Emmy Award-winning journalist, educator, and poet Seema Yasmin, MD, discussed the “covidization” of rheumatology during the Opening Session of ACR Convergence 2021.

“Despite all that has happened in the last 20 months, the ACR, its members, and our global rheumatology community have accomplished things that are not just normal, they are truly amazing,” said ACR President David R. Karp, MD, PhD, during his Presidential Address Friday.

Messenger RNA vaccines were a hot topic during Friday’s Year in Review session. Michael Brenner, MD, discussed basic science advances during the session and Karen H. Costenbader, MD, MPH, reviewed clinical research findings from the past year.

Three of rheumatology’s global leaders — Dzifa Ida Dey, MD, MSc, FACR, Manuel F. Ugarte-Gil, MD, MSc, and Arvind Chopra, MD, MBBS, FRCP — discussed challenges and innovation in global rheumatology research on Saturday.

The Accelerating Medicines Partnership is beginning to outline molecular features of rheumatoid arthritis that could have direct clinical impact. Four researchers shared the latest findings from AMP Phase 2 on Saturday.

Leanne Ward, MD, FRCPC, and Emily von Scheven, MD, MAS, reviewed the most recent advances and recommendations in the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of bone fragility in children with chronic inflammatory illnesses during a Saturday session.