Tune in to the Live Lupus Chat on 5/28: Medication Management -

Join the LFA Webchat on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 for the "Medication Management & Lupus" chat with guest expert Dr. Joan T. Merrill on Wed., May 28, at 3 p.m. Eastern, and get your questions answered.

About the Guest Expert: Joan T. Merrill, M.D., is the Medical Director of the Lupus Foundation of America. She is currently Head of the Clinical Pharmacology Research Program at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), OMRF Professor of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University in New York City. She received her medical training at Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY, followed by an internship and residency at St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center, a fellowship in rheumatology at NYU Medical Center, and a basic research fellowship in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University.

Dr. Merrill’s research focus is the study of genetics and pathophysiology relevant to atherosclerosis risk in lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome, for which she has received multiple foundation and NIH grants. She has numerous publications in journals such as the Journal of Immunology, the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, and the New England Journal of Medicine. She is a sought-after speaker at clinical symposia both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Merrill is a member of the Lupus Foundation of America’s Medical-Scientific Advisory Council. She is the co-chair of the American College of Rheumatology’s Study Group and member of the Food and Drug Administration’s Arthritis Drugs Advisory Committee, in addition to many other active professional appointments.

Chat begins as follows:

3:00 p.m. Eastern
2:00 p.m. Central
1:00 p.m. Mountain
12:00 p.m. (Noon) Pacific
11:00 a.m. Alaska
9:00 a.m. Hawaii


Login to LIVE CHAT , Submit a question in advance, or Check out transcripts of previous live chats. Just so you know what to expect...here's what you'll find when you click on the LIVE CHAT link above:

"Bookmark this page for future reference. Open this page approximately 10 to 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the chat. Click on your Web browser's "refresh" button to reload the page. Enter a Nickname in the log-in box below and then click on Connect. It may take a few moments for the chat window to load.When the window opens, click on the "Rooms" tab and select the Live Chat you wish to view.A countdown will begin approximately 5 minutes prior to the start of the Live Chat to verify the window is functioning."

Despite Lupus' take on live chats: The great thing about a live chat is that you don't have to sit and stare at the computer screen the entire length of the program. If a line of questioning is particularly interesting to you, you can tune in. Otherwise, you can be working on other things on your computer, and check back every few minutes to catch up on the questions and answers being discussed.The first time I participated, I worried that it would just be a waste of time, but in fact, I learned a lot and was surprised how quickly the time passed. And if you think of a question, be sure and submit it before the chat begins. I submitted two questions during the course of the chat, but neither were addressed directly (due to time constraints, I assume.) However, there were other questions that were asked and answered that I hadn't even thought of, so it was a great experience. Check it out!