Professor Dasgupta is one of the foremost clinicians in diagnosis, assessment, management and research of giant cell arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, large vessel vasculitis and ultrasound in these conditions. He was Head of Rheumatology, Clinical Director of R&D at Southend University Hospital and is Honorary Professor of Essex University and Queen Mary University London and MSK Research Specialty Lead North Thames Clinical Research Network.

Professor Dasgupta was the convenor and lead for the first guideline on polymyalgia rheumatica (2009 BSR guidelines); 2012 EULAR ACR PMR Classification criteria and 2015 EULAR ACR PMR treatment guidelines. He also led the BSR Guidelines on GCA (2010 with update published 2020), was member of EULAR guidelines and update on Large vessel vasculitis and GCA.

He was awarded BSR Outstanding Best Practice Award in 2016 for developing Fast track ultrasound GCA clinic and has pioneered Southend Probability score (2019), quantitative ultrasound (Halo Score and probability based diagnostic algorithm published 2020) and is CI of the prospective multi-centre HAS-GCA study assessing imaging outcomes in GCA.

Professor Dasgupta was the author of the first report of raised IL-6 in GCA & PMR (1990), Chief UK investigator of the landmark GiACTA trial and facilitated NICE approval of tocilizumab in GCA (2018).

He has promoted vascular ultrasound training and GCA education through several International symposia & ultrasound workshops, including the first virtual GCA ultrasound course (September 2020), and led the development of the BSR ultrasound e-learning module on LVV.

Professor Dasgupta has over 200 publications in PMR & GCA (22 published thus far in 2020). He is also the founder President of the only national charity dedicated to PMR and GCA - PMRGCAuk.

We are pleased to announce a series of lectures by Professor Dasgupta that will include practical advice regarding case management for patients with a wide spectrum of rheumatological diseases in the current pandemic. The advice will conform with latest knowledge, national and international guidance and will be supplemented by the unique insights derived from Professor Dasgupta's long standing clinical experience in the management of a wide range of rheumatological conditions. The lectures will highlight opportunities for innovation in terms of remote reviews, self-assessments, e-learning and e-monitoring.