Podcasts

Rheumatologists Jean Liew, MD, and Berk Degirmenci, MD, discuss their study of 20 years of opioid prescribing for people with axial spondyloarthritis in the US and UK, covering what the findings show about how pain treatment has changed, where the data falls short, and how patients and providers can work together when pain persists.

Kristen Mengwasser, MD, PhD, physician-scientist and Assistant Adjunct Professor of Rheumatology at UCSF — and SAA’s 2025 Early Career Investigator Award winner — joins us to discuss her research on how the immune system triggers axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Susan Murphy, ScD, OTR, introduces the SAA-funded RENEW Study, a new University of Michigan research initiative focused on fatigue, energy management, and resilience in people living with spondyloarthritis.

Adam Seth Mayer, MD, Assistant Professor of Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology at Hackensack University Medical Center and the Center for Discovery and Innovation — and SAA’s 2025 Jane Bruckel Early Career Investigator Award winner — joins us to discuss his research on using existing abdominal and pelvic CT scans to help detect axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) earlier in people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Dr. Mohamad Bittar, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University — and SAA’s 2025 Early Career Investigator Award winner — discusses his research on pain mechanisms and brain connectivity in people living with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Rheumatologist Dr. Marina Magrey discusses her latest research on biologic DMARD dose tapering in axial spondyloarthritis, outlining when it may be appropriate, its risks and benefits, and key considerations for patients.