Conference Coverage

Guest: Le Hua, MD Diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS) in older patients presents unique challenges, especially as age-related comorbidities and common neurological findings often mimic MS. Hear from Dr. Le Hua as she highlights the importance of thorough clinical history, cautious interpretation of imaging, and the role of paraclinical studies in ensuring accurate MS diagnosis, particularly in patients over 50. Dr. Hua is the Director of Clinical Operations and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. She also spoke about this topic at the 2025 European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress.

Guest: Sergio Baranzini, PhD In a landmark study involving over 10,000 patients, the International MS Genetics Consortium (IMSGC) has identified the first genetic variant associated with disease severity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Dr. Sergio Baranzini, a Distinguished Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences, explains what's next in researching this variant and working towards effective treatments. Dr. Baranzini also spoke on this topic at the 2025 Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS).

Guest: Michael Levy, MD, PhD Antibody-mediated demyelinating diseases, such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and MOG antibody disease, differ fundamentally from multiple sclerosis (MS) due to their association with specific antibodies. Dr. Michael Levy explains how these conditions progress, how relapses can drive disability, and why prevention is critical for improving long-term outcomes. Dr. Levy is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School working in the Department of Neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and he spoke about this topic at the 2025 European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress.

Guest: Joan Merill, MD Despite common misconceptions, lupus nephritis is part of a broader immune imbalance seen in systemic lupus, not a separate condition. This is why it's important to shift focus from organ-specific treatment to immune dysregulation targeting. Hear Dr. Joan Merrill, Professor at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation’s Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program in Oklahoma City, discuss the spectrum of lupus and, based on that, considerations for treatment. Dr. Merrill also presented on this topic at the 2025 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology West conference.

Guest: Leonard H. Calabrese, DO Preventing serious infections should be a priority when treating patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, especially those receiving immunosuppressive therapies. By assessing patients’ level of immunocompetence, clinicians can better tailor vaccination strategies and optimize infection prevention. Hear Dr. Leonard Calabrese discuss how to evaluate immunosuppression risk and coordinate timely vaccinations for patients undergoing immunomodulatory treatments. Dr. Calabrese heads the Section of Clinical Immunology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where he manages the Clinical Immunology Clinic and is on the staff of the Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases. He also spoke on this topic at the 2025 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology West conference.

Guest: Laura B. Enyedi, MD Pediatricians are often the first to encounter eye conditions that can range from common to life-threatening. Hear from Dr. Laura Enyedi as she shares highlights from her presentation on diagnosing childhood ocular disorders from the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition. Dr. Enyedi is a Professor of Ophthalmology and an Associate Professor in Pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

Host: Ryan Quigley Neonatal food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (N-FPIES) is an underrecognized condition often misdiagnosed as necrotizing enterocolitis, despite distinct clinical and lab features that demand a different treatment approach. In this AudioAbstract, ReachMD's Ryan Quigley explores the early signs, immune pathways, and diagnostic markers of N-FPIES, offering essential insights to help pediatric clinicians identify this condition and initiate appropriate dietary management to avoid unnecessary interventions.

Guest: Martin Cheatle, PhD Chronic pain is now recognized as a distinct disease that requires more than just a symptom-based approach. Lifestyle factors and psychological health are also important considerations for care, which is why a biopsychosocial approach can be key to better outcomes. Hear Dr. Martin Cheatle discuss the importance of this clinical mindset shift and practical strategies to help patients reduce suffering and improve function. Dr. Cheatle is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and serves as Director of Behavioral Medicine at the PENN Pain Medicine Center and Director of Pain and Chemical Dependency Research at the Center for Studies of Addiction. He also gave a presentation on this topic at the 2025 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology West conference.

Host: Ryan Quigley A new multicenter study highlights how serum and CSF biomarkers can refine prognostic accuracy and guide treatment strategies in multiple sclerosis (MS). ReachMD's Ryan Quigley explains key findings and provides insights on how integrating these biomarkers at diagnosis could move MS care toward more personalized and effective interventions. This topic was also discussed at the 2025 Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS).

Host: Hallie Blevins, PhD. Early resistance to hydroxyurea in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) is associated with higher risks of thromboembolic complications, disease progression, and mortality. The PV-AIM study applied machine learning to real-world data and identified simple lab-based predictors that stratify patients by risk, and these findings were later validated in the HU-F-AIM trial. Hear from ReachMD's Dr. Hallie Blevins as she dives into the results and explains implications for optimized therapy and improved long-term outcomes.

Host: Ryan Quigley In relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, disease control is only part of the equation. In this AudioAbstract, ReachMD's Ryan Quigley explores patient-reported outcomes from the ELM-2 trial, revealing that odronextamab not only delivers high response rates but also helps preserve—and in some cases, improve—quality of life.

Host: Marlene Mimi Maeusli, PhD. A recent Danish population-based study evaluating real-world outcomes of ibrutinib in relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) found lower efficacy and tolerability compared to clinical trials, particularly among older patients and those with high-risk disease features. In this AudioAbstract, ReachMD's Dr. Mimi Maeusli explains how this evidence is reshaping our view of ibrutinib's clinical utility.

Guest: Paola Marignani, PhD, EMBA While smoking remains a key risk factor for lung cancer, up to 25 percent of cases occur in people who have never smoked, leaving significant gaps in our understanding of causation and diagnostics. Dr. Paola Marignani explores emerging discoveries in gene variants unique to never-smokers, uncovered through single-cell RNA sequencing and machine learning. Dr. Marignani is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Novia Scotia, and she spoke about this topic at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Guest: John Cho, MD, PhD, FRCPC Surgery for mesothelioma after radiation therapy (SMART) offers new hope for patients with resectable epithelioid mesothelioma by reversing the traditional treatment sequence. Hear from Dr. John Cho as he discusses the rationale behind this decade-long clinical advancement, which he spoke about at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer. Dr. Cho is a radiation oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto.

Guest: John Cho, MD, PhD, FRCPC While early findings using the SMART protocol for mesothelioma have been encouraging, replication has proven challenging due to steep surgical learning curves, complexities in planning, and skepticism. Dr. John Cho explores why adoption has been limited and what's next for this approach, which he discussed at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer. Dr. Cho is a radiation oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto.

Guest: Paola Marignani, PhD, EMBA Single-cell RNA sequencing is transforming our understanding of tumor heterogeneity in primary lung cancers by offering insights far beyond traditional bulk sequencing. In this program, Dr. Paola Marignani explores how advanced machine learning enables faster, more precise profiling of genetic diversity, predictive modeling for recurrence and drug resistance, and personalized treatment strategies. Dr. Marignani is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Novia Scotia, and she spoke about this topic at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Host: Ryan Quigley The World Health Organization's new Integrated Lung Health Resolution is the first to explicitly include lung cancer within a global lung health framework. In this AudioAbstract, ReachMD's Ryan Quigley explains what this means for screening, early diagnosis, care pathways, and equitable access to treatment.

Guest: James Del Rosso, DO, FAOCD Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Explore the latest breakthroughs in dermatology care with Dr. James Del Rosso, who highlights newly approved and emerging therapies for severe alopecia area, actinic keratosis, and atopic dermatitis. Dr. Del Rosso is the Research Director at JDR Dermatology Research, an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Touro University Nevada, and a practicing dermatologist in Las Vegas. He also presented on this topic at the 2025 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference for Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners.

Guest: Riley Bove, MD, MMSc Many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience neurogenic bladder symptoms—ranging from urgency and incontinence to retention and infection risk—but these issues are often underprioritized in care. Based on recent research, remote, commercially available bladder monitoring tools can help address this unmet need and uncover day-to-day fluctuations in bladder function. To learn more about this research, tune in to hear from Dr. Riley Bove. Not only is Dr. Bove a practicing neurologist and clinician scientist in the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, but she also presented a session on this exact topic at the 2025 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting.

Guest: Riley Bove, MD, MMSc From pregnancy planning and postpartum relapse risk to the overlapping symptoms of menopause, women with multiple sclerosis (MS) face unique challenges throughout the reproductive lifespan. Here to share key takeaways from her session at the 2025 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting that focused on how we can better care for these patients is Dr. Riley Bove, a practicing neurologist and clinician scientist in the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences.