Why Attend?Join us for a full day of insight and innovation at the Arthritis National Research Foundation’s 2026 Symposium. Designed to spark new ideas and meaningful connections, this event brings together emerging and established leaders in rheumatology to share discoveries shaping the next breakthroughs in arthritis and autoimmune disease research.
Date: Saturday, March 14th, 2026
Time: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm CST. (breakfast served at 8 am)
Full Agenda: Click Here
Location: Kimpton Marlowe Hotel – Serrano Ballroom, Second Floor, 25 Edwin H. Land Blvd, Cambridge, MA 0214
Keynote Presentation
Michael B. Brenner, MD
Keynote Presentation
Leslie S. Kean MD, PhD
Patient Speaker
Trisha Santos – Lupus Advocate
Gasdermin D in APS thromboinflammation
Naveen Kumar Somanathapura Kumarswamy, PhD
Activation of Antigen-Presenting Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Autoimmune Disease
Hongxu Xian, PhD
Assessing Parenchymal Signaling as a Mechanism of Peripheral Tolerance in Lupus Pathogenesis
Jeremy Tilstra, MD, PhD
Signaling Pathways Governing the Development of Hip Osteoarthritis
Chia-Lung Wu, PhD
Exploring the Pathogenesis of Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis
Laura Polivka, MD, PhD
Characterization of Synovial T Peripheral Helper Cell Autoantigens in RA
Ayano Kohlgruber, PhD
Transcriptional Profiling of Synovial Immune Cells in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Samuel Dowling, MD, PhD
Investigating the Role of Pathogenic CD8+ T cells in HLA-B27 Positive Juvenile Spondyloarthritis
Joy Um, MD
Exploiting Spondyloarthritis TCR:pHLA-B*27 Interaction for Therapeutic Development
Xinbo Yang, PhD
The Prevalence and Consequences of Somatic Mutations in Auto-Inflammatory Disease
Robert Corty, MD, PhD
Weathering the Storm – Discuss how to handle hiring freezes, work life balance, and the shifting landscape of academic research.
Craig Walsh, PhD – University of California, Irvine
Early Career Do’s and Don’ts – hear from experts on their experiences transitioning to faculty, setting themselves apart from their peers and navigating the RO1 resubmission process.
J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD – University of Michigan
Protecting your IP – Join the discussion on publishing, licenses and the ways to ensure your intellectual property is secure.
Christopher T. Ritchlin, MD, MPH – University of Rochester
What’s Trending in (Industry/Academic) Research – These two tables will feature open ended discussions with experts in the field about research trends today to help spark new ideas for tomorrow.
Industry table: Ash Trivedi, PharmD – Novartis
Academic Table: Robert L. Satcher, MD, PhD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Sponsored by:
CME Educational Grant Support From:
