@THEE Ashira Blazer MD
@ashira-md.bsky.social
Academic rheumatologist 👩🏾⚕️| UMB| Lupus specialist | SLE in the African diaspora | NMQF Top 40 Under 40 | She/Her/Hers | IG: Ashira_MD| Posts are my own
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So excited to have joined The University of Maryland Baltimore as an Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Lupus Center! www.medschool.umaryland.edu/profiles/bla....
As SNAP benefits are delayed, please consider donating to your local food banks. Instantcart will allow you to send a donation to a local food bank right from your phone. It is easy and a great way to support our communities in these difficult times.
November 3, 2025 at 2:29 PM
As SNAP benefits are delayed, please consider donating to your local food banks. Instantcart will allow you to send a donation to a local food bank right from your phone. It is easy and a great way to support our communities in these difficult times.
It’s my favorite time of year! The American College of Rheumatology #ACR25 meeting is just a few days away and I am celebrating with my 5th year of Immunology nails! What do you think about this year’s neutrophil netosis? Which year is your favorite?
October 21, 2025 at 7:36 PM
It’s my favorite time of year! The American College of Rheumatology #ACR25 meeting is just a few days away and I am celebrating with my 5th year of Immunology nails! What do you think about this year’s neutrophil netosis? Which year is your favorite?
I so enjoyed getting to highlight the important contributions of women in Rheumatology! I have admired so many over the years including @drpujamehta1.bsky.social Please take a look at the publication
An incredible honour to be included in this Nature Reviews Rheumatology feature - a 20-year reflection on women in rheumatology. 💜💜💜
Huge thanks to the wonderful @ashira-md.bsky.social & Dr. Grace Wright
for co-authoring such an inspiring piece. 🤩.
#WomeninRheum
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Huge thanks to the wonderful @ashira-md.bsky.social & Dr. Grace Wright
for co-authoring such an inspiring piece. 🤩.
#WomeninRheum
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A 20-year reflection on women in rheumatology - Nature Reviews Rheumatology
The collective priorities of the rheumatology field represent the lived experience, and therefore diversity of its members. The ‘mould’ of rheumatology, that is, its culture, structures and expectations, was not created for or by women, but women have slowly changed this mould to make space for diverse perspectives.
www.nature.com
October 21, 2025 at 5:58 PM
I so enjoyed getting to highlight the important contributions of women in Rheumatology! I have admired so many over the years including @drpujamehta1.bsky.social Please take a look at the publication
As a rheumatologist serving safety-net hospitals, I’ve seen Medicaid save lives. Capping provider taxes means cutting off funding from the states that need it most. And mandating work for people with disabling illness? That’s not reform. It’s cruelty.
#ProtectMedicaid
www.pbs.org/newshour/amp...
#ProtectMedicaid
www.pbs.org/newshour/amp...
Senate Republicans seek tougher Medicaid cuts and lower SALT deduction in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
Republican leaders are pushing to fast-track the package by Trump's Fourth of July deadline.
www.pbs.org
June 17, 2025 at 6:34 PM
As a rheumatologist serving safety-net hospitals, I’ve seen Medicaid save lives. Capping provider taxes means cutting off funding from the states that need it most. And mandating work for people with disabling illness? That’s not reform. It’s cruelty.
#ProtectMedicaid
www.pbs.org/newshour/amp...
#ProtectMedicaid
www.pbs.org/newshour/amp...
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
“Bending the knee and precomplying will not stave off these attacks.
Acquiescing to censorship will not stop the threats.
Only engaging in collective, bold, public, strategic struggle & disruption has the potential to do so.
We did not pick this fight, but this is the fight that we are in.”
Acquiescing to censorship will not stop the threats.
Only engaging in collective, bold, public, strategic struggle & disruption has the potential to do so.
We did not pick this fight, but this is the fight that we are in.”
Letter to Faculty on Self-Censorship and Boldness (opinion)
In a letter to fellow faculty, Nolan L. Cabrera argues that self-censorship is not a strategy for self-preservation.
www.insidehighered.com
March 29, 2025 at 5:12 PM
“Bending the knee and precomplying will not stave off these attacks.
Acquiescing to censorship will not stop the threats.
Only engaging in collective, bold, public, strategic struggle & disruption has the potential to do so.
We did not pick this fight, but this is the fight that we are in.”
Acquiescing to censorship will not stop the threats.
Only engaging in collective, bold, public, strategic struggle & disruption has the potential to do so.
We did not pick this fight, but this is the fight that we are in.”
🗣️ No more standing steroids in lupus! 🗣️ An important post by Lupus Refernence, Laurent Arnaud details recently published work showing even 6mg/day of GCs increase chronic comorbidities. We have too many targeted therapies to stick with steroids! What is your favorite treat to target approach? #sle
February 28, 2025 at 6:42 PM
🗣️ No more standing steroids in lupus! 🗣️ An important post by Lupus Refernence, Laurent Arnaud details recently published work showing even 6mg/day of GCs increase chronic comorbidities. We have too many targeted therapies to stick with steroids! What is your favorite treat to target approach? #sle
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
Treat to target goals are near impossible to achieve. Read my conversation with Dr Dzhus on how the war has affected patients and rheumatologic care in #Ukraine. @ashira-md.bsky.social @kristenyoung.bsky.social @ukrainematters.bsky.social
@rheumcat.bsky.social @rheumnow.bsky.social
@rheumcat.bsky.social @rheumnow.bsky.social
The War Rheum | RheumNow
The effects on rheumatologists and their patients living in Ukraine largely have been unseen by the world. At ACR Convergence 2024, I met Dr. Marta Dzhus who practices at St. Michael's Clinical Hospit...
rheumnow.com
February 25, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Treat to target goals are near impossible to achieve. Read my conversation with Dr Dzhus on how the war has affected patients and rheumatologic care in #Ukraine. @ashira-md.bsky.social @kristenyoung.bsky.social @ukrainematters.bsky.social
@rheumcat.bsky.social @rheumnow.bsky.social
@rheumcat.bsky.social @rheumnow.bsky.social
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
Join us in 15 minutes on FaceBook Live
February 22, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Join us in 15 minutes on FaceBook Live
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
I have always liked PLOS Bio!
In 2025, we continue to advocate for policy based on scientific evidence. This 2020 Editorial, “We need leaders that believe in scientific evidence”, resonates today as loudly as ever: plos.io/34lyl59. PLOS Biology also continues to push for DEI and a diverse scientific community:
plos.io/3rzxczU 🧪
plos.io/3rzxczU 🧪
We need leaders that believe in scientific evidence
In a world beset by attempts to undermine scientific evidence and evidence-based policy, we emphasize their important role in helping humanity rise to the challenges of our time.
plos.io
February 19, 2025 at 10:05 PM
I have always liked PLOS Bio!
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
Every single paused order, every single institution that refuses to treat an executive order as law, emboldens the people everywhere else who feel caught between Trump and their constitutional obligations. I truly believe it's possible for Trump and Musk's apparent authority to collapse overnight.
It would be great for everyone at once to realize what a paper tiger Trump is with all these illegal EOs. If the FBI and the army is resisting him, why should anyone think he can push us all around? Fuck his pencil pushers, throw punches at him. He’s burying his own grave on the economy anyway.
I think we should consider that Trump's fascist push is extremely reliant on momentum, on institutions not having time to say "wait a second, executive orders aren't laws, we still have a Constitution," and we should consider whether mounting setbacks are opening up an opportunity for counterattack
February 12, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Every single paused order, every single institution that refuses to treat an executive order as law, emboldens the people everywhere else who feel caught between Trump and their constitutional obligations. I truly believe it's possible for Trump and Musk's apparent authority to collapse overnight.
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
🆕 #Obinutuzumab (Obi) in Lupus Nephritis: the REGENCY Trial
Phase 3 RCT: Obi vs PBO
🫘 Pts w/ SLE nephritis Class III/IV ± 5
🎲 Randomized 1:1 to OBI v PBO (+MMF/steroids)
📊 Obi: ⇡rate of renal response and improved renal outcomes
#LupusNephritis #RheumSky #NephSky #MedSky #Lupus
Phase 3 RCT: Obi vs PBO
🫘 Pts w/ SLE nephritis Class III/IV ± 5
🎲 Randomized 1:1 to OBI v PBO (+MMF/steroids)
📊 Obi: ⇡rate of renal response and improved renal outcomes
#LupusNephritis #RheumSky #NephSky #MedSky #Lupus
February 12, 2025 at 10:16 PM
🆕 #Obinutuzumab (Obi) in Lupus Nephritis: the REGENCY Trial
Phase 3 RCT: Obi vs PBO
🫘 Pts w/ SLE nephritis Class III/IV ± 5
🎲 Randomized 1:1 to OBI v PBO (+MMF/steroids)
📊 Obi: ⇡rate of renal response and improved renal outcomes
#LupusNephritis #RheumSky #NephSky #MedSky #Lupus
Phase 3 RCT: Obi vs PBO
🫘 Pts w/ SLE nephritis Class III/IV ± 5
🎲 Randomized 1:1 to OBI v PBO (+MMF/steroids)
📊 Obi: ⇡rate of renal response and improved renal outcomes
#LupusNephritis #RheumSky #NephSky #MedSky #Lupus
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
BREAKING: Federal judge in Boston broadens block on Trump's NIH grant 15% overhead limit (indirect cost rates) to all recipients nationwide. Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/25...
#TROpalooza ain't done
#TROpalooza ain't done
AAMCOrd021025
www.documentcloud.org
February 11, 2025 at 5:22 AM
BREAKING: Federal judge in Boston broadens block on Trump's NIH grant 15% overhead limit (indirect cost rates) to all recipients nationwide. Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/25...
#TROpalooza ain't done
#TROpalooza ain't done
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
"One thing is certain: The changes we make ourselves will be healthier than the ones our adversaries demand."
New work for @undark.org:
undark.org/2025/02/06/o...
New work for @undark.org:
undark.org/2025/02/06/o...
The End of Science’s Peacetime
Opinion | Defending the practice of science from its adversaries will require dealing with some uncomfortable truths.
undark.org
February 6, 2025 at 1:52 PM
"One thing is certain: The changes we make ourselves will be healthier than the ones our adversaries demand."
New work for @undark.org:
undark.org/2025/02/06/o...
New work for @undark.org:
undark.org/2025/02/06/o...
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
❤️🔥 Join me & More Than Lupus FEB 22 @4PM EST for a Heart and #SLE #lupus talk
Heart attacks, strokes, blood clots are the most common cause of death in lupus patients + occur 10 yrs too early on average
We will discuss lupus and the heart and practical information people can use immediately!
Heart attacks, strokes, blood clots are the most common cause of death in lupus patients + occur 10 yrs too early on average
We will discuss lupus and the heart and practical information people can use immediately!
February 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
February 4, 2025 at 1:26 AM
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
Happy:
Black history
Black present
Black future
Black love
Black joy
Black health
Black healing
Black people
Black community
Black family
Black kids
Black culture
Black creativity
Black ingenuity
Black legacy
Black innovation
Black liberation
Black resistance
Black existence
...month🖤
Black history
Black present
Black future
Black love
Black joy
Black health
Black healing
Black people
Black community
Black family
Black kids
Black culture
Black creativity
Black ingenuity
Black legacy
Black innovation
Black liberation
Black resistance
Black existence
...month🖤
February 1, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Happy:
Black history
Black present
Black future
Black love
Black joy
Black health
Black healing
Black people
Black community
Black family
Black kids
Black culture
Black creativity
Black ingenuity
Black legacy
Black innovation
Black liberation
Black resistance
Black existence
...month🖤
Black history
Black present
Black future
Black love
Black joy
Black health
Black healing
Black people
Black community
Black family
Black kids
Black culture
Black creativity
Black ingenuity
Black legacy
Black innovation
Black liberation
Black resistance
Black existence
...month🖤
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
🔥 There are so many things happening in recent events that worry me about the disenfranchised, chronically ill, and most vulnerable in our society! Here is a piece from @LupusMore highlighting an important, horrible problem:
www.morethanlupus.com/post/how-rol...
www.morethanlupus.com/post/how-rol...
How Rolling Back DEI Programs Will Impact the Disability and Chronic Illness Community
Only a few days into his second term in office, President Trump and his administration have not held back on their promises to target and terminate federal government agencies that oversee diversity, ...
www.morethanlupus.com
January 30, 2025 at 5:50 PM
🔥 There are so many things happening in recent events that worry me about the disenfranchised, chronically ill, and most vulnerable in our society! Here is a piece from @LupusMore highlighting an important, horrible problem:
www.morethanlupus.com/post/how-rol...
www.morethanlupus.com/post/how-rol...
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
Hubby and I got our updated COVID-19 💉 to protect our baby.
👉🏾 The elderly, infants, and immunocompromised are high risk for COVID-19
👉🏾 The updated 💉 are the best protection
👉🏾 ACOG recommends pregnant women get vaccinated
👉🏾 Baby is protected for up to 6mo!
Get your 💉 free with most insurances
👉🏾 The elderly, infants, and immunocompromised are high risk for COVID-19
👉🏾 The updated 💉 are the best protection
👉🏾 ACOG recommends pregnant women get vaccinated
👉🏾 Baby is protected for up to 6mo!
Get your 💉 free with most insurances
December 29, 2024 at 11:53 PM
Hubby and I got our updated COVID-19 💉 to protect our baby.
👉🏾 The elderly, infants, and immunocompromised are high risk for COVID-19
👉🏾 The updated 💉 are the best protection
👉🏾 ACOG recommends pregnant women get vaccinated
👉🏾 Baby is protected for up to 6mo!
Get your 💉 free with most insurances
👉🏾 The elderly, infants, and immunocompromised are high risk for COVID-19
👉🏾 The updated 💉 are the best protection
👉🏾 ACOG recommends pregnant women get vaccinated
👉🏾 Baby is protected for up to 6mo!
Get your 💉 free with most insurances
I’m so tired of wrapping presents for these kids. We should be able to put a bow on a raw Amazon box and just write, “You know what it is,” in Sharpie all over the outside.
December 25, 2024 at 3:05 AM
I’m so tired of wrapping presents for these kids. We should be able to put a bow on a raw Amazon box and just write, “You know what it is,” in Sharpie all over the outside.
Reposted by @THEE Ashira Blazer MD
Come to @LupusLA Facebook Live in 30 minutes (5PM EST, 2PM PST) for highlights from our recent @ACRheum #ACR24 Convergence Meeting. Highlights include:
- ACR Lupus Nephritis Management Guidelines
- 2 drugs have positive results in phase 3 clinical trials
- Then live Q and A
- ACR Lupus Nephritis Management Guidelines
- 2 drugs have positive results in phase 3 clinical trials
- Then live Q and A
December 13, 2024 at 9:31 PM
Come to @LupusLA Facebook Live in 30 minutes (5PM EST, 2PM PST) for highlights from our recent @ACRheum #ACR24 Convergence Meeting. Highlights include:
- ACR Lupus Nephritis Management Guidelines
- 2 drugs have positive results in phase 3 clinical trials
- Then live Q and A
- ACR Lupus Nephritis Management Guidelines
- 2 drugs have positive results in phase 3 clinical trials
- Then live Q and A
Why is preventing kidney flares so important in #SLE? Each flare reduces kidney function. This new baseline slowly declines further with age. Patients with repeated flares are more likely to go on to kidney failure.
December 12, 2024 at 1:16 AM
Why is preventing kidney flares so important in #SLE? Each flare reduces kidney function. This new baseline slowly declines further with age. Patients with repeated flares are more likely to go on to kidney failure.