Introducing Joint Ventures, With Jack Arnold, MBBS, PhD, and Rihards Buss, MBBS

Introducing Joint Ventures — a new podcast exploring advances in rheumatologic disease and what they mean for real-world practice. Hosted by RheumatologyLive, the series is led by Jack Arnold, MBBS, PhD, and Rihards Buss, MBBS, 2 United Kingdom-based rheumatologists united by a shared interest in translating rapidly evolving science into thoughtful, patient-centered care.

Joint Ventures is designed for rheumatologists and clinicians managing immune-mediated disease who are navigating an increasingly complex therapeutic landscape. Each episode will examine emerging evidence, new mechanisms of action, and shifting paradigms in rheumatology, with a focus on how these developments intersect with clinical reasoning, uncertainty, and long-term patient management.

Arnold is an academic clinical lecturer in rheumatology at the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine in University of Leeds, with research interests spanning systemic lupus erythematosus, clinical trials, and the application of deep learning in medicine. Buss is a consultant rheumatologist specializing in psoriatic arthritis at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, with a particular focus on integrating new data into day-to-day clinical decision-making. The 2 first worked together during registrar training, where shared experiences managing complex, immune-mediated cases sparked ongoing conversations about the limits of guidelines and the realities of clinical care.

In the inaugural episode, Arnold and Buss introduce themselves, reflect on what drew them to rheumatology, and outline the motivation behind Joint Ventures. They discuss the intellectual pull of a specialty defined by multisystem disease, diagnostic uncertainty, and long-term patient relationships, as well as the responsibility that comes with practicing in a field undergoing rapid therapeutic change.

Together, Arnold and Buss set the stage for future episodes that will delve into novel treatments, evolving disease concepts, and major rheumatology data as it emerges. With a commitment to clarity, curiosity, and clinical relevance, Joint Ventures aims to provide a space where evidence meets experience — and where complex science is thoughtfully connected to everyday practice.

“As a rheumatologist, you have to look at multiple organ systems and look at the patient as a whole… I like that relationship you develop with the patient… Once we diagnose, [our patients] remain under our care forever,” Buss said. “You develop a long term relationship… and you can follow their journey through the course of [their] disease.”

Arnold’s disclosures include Alumis, Roche, and Novartis. Buss has no relevant disclosures to report.