Southend POCRUS Workshop Imaging the GCA PMR LVV spectrum in clinical practice

Prof Bhaskar Dasgupta MBE

Professor Dasgupta is a foremost exponent on Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica and was honoured in the King’s New Years List 2025 UK with MBE for services to people with GCA and PMR.

He led the BSR guidelines (2009,2010) on PMR and GCA, ACR EULAR PMR Classification criteria(2012), ACR EULAR PMR Guidelines (2015). He developed the GCA Fast Track pathway (2015) receiving BSR Outstanding Practice award for reducing sight loss. He developed the Southend GCA probability score (SGCAPS,2019), Southend Halo score (2020), HAS-GCA score for predicting GCA (2024). He is currently leading a consensus building Delphi survey on GCA-PMR spectrum (concept published 2023).

He was the first to describe interleukin-6 elevation in GCA and PMR and author of the successful trials of interleukin-6 blockade with tocilizumab in GCA ( GIACTA,2017) and Sarilumab in PMR (SAPHYR,2023). He has been Chief Investigator to many clinical trials in these conditions and has published over 400 original articles in prestigious journals.

He is an international expert in vascular ultrasonography and developed POCRUS (Point of care rheumatology ultrasound, 2023). He regularly organises and lectures at many ultrasound workshops nationally and internationally.

He is Founder-President of the charity PMRGCAuk the only charity solely dedicated to these conditions.. He has trained many rheumatologists from UK, Europe, India and other parts of the world over his long career.

Dr Asim Khurshid

Dr Asim Khurshid is consultant rheumatologist working at University Hospitals Dorset Foundation trust since 2013.

He has a special interest in musculoskeletal ultrasound and giant cell arteritis. Dr Khurshid established and leads rapid access GCA service for the Dorset. He has extensive experience in both musculoskeletal and vascular ultrasound in rheumatology. Dr Khurshid is also an experienced ultrasound trainer. He has keen interest in GCA and PMR related research and his centre is participating in several trials.

Dr Alwin Sebastian

Dr Alwin Sebastian is currently a Consultant Rheumatologist at University Hospital Limerick, Ireland.

Visiting lecturer at the University of Essex, UK and one of the Regional Programme Directors for basic speciality internal medicine training with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI). He completed a Fellowship in GCA funded by
a grant from the RCPI (Bresna-han-Molloy educational fellowship award) under the mentorship of Professor Dasgupta at Southend. Dr Sebastian holds the MRCP both
in the UK and Ireland. He has completed a Masters in Rheumatology at King’s College London with a Merit and a PhD in Giant Cell Arteritis at the University of Essex. He led a prospective multicentre (international) observational study in GCA (HAS GCA), which was included within the NIHR portfolio in the UK.

Dr Anna Ciechomska

Dr. Anna Ciechomska is a Consultant Rheumatologist at University Hospital Wishaw and an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Glasgow.

She is an EFSUMB Level 3 expert in musculoskeletal ultrasound, with expertise in MSK injuries, nerve entrapments, and ultrasound-guided procedures. Dr. Ciechomska integrates ultrasound into her daily rheumatology practice and leads the rheumatology ultrasound service at both University Hospital Wishaw and Glasgow Royal Infirmary. She also established the GCA Fast Track pathway in NHS Lanarkshire. In addition to her clinical work, she serves as a regional lead for the BSR USS SIG and contributes to medical education as an author of educational modules on BSR and GCU ePlatforms. She is an experienced teacher, mentor, and examiner for EULAR, BSR, and Scottish Rheumatology Ultrasound Group courses.

Mrs Kate Smith

Kate qualified as a diagnostic radiographer in 1991, moving into the speciality of medical ultrasound in 1994 after completing a post graduate diploma at the University of Leeds.

After several years working in a district general hospital in both management and clinical ultrasound, Kate increased her skill base by training in musculoskeletal ultrasound and moved to work at Leeds Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) in 2017.

Working at the Leeds BRC sparked an interest in ultrasound and giant cell arteritis and in 2021 Kate was successful in winning a two-year HEE/NIHR pre-doctoral clinical academic fellowship. The GCA team at Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds won the British Society for Rheumatology best practice award in 2022 for their multidisciplinary team approach to improving patient care in the GCA pathway.

Dr Anandapadmanabhan Jayajothi

He is a Consultant Radiologist with over 12 years of expertise in Radiology, specializing in Neuroimaging (UCLH), Head and Neck, and Vascular imaging. Currently serving as a Neuroradiology/Radiology Consultant, he has cultivated a profound interest in Vascular Doppler imaging. He has been instrumental in establishing standard operating procedures for ultrasound GCA scans and has successfully implemented a comprehensive GCA ultrasound service across the health board.

As a dedicated educator he has significantly contributed to multiple Ultrasound GCA Doppler teaching and training sessions especially in all Wales Ultrasound days. His commitment to training extends to Rheumatologists, Rheumatology and Radiology trainees, Sonographers, ensuring the highest standards in GCA Doppler imaging. He is also actively engaged in ongoing research and publications, advancing the field of imaging in GCA imaging.

Dr. Manivannan Prathapsingh

Dr Prathapsingh is working as a Consultant Rheumatologist in Prince Philip Hospital, Wales, UK.

He is an expert in musculoskeletal ultrasound and he is currently doing ‘Point of care ultrasound’ in all his ‘F2F clinics’ in Prince Philip hospital. As an ‘All Wales Rheumatology Ultrasound Group (WRUG) chair’ he teaches both MSK & GCA US regularly in ‘All Wales US days’ and in ‘GCA Point of Care Rheumatology Ultrasound Meeting’ in National Imaging Academy, Wales. He also attends as a faculty in ‘BSR Ultrasound for rheumatology practice courses’ and teaches both MSK & GCA US regularly. Dr Prathapsingh helped to implement ‘Hywel Dda GCA secondary care pathway with GCAPS’ and he is doing GCA ultrasound in Prince Philip Hospital in his weekly dedicated GCA US slots currently.