Join us for the 33rd Annual Lupus Symposium, which will take place virtually from May 13th to 16th. Our annual symposium is our biggest event of the year, serving as a platform to educate the public through presentations delivered by medical specialists and experts, both local and international. New presentations will be posted daily to BCLS’s YouTube channel from May 13-16.

Dr. Angela Hu, MD FRCPC | Car T-Cell Therapy in Lupus Patients
Dr. Angela Hu is a rheumatologist and clinical instructor at the University of British Columbia. She completed an advanced lupus fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco and has collaborated with researchers across North America in lupus studies.

Dr. Jennifer Reynolds, MD, MSc | AI in Sle: Using Advances in Computer Modeling to Improve Lupus Outcomes
Dr. Jennifer Reynolds holds multiple key roles in rheumatology. She leads the Lupus Clinic at Mary Pack Arthritis Center, heads the Division of Rheumatology at St. Paul's Hospital, and serves as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of British Columbia. Additionally, she contributes her expertise to the Canadian Network for Improved Outcomes in Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Dr. Azin Ahrari, MD, FRCPC | Beyond Lupus Medications: Sun Protection, Cancer Screening, and Vaccination in Patients With SLE
Dr. Azin Ahrari is a rheumatologist, and the regional expert in systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE). She runs a subspecialty clinic in lupus at Mary Pack Arthritis Centre where she provides musculoskeletal ultrasound service to rheumatology patients.

Dr. Neda Amiri, BSc, MHSc, MD, FRCPC, ABIM | Pregnancy and Lupus
Dr. Neda Amiri is a Clinical Associate Professor with the Division of Rheumatology at the University of British Columbia, as well as an active staff rheumatologist at Vancouver General Hospital, St. Paul's Hospital, and Lion's Gate Hospital.

In addition, she is the Director of the Pregnancy and Rheumatic Diseases Clinic (PReDICT) at Mary Pack Arthritis Centre, where she provides care and counseling to patients with rheumatic diseases who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

Dr. Antonio Avina-Zubieta, MD, MSc, PhD, FRCP | Risk of Autoimmune Diseases in Patients With COVID
Dr. Antonio Avina-Zubieta has been the BC Lupus Society Research Scholar since 2010, and the Walter & Marilyn Booth Research Scholar. He is also a senior research scientist at Arthritis Research Canada and an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Rheumatology Division Head at the University of British Columbia. His research interests are complication of SLE and related diseases as well as new therapies in SLE.