VFC has long recognized that patient education is a critical part of our mission, and with your participation we continue to help improve your care<\/span><\/em>, we\u2019ll find new ways to\u00a0control<\/span><\/em> vasculitis and of course, together we will find the cause<\/span><\/em>, and the ultimately the\u00a0cure<\/span><\/em>!<\/p>\n This falls lectures have been organized with the assistance of Dr. Christian Pagnoux in Toronto. \u00a0VFC is pleased to host nine top speakers who will present topics of interest for vasculitis patients and care givers alike. Our speakers and the proposed program* will be as follows:<\/p>\n Sunday, October 2, 2021 at 1 and 2 PM ET<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Simon Carette<\/strong> – Toronto, ON, Dr. Carette has spent a lifetime in the of world rheumatology and about the last 20 years he headed up the Toronto Vasculitis Clinic. \u00a0He is the author, or co-author of numerous papers and is co-founder of CanVasc (www.canvasc.org<\/a>). \u00a0He retired this past summer and will share his reflections on the world of vasculitis from its very beginnings to the present day, and to offer his insight into what the future of vasculitis may look like.<\/p>\n Jon Stewart<\/strong> \u2013 Toronto ON, President Vasculitis Foundation Canada, The Prednisone and Avacopan\/Tavneos Survey revealed<\/strong>. Close\u00a0to 100 vasculitis patients completed the prednisone and Avacopan\/Tavneos survey earlier this year and the results were very illuminating as it drove home\u00a0the\u00a0true impact that prednisone has on patients<\/strong>. Jon will unpack more of the survey result, as patients look forward to a time when there will be an alternative to prednisone. Jon will be joined by Kareena Nanda<\/strong>,\u00a0Dr. Yacyshyn\u2019s research assistant and medical student at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. \u00a0Kareena will share with you some of the objectives of a new vasculitis patient survey, the\u00a0National Vasculitis Access Survey at<\/strong>: https:\/\/redcap.ualberta.ca\/surveys\/?s=9TXHWF89PPMHRNA7<\/a>\u00a0 This survey is intended for those being treated within the Canadian Healthcare System.<\/p>\n Saturday, October 15, 2022 at 1 PM ET<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Susan Abbey<\/strong> \u2013 Toronto, ON is Psychiatrist-in-Chief at the\u00a0Centre for Mental Health, University Health Network and has a keen interest in the emotional aspects of physical illness<\/strong>, and the physical and emotional impact of stress. And, most (all), vasculitis patients can relate to this! Getting a vasculitis diagnosis has very real physical impacts and presents challenges in coping with a chronic and potentially life-threatening disease. She has researched the development of coping tools like mindfulness and has worked with many patients, and families, including those with lupus, hypertension, multi-organ transplants, as well as cardiac and critical care issues.<\/p>\n Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 1, 2, and 3 PM ET<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Christian Pagnoux<\/strong>, is a key member of the Toronto Vasculitis Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto ON. He is co-founder of CanVasc (www.canvasc.org<\/a>), Canada\u2019s clinical and vasculitis research network, and author, or co-author, of numerous vasculitis papers. He will discuss the current thinking on what we know about EGPA, TAK and GCA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Dr. Michael Walsh<\/strong> \u2013 Hamilton, ON, is a nephrologist and medical director of the St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton Glomerular Disease Clinic and was the principal investigator of the world’s largest clinical trial on GPA\/MPA patients called PEXIVAS<\/strong>. \u00a0He will review and discuss this landmark study which investigated the role of plasma exchange and compared two prednisone protocols with the results indicating that the rapid taper reduced serious infections<\/strong>. \u00a0This is a hugely important study for all vasculitis patients and a not to be missed lecture<\/strong>!<\/p>\n Dr. Stepanie Garner<\/strong> \u2013 Calgary, AB, will speak to the issues of vasculitis and pregnancy, male and female drug induced infertility, and drug induced early onset menopause. Serious diseases call for serious treatments, and serious treatments can mean serious problems with infertility, pregnancy and menopause. However, better treatment options exist today than in the past!. She\u2019ll also give us a quick COVID and vasculitis update! As we know, COVID changes and so do vaccines, other treatments and on and on, so it\u2019s good to stay current!<\/p>\n Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 1, 2 and 3 PM ET<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Duvuru Geetha<\/strong> \u2013 Baltimore, MD, is a nephrologist with expertise in glomerulonephritis, kidney transplant and of course vasculitis<\/strong>. Her research interests are ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV), IgA vasculitis and glomerular kidney diseases<\/strong>. She will speak about kidney disease in vasculitis and what it looks like up close, how to preserve kidney health, and transplant options should you end up there! Johns Hopkins is also a vasculitis and covid research center which tracks global COVID cases and even outcomes in vasculitis patients<\/strong> including those on Rituximab, CYC and immune suppressing agents used in vasculitis. She\u2019ll give us a report on what \u201creal world\u201d data is saying about the risk COVID poses to vasculitis patients.<\/strong><\/p>\n Dr. Jan Willem Cohen Tervaert<\/strong> \u2013 MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Director Division of Rheumatology,\u00a0University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Dr. Tervaert will speak on what just about every vasculitis patient will experience<\/strong>, and that is fatigue, acutely or chronically, as well as sleeping problems and even anxiety. He will also speak about what every patient wants to prevent and that is how to prevent the recurrence (or relapses)<\/strong>, of the disease after being treated for vasculitis<\/p>\n Get a vasculitis “tune up\u201d and get your questions\u00a0\ud83e\udd14\u00a0answered from those who know the world of vasculitis.<\/strong><\/p>\n The complete 2022 Lecture Program* in PDF is available here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Each lecture has allotted time for Q&A, VFC* reserves the right to make program changes as necessary.<\/p>\n To register for the VFC 2022 Fall Lectures follow this link and get registered!:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/en\/charities\/vasculitis-foundation-canada\/events\/vasculitis-foundation-canada-2022-fall-lectures<\/a><\/p>\n As in the past, all VFC members,\u00a0whose membership is current, attend for the VFC 2022 Fall Lectures for FREE!<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0For most of us, fall is the time to renew our $20.00 memberships, which you can do\u00a0with a credit card\u00a0at time of registration, then tick your choice of the Free lectures.<\/strong> \u00a0If you have questions on your membership status email them to:\u00a0membership@vasculitis.ca<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Remember, paid memberships help sustain your VFC<\/strong>,\u00a0and if you like – you can even make a VFC donation when you register, and you will get an instant tax receipt.<\/p>\n