2025 Speakers
David Jayne
NEPHROLOGIST
Cambridge, UK
Personalized treatment for Vasculitis
Dr. David Jayne has been Professor of Clinical Autoimmunity in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge since 2017. He is a certified nephrologist and an Honorary Consultant Physician at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK. Dr. Jayne received his MB BChir in Surgery and Medicine from Cambridge University. He received postgraduate training at several London hospitals and Harvard University. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London and Edinburgh, and the Academy of Medical Science.
Susan Samuel
PAEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGIST
Vancouver, BC
Successful transition of youth with chronic diseases
Dr. Susan Samuel is a Clinician Scientist and Pediatric Nephrologist at the BC Children’s Hospital, and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She received her undergraduate medical degree from the University of British Columbia and completed her postgraduate medical training in pediatrics and nephrology at SickKids Hospital in Toronto. She completed her MSc degree with specialization in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto. Her research goals are to improve care and outcomes of children with kidney disease and kidney failure. She leads the multi-centre Canadian Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome Project, a national initiative to improve care of children with nephrotic syndrome. She also led a multi-disciplinary provincial Transition Navigator Trial to improve transition to adult care within Alberta, Canada. She serves on various local and national committees to enhance child health and kidney research. She is passionate about mentoring and training individuals to pursue careers in health research, and serves as the Director of the ENRICH child health research training program.
Andrea Knight
PAEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGIST
Toronto, ON
Mental health in Chronic Disease
Dr. Andrea Knight is a pediatric rheumatologist at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada, a Senior Associate Scientist in the Neurosciences and Mental Health Program at the SickKids Research Institute, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Knight is the Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Chronic Disease of Childhood whose research program focuses on brain and mental health in children with lupus and other chronic rheumatologic diseases. She is the past Chair of the Lupus Section for the Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), current co-leader of the CARRA Mental Health Workgroup, and co-leader of the Cassie+Friends Youth Mental Health Working Group. She is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Lupus Research Alliance and Medical Scientific Advisory Committee for the Lupus Foundation of America. She is also Co-Chair of the SickKids Mental Health Strategy Research Implementation Team and Member of the Advisory Panel for the SickKids Precision Child Mental Health Initiative.
Simone Appenzeller
ADULT & PAEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGIST
São Paulo, Brazil
Effects of brain inflammation in ANCA/SLE in pediatric patients
Dr. Simone Appenzeller is
a Rheumatologist and Full Professor
at the Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Tramatology School of Medicine Science—University of Campinas (Unicamp) and currently researcher level 1B at CNPq. In 2010, she joined the faculty at the School of Medical Science at Unicamp.
Her scientific interest is to study neuropsychiatric manifestations in rheumatological autoimmune diseases and their impact on the quality of life of adult and pediatric patients.
She is currently editor of Advances in Rheumatology and a member of the editorial board of the scientific journals Lupus, Autoimmunity Reviews and Clinical Rheumatology.
Al-Bandari Al-Hamzah
PAEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGIST
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Fellows Presentation
Dr. Albandri Alhamzah is a Pediatric Rheumatologist at King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She completed her fellowship training in vasculitis at the University of Calgary, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Canada. Her main clinical and research interest is pediatric vasculitis.
SIOBHAN WONG
PAEDIATRIC RESIDENT
Calgary, AB
Pediatric ANCA kidney transplant experience
Dr. Siobhan Wong is a fourth-year pediatrics resident at the University of Calgary. She received her MD degree from the University of Toronto in 2022. She is working with Dr. Lorraine Hamiwka and Dr. Marinka Twilt to better understand kidney transplant outcomes in pediatric ANCA vasculitis patients.
Areefa Alladin
PAEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGIST
Calgary, AB & Georgetown, Guyana
IgA vasculitis – guideline updates
Dr. Areefa Alladin is a pediatric nephrologist, PhD candidate, and researcher at the University of Calgary and the Alberta Children's Hospital. She completed a clinical research fellowship in glomerulonephritis. Her research focuses on IgA nephropathy and IgA vasculitis in children. She advocates for safe and effective treatments for children.
Elisea De Somma
PAEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGIST
Calgary, AB
Patient and family support at time of new diagnosis of a chronic disease
Dr. Elisea De Somma is a Registered Psychologist in the province of Alberta, specializing in pediatric clinical and health psychology. In her role as a pediatric psychologist at Alberta Children’s Hospital, Dr. De Somma supports patients and families in the Nephrology and Urology clinics with coping with chronic illness. As an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary, she provides clinical supervision and consultation to graduate students in the clinical psychology program. Dr. De Somma received her PhD in Clinical Developmental Psychology at York University, and completed her pre-doctoral residency in Pediatric Psychology at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. She has received training in large tertiary care centres in Canada, including the Centre for Addition and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children.
