TR: What else are you hoping to do as chair?
Dr. Ursani: Being a rheumatologist, our duties don’t start and end in the clinic or hospital. We owe a lot to the ACR and the community around us. The prior chair, Suleman Bhana, MD, left me with big shoes to fill, and I hope I can do half as good a job as he did.
As a committee, we aim to revamp the ACR website and create a more organized, user-friendly experience.
Although ACR Convergence was purely a virtual experience the past two years due to the pandemic, we are hoping that perhaps 2022 can be a hybrid model—in-person and virtual—but of course, this depends on the state of the pandemic.
TR: How did you come to rheumatology in the first place?
Dr. Ursani: During my time as an undergraduate student, I initially wanted to pursue more of a basic science career in immunology and molecular genetics. Once I started volunteering in a lab, I realized this was not for me. So I switched gears and, at the time, there was a lot of interest in oncology with gene targeting and immunotherapy, so my next idea was to go to medical school and pursue hematology-oncology.
During residency, I did a hematology-oncology rotation, and again, I realized it was not for me. Rheumatology was a random rotation not required by my program, but I decided to take it. It opened my eyes, and everything kind of just fell into place. At a basic science level, the immunology of the diseases was fascinating, and clinically, the patients presented with such variable pathology that it kept things very interesting. Additionally, the treatments were based on the same immunology and molecular biology that I was interested in during my pre-medical years. I also appreciated how well the conditions could be treated and how one can really impact the patient’s quality of life and develop long-term relationships. All these aspects really drew me to the field.
TR: What do you do in your spare time, when you have it?
Dr. Ursani: I really enjoy playing the guitar. I picked it up as a hobby in high school. It’s nothing serious, but it’s one of the ways that I de-stress and find my own Zen.
I also really enjoy running. I’ve run half marathons, 10Ks and 5Ks. It’s one of those things that, when I am out there breathing in the fresh air and can disconnect, makes me feel like a whole new person. Especially during the COVID pandemic, since we’ve been cooped up in our shells for the last two years now, it’s been a lifesaver and literal breath of fresh air to get out there and run.
