Interviews
Leader of WP6 - Loreto Carmona
“One of my mottos is to make the world a better place. That is what drives me”
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10-07-2024
Just before the kick-off of the conference in Budapest, we interviewed Prof. Loreto Carmona, leader of work package 6, 'Context and Implementation'. In addition to her work for SPIDeRR, Carmona is the research director at the Instituto de Salud Musculoesquelética Musculoskeletal (Inmusc) in Madrid. Carmona: “I was trained as a rheumatologist but haven’t seen patients in many years — I only do research. Inmusc is a small company that researches and assists others in conducting research. We conduct a lot of clinical and qualitative research, and we were invited to handle the implementation part within the SPIDeRR project, which involves bringing all the basic science and other results into clinical practice”.
Leader of SPIDeRR project - Rachel Knevel
“Patient stratification is key; we are not just looking at individual diseases or symptoms, but at the broader spectrum”
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10-07-2024
Globally, 1.71 billion people, including 100 million within the European Union, suffer from musculoskeletal complaints, with one in three individuals expected to experience these issues in their lifetime. Despite this alarming prevalence, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases often remain undervalued by health professionals and the public. While some patients benefit significantly from consulting a rheumatologist, others face delays in diagnosis and treatment. The SPIDeRR project aims to transform musculoskeletal health by delivering innovative tools for diagnosing and treatment, offering renewed hope to millions worldwide.
Collaborator SPIDeRR project - Miklós Szócska
“Health data should not be regarded as an asset of secondary use, instead, as a primary tool to heal”
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18-07-2024
A paradigm shift to data-driven healthcare is inevitable.
Data will play a central role at all levels of healthcare from decision making to diagnostics, clinical research and public health. It is now widely used in numerous healthcare projects across the European Union to exploit the benefits it can bring.
My goal is to make members of projects like this aware of their role as part of a broader effort that leads to data-driven health care systems.
Leader of WP3 - Luis Rodriguez-Rodriguez
“Seeing different perspectives by connecting with other clinical research groups and those with different mindsets is very enriching"
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12-08-2024
Dr. Luis Rodriguez-Rodriguez, senior researcher at Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC) in Madrid and leader of work package 3, focused on modular diagnostics, has a diverse background. “I am a rheumatologist and have been engaged in research for the past 15 years. My research has included basic laboratory work focused on genetics, as well as clinical research primarily aimed at improving the quality of life and addressing the disability associated with musculoskeletal diseases.”
Patient participant: Karin Stratingh
What is truly important to 'the patient'?
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16-09-2024
“I had just started my medical studies in Groningen. As a side job, I worked at a bakery. Studying and working was sometimes tough, but otherwise, I felt good. I had always been healthy during my youth,” Karin recalls. But suddenly, the student started experiencing vague pain in her joints. “It happened in attacks; the pain would come and then disappear again. Was I just tired? Overworked? I did visit the general practitioner during that period, but they saw no reason to refer me at that time. I think I continued for another six months. Until suddenly, I was in so much pain and my hands became swollen, that I went back to the doctor.”
Leader of WP4 - Erik van den Akker
“The collaboration between clinicians and researchers, coupled with advanced analytical tools, is immensely gratifying”
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16-09-2024
Dr. Erik van den Akker leads work package 4, the ‘Rheumatic digital twin’.
As an assistant professor of Computational Biology, he initially conducted research in laboratory settings before transitioning to focus on computational analysis. Presently, he holds positions at both the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), specializing in pattern recognition.
Leader of WP5 - Arthur Pratt
“SPIDeRR offers valuable insights into leveraging vast datasets for improved healthcare"
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In Budapest, we conducted an interview with clinical rheumatologist Dr. Arthur Pratt, the leader of work package 5. He was involved in setting up the early arthritis clinic in Newcastle some years ago. “My ongoing interest is in leveraging insights into the causes and mechanisms of rheumatoid arthritis to improve patient care through faster and more accurate diagnoses and early treatment interventions.”
Project leader: Jyaysi Desai
“Clear communication to avoid misunderstandings is essential in a consortium with diverse expertise”
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Work package 7 is about ‘Ethics and legal’ and is led by Dr. Jyaysi Desai, PHD. She works as a project manager in the rheumatology department at the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) with Prof. Rachel Knevel. Originally from India, she completed her master's from King’s College London and did her PhD in immunology from LMU Munich.
SPIDeRR
Stratification of Patients using advanced Integrative modelling of Data Routinely acquired for diagnosing Rheumatic complaints
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