On October 25th, researchers from UNC, NC State University, and other institutions gathered at the UNC Friday Conference Center for this year’s TARC Research Day event. The annual event brings together over investigators, including faculty, students, and trainees, to present and discuss their research in a shared forum. Abstract topics for the event explored work being done in rheumatology and allergy/immunology care, osteoarthritis (OA) drug discovery, knee OA and obesity, and machine learning approaches to OA, among many others.
Virginia B. Kraus, MD, PhD (Duke University School of Medicine) was honored as the John B. Winfield, MD Visiting Scholar and keynote presenter for the event. Her talk, Unveiling Early Osteoarthritis: Preclinical Detection and the Path to Disease Modification, guided attendees through the history of early OA and its detection, with a takeaway message acknowledging that evidence now establishes the existence of an even earlier stage OA that is both pre-radiographic and pre-symptomatic. Dr. Kraus highlighted the importance of early diagnosis during the preclinical stage for improving the prospect of disease modification and the reduction of financial and health costs.
The event drew over 90 attendees and showcased 38 abstracts, including 4 short talks and 34 poster presentations. For more information, the full TARC Research Day 2024 Event Program can be viewed here.
