Professor Paul Andrew Bird

My Expertise

Rheumatology

Therapy for arthritis

Imaging in Rheumatic Diseases

Keywords

mri

arthritis / rheumatology

Fields of Research (FoR)

Rheumatology and Arthritis, Radiology and Imaging, Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing not elsewhere classified

Biography

Professor Paul Bird is a Conjoint Professor at the St George & Sutherland Clinical School, located on the grounds of St George Hospital.

He is a Rheumatologist in private practice and  a Conjoint Professor at the University of New South Wales. In addition to his clinical duties, he is the Medical Director of Optimus Clinical Research, a clinical research center undertaking Phase 2, 3 and 4 trials of novel agents for the treatment of rheumatic diseases.
He has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (RMIT University) and his PhD thesis (University of NSW) examined the feasibility, reliability and validity of MRI as an outcome measure in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). He maintains ongoing participation in research projects examining the application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in inflammatory arthritis and is an active core member of the OMERACT international MRI imaging. In addition, he is a current member of GRAPPA (Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis) and ASAS (Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society - an international group of experts in the field of spondyloarthritis.) The mission of ASAS is to support and promote the study of axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis.

Increasing awareness and early diagnosis of the disease,
development and validation of assessment tools, and
the evaluation of treatment modalities in order to promote clinical research with the ultimate goal to improve outcome of the disease.

Professor Bird is actively involved in undergraduate education, as a lecturer and examiner for students undertaking a medical degree at UNSW. He is a co-supervisor for postgraduates, including national and international PhD candidates.
Within the Australian Rheumatology Association, he has been a member of the Education Committee and Chair of the Professional Affairs Committee from 2003 – 2007. He is a past member of the Scientific Committee. In addition, he has been involved in education of Physician Trainees, holding the post of Director of Physician Training for the St George Physician Training Network from 2002 - 2005.
He is an active reviewer for Arthritis and Rheumatology, Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, Journal of Rheumatology, Rheumatology (Oxford), Arthritis Care and Research, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.
His current research interests are the use of MRI in rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, the development of automated computerised techniques for measurement of activity and damage progression in RA, MRI abnormalities in spondyloarthropathy, and the use of physician Avatars to assist health care delivery in Rheumatology.

Research Interests:
MRI as an outcome measure in Rheumatoid arthritis
Psoriatic arthropathy
Spondyloarthropathy

Real world database research (OPAL)

Physician Avatar development to enhance patient education

Broad Research Areas :Imaging in Rheumatic Diseases

Qualifications: BMed (Hons), FRACP, PhD, Grad Dip MRI

Society Memberships & Professional Activities:
Within the Australian Rheumatology Association, he has been a member of the Education Committee and Chair of the Professional Affairs Committee from 2003 – 2007. He is a past member of the Scientific Committee. In addition, he has been involved in education of Physician Trainees, holding the post of Director of Physician Training for the St George Physician Training Network from 2002 - 2005.
He is an active reviewer for Arthritis and Rheumatology, Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, Journal of Rheumatology, Rheumatology (Oxford), Arthritis Care and Research, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Specific Research Keywords:
MRI
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Spondyloarthropathy

Thesis topics for current UNSW Medicine Postgraduate research students:

Physician Avatars health resources

Normal SIJ strain patterns after exercise in AFL athletes

Quality of life measures in subjects with pre-radiographic spondyloarthropathy

ILP/Honours research projects available for 2016:

Assessment of quality of life outcomes in RA patients undergoing “treat to target” strategy vs usual care. An MRI and patient reported outcomes study.

My Grants

Arthritis Australia $14,000

Examination of the effectiveness of Diffusion Weighted Imaging in early RA

Pfizer

100,000 for the OPAL database

Examination of skin cancer patterns in Australian rheumatology patients treated with bDMARDS

$120,000

Gilead

Physician Avatars as agents for delivery of medical care

My Qualifications

BMed (Hons)

PhD

Graduate Diploma in MRI

FRACP

My Research Activities

Co-Chair OMERACT MRI in arthritis working group

Professor Mikkel Ostergaard (Denmark), A/Professor Paul Bird, Professor Philip Conaghan (UK), Dr Charles Peterfy (USA)

Key role in co-ordinating research, participating in clinical trials, manuscript submission

Key research objectives: Enthesitis scoring, WBMRI

The OMERACT MRI in Enthesitis Initiative: Definitions of Key Pathologies, Suggested MRI Sequences, and a Novel Heel Enthesitis Scoring System

Ashish J. Mathew, Simon Krabbe, Iris Eshed, Frédérique Gandjbakhch, Paul Bird, Susanne J. Pedersen, Maria S. Stoenoiu, Violaine Foltz, Daniel Glinatsi, Robert G. Lambert, Kay Geert A. Hermann, Walter P. Maksymowych, Ida K. Haugen, Jacob L. Jaremko, René P. Poggenborg, Joel Paschke, Jean-Denis Laredo, Philippe Carron, Philip G. Conaghan and Mikkel Østergaard
The Journal of Rheumatology September 2019, 46 (9) 1232-1238

Development and Validation of an OMERACT MRI Whole-Body Score for Inflammation in Peripheral Joints and Entheses in Inflammatory Arthritis (MRI-WIPE)
Simon Krabbe, Iris Eshed, Frédérique Gandjbakhch, Susanne J. Pedersen, Paul Bird, Ashish J. Mathew, Robert G. Lambert, Walter P. Maksymowych, Daniel Glinatsi, Maria S. Stoenoiu, René Poggenborg, Lennart Jans, Jacob L. Jaremko, Nele Herregods, Violaine Foltz, Philip G. Conaghan, Christian E. Althoff, Joel

Paschke, Charles Peterfy, Kay-Geert A. Hermann and Mikkel Østergaard for the OMERACT MRI in Arthritis Working Group The Journal of Rheumatology September 2019, 46 (9) 1215-1221

Categorization of normal MRI Bone Marrow Edema patterns in SIJ joints of healthy athletes pre and post exercise. An MRI study in Australian Football players. Comparison with genetic sequencing.

NHMRC grant application 2003245 Key Role: Principal investigator Collaborators: Professor Matt Brown MBBS MD FRACP FAHSM FAA Professor of Medicine, King’s College London
Director, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation

Professor Xenofon Baraliakos
itten in der St. Elisabeth Gruppe:
St. Anna Hospital Herne, Marien Hospital Herne – Universitätsklinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Marien Hospital Witten, Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet, St. Marien Hospital Eickel,

Protocol for study to evaluate Physician global assessment of patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Physician assessment of joint inflammation, damage and overall patient distress in relation to joint counts, pathology tests, imaging and validated Fibromyalgia measures. Key role: Imaging protocols, image interpretation

Collaborators:
A/Professor Kathryn Gibson Liverpool Hospital
UNSW
Project: 2019/ETH04152

Assessment of SIJ MRI patterns in patients with lower back pain as assessed by the ASAS criteria Key role: MRI expertise, reading of MRI time points

Collaborators: Professor Matthew Brown, A/Professor Philip Robinson, Dr Nivene Saad, Dr Paul Bird

Assessment of SIJ MRI patterns in a cohort of patients suffering from lower back pain.

Key role: Convenor, Principal Investigator
Collaborators: A/Professor Paul Bird, Dr Olga Kubassova (UK) Dr John Carrino (USA)

Dr Mikael Boesen (Denmark)

Personalised Avatars as patient educators in Rheumatology

Personalized avatar by patient physician (for the purposes of this pilot study, all patients recruited will have DR Paul Bird as the primary treatment physician and the avatar will be recorded by Dr Bird.)

Content Management System to host and deliver the avatar content
Secure Patient record management section ( will use Blockchain technology to ensure

patient data security):
a. Record patient details.
b. Take digital consent
c. Record patient notes on every visit.
SMS/email workflow/reminders set-up with link to view avatar based on randomization algorithm.
Avatar library set-up with end of video interaction to record patient reaction/scores.
Track avatar viewership and responses to end of avatar reaction/scores.
Reporting – provide administrator with ability to download reports in Excel format for

analysis.