ARP Track Amplifies Varied Perspectives from Interprofessional Rheumatology Teams

More than three dozen Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) track sessions at ACR Convergence 2026 will focus on the perspectives of the interprofessional team across a vast range of facets of rheumatology.

“It’s an opportunity to enrich our support networks,” said Charmayne M. Dunlop-Thomas, MS, MPH, Chair of the ARP Team for the Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC). “ACR Convergence fuels discussions that can advance more collaboration in terms of both clinical care and research. We’re all sitting in our own silos, and then you get to the meeting, and it validates what you’ve been doing yourself, but it also provides more ‘food’ for you to continue that direction.”

At the core of the ARP track are three special lectures:

• ARP Keynote Address: The Kitchen Pharmacy: Food, Inflammation, and a Prescription for Patient and Planet, presented by Neha Shah, MD, 1–2 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, Room W308
• ARP Distinguished Lecture: Evidence-Based Toolbox for Patients Living with Fibromyalgia, presented by Christine Stamatos, DNP, ANP-C, 1–2 p.m. on Monday, November 9, Room W308
• Daltroy Lecture: From Labs to Living Rooms: Communicating Research Through Patient-Centered Community Engagement, presented by Edith Williams, PhD, alongside patient speakers Rep. Kim Schofield and Christopher Reed, BA, JD, 1–2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, Room W308

“The Daltroy Lecture is going to highlight the meaningfulness of what it is we do with our research advancements and making sure we are disseminating our findings in a way that it gets back to patients,” Dunlop-Thomas said. 

Many of the topics in this year’s ARP track are staples of the ACR Convergence program, but Dunlop-Thomas points out that each year’s presenters bring novel perspectives to the field. The Sunday morning session Through the Artist’s Eyes: The History and Human Experience of Rheumatic Diseases in Art, 9–10 a.m. in Room W308, is a prime example.

“James Louie, MD, MACR, will be looking at rheumatology and art and offering a unique lens through which we can understand the history of clinical manifestations and the human experience of rheumatic diseases through art,” Dunlop-Thomas said. “We see it every day, in textbooks and in creative art, and you oftentimes miss the representativeness of that art.”

On Monday, a joint session presented by the ARP and EULAR Health Professionals in Rheumatology (HPR) will explore recent landmark and emerging studies that have changed clinical practice through nurse-led models, physiotherapist-led exercise, occupational therapist-led management, and digital health programs. Practice-Changing Research Led by Health Professionals in Rheumatology: Task-Shifting, Exercise as Medicine, and Digital Care will take place from 3:30–4:30 p.m. in Room W311GH.

On Tuesday, in the session From Inflammation to Restoration: Translating Lifestyle Medicine’s Six Pillars into Rheumatology Care, from 8:30–9:30 a.m. in Room W311EF, Barbara Slusher, PA-C, MSW, will present strategies for improving self-efficacy and self-care.

“Throughout the program, we’re coming from so many different perspectives, and she will be talking about her experiences with social work and how you can look at inflammation and all of these clinical symptoms and understand them better from the patient perspective in terms of what you can do to make them feel more confident in the way they manage their disease,” Dunlop-Thomas explained.

Also on Tuesday is the ARP Year in Review: Updates in Interprofessional Research and Clinical Care in Rheumatology, from 3–4 p.m. in Room W311GH.

The ARP track will conclude with a Wednesday, November 11, session that delves into genetics and environmental exposures and how they impact disease risk, outcomes, and overall well-being. Decoding the Exposome: Integrated Methods and Interdisciplinary Team, from 8–9 a.m. in Room W415D, features speakers Paula S. Ramos, PhD, and John Pearce, PhD.

“The more we can empower patients, it’s going to help providers in enriching that experience and helping the people they care for feel empowered to talk about as well as manage their disease, and then understanding the role of the environment and encompassing whole-person well-being in every aspect of what we do,” Dunlop-Thomas said.

Developing the track offerings is a collaborative effort, which is reflected in the breadth of topics and perspectives presented.

“The goal behind what we do is to represent this diverse group, and we’re tasked with developing sessions to support health professionals under our rheumatology umbrella across a variety of fields,” Dunlop-Thomas noted. “This includes research, rehab, physical therapy, occupational therapy, advanced practice providers, social work, psychology, pharmacology, as well as tools that could be relevant to researchers, managers, and healthcare providers.”

Program planners also rely on the feedback from attendees to determine the most relevant subjects to feature. A call for session suggestions for the 2027 program is open now, and Dunlop-Thomas encourages people to take advantage of the opportunity to provide input on future programming.

The complete list of ACR Convergence 2026 ARP track sessions can be found in the online program.

Additional ARP Sessions

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If you haven’t registered for ACR Convergence 2026, register today to participate in this year’s premier rheumatology experience, November 6–11 in Orlando, Florida. All registered participants receive on-demand access to scientific sessions after the meeting through September 30, 2027.

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