Winter Meeting 2024 - Meet our speakers
Prof Ali Jawad
Professor of Rheumatology, Queen Mary University of London
Professor Ali S M Jawad MB ChB, MSc, FRCP, FRCPEd, FRCPG, DCH, DMedRehab is also a Consultant Rheumatologist at The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London and Fitzpatrick lecturer for 2020.
Professor Jawad is originally from Baghdad, Iraq. He has published widely: 3 books, chapters in several books and more than 300 articles in learned journals. He has won several research grants investigating the role of cytokines on bone in rheumatoid arthritis and runs a metabolic bone service. He is MRCP (UK) clinical examiner and external examiner for Imperial College London, LKC Singapore and Sultan Qaboos University College of Medicine and Health Sciences. He was Vice President (Global), Royal College of Physicians, London. He was director of medical and dental education at Barts Health NHS Trust, Hans Sloane Fellow and medical director (Global) (2016-2020) and associate international director for the Middle East and North Africa (2008-2016).
Dr Venkat Reddy
Associate Professor, University College London
Dr. Reddy’s work focuses on two key areas of research interests spanning the life course in healthy ageing and autoimmune disease including: 1) Targeting of B-lineage cells including anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies such as Rituximab and Obinutuzumab; CAR-T cells and T cell engagers; and 2) Signalling pathways and metabolic programming of B and T cells.
Dr. Reddy’s in vitro experimental work, identified a key resistance mechanism that some memory B cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus internalise rituximab to evade deletion and contribute to resistance (PMID: 259165830). He then led an investigator-initiated study, in collaboration with Roche Glycart, Basel, to reveal that the Type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, Obinutuzumab, was less disposed to B-cell internalisation and more efficient at deleting B cells in vitro (PMID: 28407142). This work informed the design of a successful Phase II study, NOBILITY. At UCLH and other centres in the UK; 10 patients with refractory lupus have been treated, so far. A case to the NHS England is being made for funding support to treat refractory SLE. Two phase III studies are in progress. Dr. Reddy is leading another investigator-initiated study in collaboration with Roche Glycart, Basel, supervising Dr. Kavina Shah, to unravel the mechanistic advantages of using a novel agent, RO7507062, in optimising B-cell depletion in autoimmune disease including rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, which influenced the initiation of a phase I study commenced in 2024.
Prof David Isenberg
Emeritus Professor of Rheumatology, University College London
Prof David Isenberg trained at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, several North and Central London teaching hospitals and the New England Medical Center in Boston. He was academic director of Rheumatology at University College London from 1996 to 2022. He is an ex-president of the British Society for Rheumatology (2004-2006) and ex-Chair of the BSR’s Biologics Register Committee (2006-2011). Currently he chairs Lupus UK’s Research Committee. He was a founder member and Chair of the BILAG and SLICC lupus study groups, and the IMACS international myositis group. He was until recently a non-executive director of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (Stanmore) and the major UK arthritis charity Versus Arthritis. He won the Hess prize (2010) awarded by the Lupus Foundation of America for outstanding contribution to SLE Research – the first non- North American to win it. He won the Roger Demers Award in 2012 from the Laurentian Conference of Rheumatology for “unique contribution to international rheumatology” and the Reumeritas Award given biannually by the Portuguese Rheumatology Society for scientific merit in the field of rheumatology (2016). He has published over 600 original articles and over 300 reviews, chapters and written and/or edited 20 books. His alter-ego ‘Lupus Dave’ sings and writes for ‘Lupus Dave and The Davettes’!
Dr Elizabeth Price
Consultant Rheumatologist, Great Western Hospital NHS FT
In addition to General Rheumatology, Dr Elizabeth Price has specialist interest in Sjogren Disease and runs a multi-disciplinary Sjogren’s clinic accepting Tertiary referrals. Her interest in Sjogren’s dates from her Research Fellowship at The Kennedy Institute in London where she completed an MD thesis focusing on Sjogren’s. She currently focuses on clinical research into SS and was the lead author and driving force behind the BSR Guidelines for the management of Sjogren Disease. The updated guideline was published in April 2024.
She is a Past President of the British Society of Rheumatology (2018 – 2020) and current national Clinical Lead for the HQIP mandated New Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA).
Prof Ian Giles
Professor of Rheumatology, University College London
Professor Giles qualified from the Royal London Hospital and carried out general medical and rheumatology clinical training in various London hospitals. He then carried out Versus Arthritis funded clinical research (PhD) and Clinical Scientist Fellowships at University College London. He is now Professor and Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at University College London Hospital. His specialist clinical and research interests focus upon the diagnosis and long-term management of patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases, particularly Lupus and the Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) and management of these and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases in pregnancy.