To promote knowledge and international multidisciplinary collaboration among experts in the field of systemic autoinflammatory disorders (AID). The PReS Auto-inflammatory working party brings together clinicians, scientists and geneticists in order to improve understanding, care and outcome of patients with AID.
Number of members: 8 members
Who we are
Chair
Antonella Insalaco is a Pediatric Rheumatologist and Head of the Autoinflammatory Clinic, at the Division of Rheumatology of the Children Hospital in Rome (IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù), Italy. Since her residency, has worked as a pediatric rheumatologist involved in the diagnosis and treatment of children with rheumatic diseases and primary immunodeficiencies. She is a scientific committee member of Pediatric Rheumatology Italian Society (Reumaped) and member of CARRA (Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance). In the last few years, her research involved many international projects, particularly on pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of autoinflammatory diseases.
Secretary
Nuray Aktay Ayaz is a Professor of Pediatric Rheumatology and Head of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology at Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine. Her main clinical and research interests include autoinflammatory diseases, Familial Mediterranean Fever, Behçet’s disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and pediatric vasculitis. She is also actively involved in PReS and EULAR initiatives, with a particular interest in education, mentorship, and international collaboration in pediatric rheumatology.
Education and Clinical Affairs
Catharina Schuetz is a Professor of Pediatric Immunology at Department of Pediatrics, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany. She is the chair of the German-speaking Society of Pediatric Immunology (API) since 2025, Board member of the German Society of Pediatric Rheumatology (GKJR) since 2022 and PI of the research network German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ) for the research area immunity, infection, inflammation. Her research interests are translational immunology and rheumatology focusing on monogenic entities with immune dysregulation and autoinflammation.
Science and Research Affairs
Yelda Bilginer is a professor and head of department at Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, in Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine. She has served on the Executive Board of the Turkish Pediatric Rheumatology Association. Her academic work has contributed to the advancement of pediatric rheumatology, particularly in the fields of autoinflammatory diseases.
Emerge Representatives
Fatma Gül Demirkan is a pediatric rheumatologist and Associate Professor at the University of Health Sciences, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye. Her clinical and research interests focus mainly on autoinflammatory diseases, familial Mediterranean fever, and on clinical and translational aspects of autoinflammatory diseases, genotype–phenotype associations, and treatment outcomes. She is also a member of the EMEUNET Social Media Sub-Committee.
Maria Vincenza Mastrolia is a pediatric rheumatologist at Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence, specializing in Kawasaki disease and autoinflammatory diseases since the beginning of her training. As a researcher in autoinflammatory diseases, she has focused on pediatric-onset Behçet’s disease and chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO), investigating therapeutic strategies for both conditions and exploring the role of potential new biomarkers.
ENCA Representative
Kyriaki Spanidou is a patient advocate who is also a physiotherapist by background. She is a Board member of ENCA, the global foundation for children and families affected by juvenile rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions, and Vice Chair of the Parents’ and Caregivers’ Association of Children with Chronic Rheumatic Diseases, Greece.
HP Representative
Denislav Orlinov is an associate professor and physiotherapist working at University of Iceland. He is also appointed as an affiliate scientist at Arthritis Research Canada. His major interest is studying the effects of different exercise approaches in childhood and adulthood rheumatic diseases. Denis is also a member of the EMEUNET Education Sub-Committee.
The core team works closely with EMERGE and with patient/parent associations
Research: grants & collaborations
There are numerous ongoing research projects being carried out within the working party on various topics:
- Familial Mediterranean Fever,
- Chronic Non-bacterial Osteomyelitis,
- Haploinsufficinecy A20 and adenosine deaminase 2 deficiency.
The WP has also built collaborations across networks ( CARRA, ISSAID) and with other PReS Working Parties.
Educational activities
The WP partners closely with patient organizations.
It is involved in the development of a dedicated website for patients and families living with autoinflammatory diseases and in the preparation of new patient-and family-friendly information forms for newly recognized autoinflammatory diseases
Communication & Knowledge Translation
PReS AID WP Social Media: since 2023, AID-WP has been active on social media, setting up dedicated pages through which it continues to share articles and initiatives relating to our activities
Contacts
- Chair: Antonella Insalaco: [email protected]
- Secretary: Nuray Aktay Ayaz: [email protected]
Meeting Minutes
>> Minutes from the AID Working Party Meeting 2023
>> Minutes from the Autoinflammatory group meeting 2020
