Dr Ferguson earned her medical degree in 1990 from the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. Her post-graduate training at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, included a pediatric internship from 1990–’91, a pediatric residency during the next two years, a pediatric immunology and rheumatology fellowship from 1993–’97 and a postdoctoral research fellowship from 1997–’99. Then she served as a research associate and pediatric fellow at the school from 1999–2000.
Keynote & Invited Speakers
Read about our Keynote & Invited Speakers below:
Professor Peter A. Merkel
Chief, Division of Rheumatology
Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, USA
Dr Merkel is the Chief of Rheumatology and a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Merkel is an internationally recognised researcher and clinical expert in vasculitis, scleroderma, and other systemic autoimmune diseases, and is an author on over 500 scientific publications. He is the Principal Investigator of the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium (VCRC) and the Vasculitis Patient-Powered Research Network (VPPRN), two leading international research infrastructures for clinical investigation in vasculitis, and is the co-Director of the newly-established International Vasculitis Network (IVN). Dr Merkel’s research focuses on development of novel therapies for systemic autoimmune diseases, clinical trial design and conduct, outcome measure development, clinical epidemiology, genetic epidemiology, and biomarker discovery. Dr Merkel received the 2023 Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award from the American College of Rheumatology.
Dr Merkel earned his MD from Yale University, his MPH from Harvard University, completed his residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and his fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He has been a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, Boston University School of Medicine, and now the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr Merkel has received the majority of his research support from the National Institutes of Health, the US Food and Drug Administration, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, with additional funding from industry sources and private foundations.
Dr Claire Owen
Rheumatologist
MBBS (Hons), PhD, FRACP, CCPU
Deputy Director of Rheumatology
Austin Health, Australia
Dr Claire Owen is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne.
Her predominant area of research concerns polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and its intersection with the related condition, giant cell arteritis (GCA). Since commencing her PhD studies in 2014, Claire has developed internationally-recognised expertise in the use of imaging modalities including ultrasound, MRI and whole-body PET/CT for both PMR and GCA.
Currently, Claire leads the dedicated PMR/GCA Clinic at Austin Health, which offers an evidence-based, protocolised model of care, delivered alongside a research program focusing on advancing the diagnosis and management of these rheumatic diseases.
Since 2017, Claire has also been an active contributor to the PMR Working Group of OMERACT, an international collaboration of clinicians, researchers and patient partners committed to improving outcome measures in rheumatology, and presently serves as the Group’s Co-Chair.
Professor Polly J. Ferguson
Virtual Presentations
Professor of Pediatrics-Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology
Marjorie K. Lamb Professor of Pediatrics - Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology
Division Director, Pediatric Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology
Executive Vice Chair, Stead Family Department of Pediatrics
Zechariah Reuelu
Arthritis NZ
Zechariah Reuelu is the Community Development – Pacific Lead at Arthritis New Zealand and has more than 15 years’ experience leading culturally responsive initiatives to improve musculoskeletal health outcomes for Pacific and Māori communities.
Drawing on both lived experience and professional practice, Zechariah is recognised for translating complex clinical concepts into practical, community-centred education that empowers people and whānau to better understand and manage gout and arthritis. His work has helped strengthen partnerships between communities, primary care, pharmacy, iwi and Pacific organisations, contributing to innovative models that improve health literacy, workforce capability and equitable access to care.
Zechariah has served on the Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora Consumer Network since 2022, where he contributes a Pacific consumer perspective to national quality improvement initiatives. He is passionate about ensuring consumer voices, cultural knowledge and lived experience are embedded in the design and delivery of health services.
Outside his national role, Zechariah is Project Lead for the Atafu Tokelau Community Group, supporting initiatives that strengthen the wellbeing, resilience and aspirations of Tokelau families across Aotearoa.
Dr Anthea Anantharajah
Clinical Immunologist & Immunopathologist
Clinical Leader, Department of Immunology
Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley DHB
TOPIC: An update on IgG4-RD (emphasis on diagnosis and management)
Dr Anthea Anantharajah is a Clinical Immunologist and Immunopathologist based in Wellington, New Zealand.
Her clinical practice spans systemic inflammatory disease, immune dysregulation, inborn errors of immunity and complex multisystem disorders. Anthea has a particular interest in conditions that sit at the interface of rheumatology, immunology and diagnostic immunopathology, including sarcoidosis, IgG4-related disease and inflammatory eye disease.
Her research interests focus on translational immunology and the application of immunobiology to disease classification, diagnosis and treatment. Her work explores how immune phenotyping, biomarkers and clinicopathological correlations can be used to better define disease subsets and inform precision approaches to patient care.
Dr Katherine (Kate) Neas
National Clinical Director
Genetic Health Service NZ
TOPIC: Decoding the genetics of Autoinflammatory Disease
Kate Neas is a clinical geneticist and National Clinical Director of Genetic Health Service NZ. She trained in medicine at Otago University, and completed her post graduate training in Paediatrics in Wellington and London and Clinical Genetics in Sydney. Kate is lucky to work with an expert team of geneticists and genetic counsellors across NZ, and to have a broad range of clinical interests.
Drs Rebecca Garland & MAtthew Seeley
ENT Surgeons
ENT (Ear Nose &Throat) Service
Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley DHB
TOPIC: ENT manifestations of autoimmune conditions: Challenges and opportunities
Rebecca has been a consultant ORL since 2007 when she completed her NZ based training and then a fellowship in otology and neuro-otology in Perth Western Australia. She has worked in the wider Wellington region (Wellington, Hutt and Wairarapa DHB’s) since 2008 in the public hospital system, where she still holds a position.
Matthew is an Otolaryngologist-Head and Neck (Ear, Nose and Throat) surgeon based in Wellington. He completed his specialty training in New Zealand, primarily in Wellington and Waikato. He has also completed fellowship training in advanced sinus and anterior skull base surgery with Dr Marc Tewfik at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. He maintains a broad interest in all ENT conditions and has a public hospital position at Wellington Regional Hospital.