Dear Investigator,

The 14th Annual North American Young Rheumatology Investigator Forum will be held Wednesday, May 13, 2020, at the Hilton Sandestin in Destin, FL in conjunction with the 36th Annual Congress of Clinical Rheumatology. This symposium provides an excellent platform for clinical and research-oriented rheumatology fellows and junior faculty to have their clinical or basic science research efforts reviewed, critiqued and evaluated by an acclaimed geographically diverse panel of rheumatologists. The unique format of this symposium fosters mentorship and emphasizes interaction between the registrants and faculty.  The top candidates chosen by the faculty will be invited to present their abstracts in the presence of their peers and the established, international judges either as an oral presentation or in a poster session. Rheumatologists established in the paths of research, clinical practice and the pharmaceutical industry will lead an afternoon roundtable discussion to explore career opportunities and challenges within the field of rheumatology to contribute to more informed career decision-making choices. The symposium will close with an awards banquet to present travel stipends of $250-$1000 to those candidates whose efforts have been considered by the faculty to have exceptional promise.

We are very excited to announce that NYRIF has joined with Healio Rheumatology again this year to provide our NYRIF attendees with additional opportunities for an enhanced experience.  News reports of the top ten (10) abstracts will be published with two news reports per issue through December 2020.  In addition, Healio Rheumatology will obtain video interviews with lead authors.  Furthermore, the authors of the top ten (10) abstracts will be invited to the Healio Rheumatology Peer Perspective Board and noted as “Young Rheumatology Investigators.”  They will hold the board position from July 2020 until June 2021.  Finally, Healio Rheumatology will mail out an NYRIF Top Abstracts Supplement with the Fall issue of Healio Rheumatology.

We are very fortunate to have an excellent and diversified international judging panel for 2020 including Prof. Iain McInnes, M.D., Ph.D., FMedSci., University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland; Prof. Georg Schett, M.D. University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany; Elisabet Svenungsson, M.D., Karolinska Institiet, Stockholm, Sweden; Lisa Christopher, Stine, M.D., M.P.H., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, and Carol Langford, M.D., M.H.S., Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. Prof. Iain McInnes, M.D., Ph.D., FMedSci., Professor of Experimental Medicine, Director of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland will be presiding as the lead judge and moderator.

This forum is designed to be stimulating, interactive and constructive whereby attendees are able to exchange ideas in an informal environment and develop invaluable networks with the faculty and their peers,  facilitating future career development. All fellows and junior staff within the field of rheumatology are welcome to attend NYRIF and are invited to stay for the 36th Annual Congress of Clinical Rheumatology that will immediately follow.  The CCR registration fee will be waived for all accepted abstract registrants.  We hope that you will also be able to enjoy the beach while you are here to see why Destin has been voted #5 as a Spring Beach getaway in the Western Hemisphere.

David A. McLain, MD, FACP, FACR
Symposium Director
36th Congress of Clinical Rheumatology