Invited Speakers
  • Hyon K. Choi
    Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hosp.
    USA
  • Dr. Choi is a Professor of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Choi also serves as the Director of the Gout and Crystal Arthropathy Center at MGH, as well as the Director of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Outcomes Program in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Choi received his rheumatology training at MGH and Harvard Medical School, and his doctoral degree from Harvard University. He has been a leading clinician-scientist in rheumatic disorders ranging from common inflammatory conditions, such as gout and rheumatoid arthritis, to rare, multi-organ disorders, such as systemic vasculitis. His research has been continually funded by the NIH, with over 400 peer-reviewed publications (including the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, JAMA, and Nature) and numerous reviews and book chapters (including Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine). Throughout his career, Dr. Choi has mentored numerous students and trainees, including physician-scientists, postdoctoral trainees, and PhD students who have gone on to establish successful independent academic careers as faculty members, clinical investigators, and research leaders at leading institutions worldwide, as well as investigators and scientific leaders in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
    Dr. Choi’s recent contributions to medical science have included multiple NIH-funded research projects (U01, R01, and P50) as the Principal Investigator. His recent high-impact papers have been published in top medical journals (including JAMA 2022, Ann Int Med 2023, JAMA 2024, JAMA IM 2024, BMJ 2024). Dr. Choi has served as the Associate Director of an NIH P50 Gout Center of Research Translation and the co-director of the Gout Hyperuricemia and Crystal-Associated Disease Network (G-CAN) (http://www.g-can.org/), an international network of over 300 MDs and PhDs focusing on crystal arthropathy care and research, for over more than 10 years. Funded by an NIH U01 grant (NIAMS AR080985), Dr. Choi is currently leading a landmark clinical trial, Treat-to-Target Serum Urate versus Treat-to-Avoid Symptoms in Gout: A Randomized Controlled Trial (TRUST)” (NCT04875702). This trial involves prominent institutions such as Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, New York University, the University of California, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and West Virginia University’s NIH CARE Hub Team, which includes rural primary care practices. Furthermore, Dr. Choi led the development of the first-ever ACR/EULAR-endorsed classification criteria for CPPD, engaging specialists from over 50 sites worldwide, with joint funding from the ACR and EULAR.
    Research & Clinical Focus

    Gout and crystal arthropathies: mechanisms, epidemiology, and clinical management

    Large-scale NIH-funded clinical trials and comparative effectiveness research

    Translational research bridging pathophysiology, biomarkers, and therapeutic innovation

    Serum urate biology, hyperuricemia, and treat-to-target strategies in gout

    Clinical epidemiology and health outcomes research in rheumatic diseases

    • Date Time Room Session Title Lecture Title
    May 15 13:00-13:30 Room 1 (3F) International Symposium 2_KCR-GOUT/G-CAN Joint Symposium Gout 2026: New Biology, New Therapies