in improving access to care for patients with paediatric rheumatic disease across the Asia Pacific region. Rebecca is the Australian representative on the APLAR (Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology) Paediatric Rheumatology Special Interest Group, and is also a member of the World Health Organisation Paediatric Musculoskeletal Task Force. Rebecca is also very interested in Healthcare Quality Improvement, particularly in using patient engagement to improve the patient experience of care. In 2020-21 she completed a Healthcare Improvement Fellowship through Clinical Excellence Queensland, and, with the support of the Avant Foundation, is just about to embark on her next major project: working to co-design the first 100 days of care for children with JIA, to improve whole-of-life disease outcomes

Oscar Mwizerwa obtained his MBBS from the National University of Rwanda in 2013. Oscar worked as a general practitioner for two years prior to joining a four years residency training in 2015. Oscar obtained an MMed in Paediatrics and Child Health from the College of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Rwanda in 2019. During his residency, Oscar has co-authored a number of practice-changing studies to note the very recent design of a” Standard Neonatal Referral Form for resource-limited settings”. In 2019, Oscar joined the team mandated to lay the ground for the creation of the Paediatric Arm of AFLAR. He later became the secretary of PAFLAR Task Force. After graduation, Oscar spent two years as a general paediatrician of Ruhango Provincial Hospital in rural Rwanda. With his devotion to care for children with PRDs, Oscar is undertaking a descriptive study on the spectrum of paediatric rheumatology diagnosis in Rwanda; and he has just joined a Clinical Fellowship in Paediatric Rheumatology at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.