ERN RECONNET

🎓 ERN ReCONNET Webinar | Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)

We are pleased to announce the upcoming ERN ReCONNET webinar:
“Red flags in Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD): key points at first presentation and follow-up”

Arthralgias, fatigue, Raynaud's phenomenon: are we recognizing Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) early enough, or mistaking it for something else?
Join our webinar to explore the diagnostic challenges of MCTD, a defined rheumatic disease that often hides behind nonspecific early symptoms and is frequently misdiagnosed as another connective tissue disease, including UCTD. The webinar will highlight how timely recognition can shorten diagnostic delay and help detect potentially severe clinical phenotypes earlier, improving patient management and outcomes.

👉 Please note that the webinar is available with subtitles in 36 different languages.

Event Details:
• Date: 30th September 2026
• Time: 16:00 CET
• Target Audience: healthcare professionals
• Dedicated to: Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)
• ✍️ Registration: rb.gy/rimvo6

🎤 Speaker: Dr. Paola Triggianese and Dr. Jeska de Vries-Bouwstra
🎙 Moderator: Mrs. Magdalena Ciupera

⚙️ ERN ReCONNET MCTD Resources: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/disease-mctd/
🗞 Newsletter subscription: bit.ly/44wk7La
💻 Webinar Archive: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/webinar/

🎓 ERN ReCONNET Webinar TODAY
Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD)

Don’t miss our webinar TODAY at 16 CET:
“Long-term outcomes of Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD)”

Event Details:
• Date: TODAY, 23rd September 2026
• Time: 16:00 CET
• Target Audience: patients and caregivers
• Dedicated to: Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD)
• ✍️ Registration: rb.gy/mua2u1

🎤 Speaker: Prof. Chiara Tani
🎙 Moderator: Prof. Cristina Pamfil

👉 Please note that the webinar is available with subtitles in 36 different languages.

⚙️ ERN ReCONNET resources on UCTD are freely available and can be consulted here: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/disease-uctd/
🗞 Newsletter subscription: https://bit.ly/48dO86Q
💻 All webinars can be seen here: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/webinar/

🧡 World Myositis Day – September 21, 2026 💪

ERN ReCONNET proudly renews its commitment to marking this important awareness day, dedicated to Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM).

What is it?
It is a large and heterogeneous group of rare autoimmune diseases, part of the rare Connective Tissue Diseases (rCTD) covered by ERN ReCONNET, characterized by:
💪 Muscle weakness and atrophy
🫁 Possible lung involvement
❤️ Possible heart involvement
🔴 Possible skin involvement

🌍 The ERN ReCONNET IIM Disease Group continues to develop and share dedicated resources for healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers, and is led by:
• Prof. Ingrid Lundberg (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, SE)
• Prof. Alain Meyer (University Hospital Strasbourg, FR)
• Mrs. Olga Drapalova (Czech League Against Rheumatism, ePAG representative)
• Mrs. Silke Schlüter (German Society for Muscular Disorders, ePAG representative)

Explore our IIM resources:
🔎 Discover all dedicated content: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/disease-iim/
🎥 Watch our informative webinars on IIM: bit.ly/4hzqPch
💡 Stay updated: subscribe to our newsletter at bit.ly/44wk7La

🎓 ERN ReCONNET Webinar
Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD)

We are pleased to announce the upcoming ERN ReCONNET webinar:
“Long-term outcomes of Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD)”

Is Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD) really a stable, low-risk diagnosis, or merely a precursor to a more specific condition?
Join our webinar to explore the long-term outcomes of UCTD. We will examine rates of progression to defined Connective Tissue Diseases (CTDs), how organ damage accrues over time, and its impact on patients' quality of life. The webinar will highlight the importance of early diagnosis and long-term monitoring in improving prognosis and informing clinical decision-making.

👉 Please note that the webinar is available with subtitles in 36 different languages.

Event Details:
• Date: 23rd September 2026
• Time: 16:00 CET
• Target Audience: patients and caregivers
• Dedicated to: Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD)
• ✍️ Registration: rb.gy/mua2u1

🎤 Speaker: Prof. Chiara Tani
🎙 Moderator: Prof. Cristina Pamfil

⚙️ ERN ReCONNET UCTD Resources: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/disease-uctd/
🗞 Newsletter subscription: bit.ly/44wk7La
💻 Webinar Archive: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/webinar/

🌍 The ERN ReCONNET Accredited E-Learning Course on rare and complex Connective Tissue Diseases (rCTDs) is now open worldwide — and completely free!

👉 Register now: https://inscript.ernreconnet-courses.eu/

After a successful pilot year, we're excited to launch our UEMS-accredited course with new content, open to healthcare professionals, patients, and anyone interested in rCTDs.

Here are the details:
🌍 Open to all, worldwide — clinicians, nurses, healthcare professionals, patients, and anyone interested in rCTDs
💰 Free of charge
📚 10 disease-specific modules covering all 10 ERN ReCONNET rCTDs (see more here: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/disease-info/), with new content added
🔎Explore the latest in diagnosis, treatment, and management of rare CTDs.
💬 In English
🎓 UEMS-accredited — up to 38 European CME Credits (ECMEC®)

A great opportunity for young doctors, trainees, fellows, and healthcare professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of rCTDs, guided by leading European specialists and enriched by patients' own experiences.

Key dates:
📅 Registration deadline: December 10th, 2026
📅 Course completion: June 2027

👉 Register now: https://inscript.ernreconnet-courses.eu/
👉 Learn more: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/ern-reconnet-e-learning-accredited-course-on-rctds/

This is an opportunity worth sharing — spread it to anyone who might be interested!

🎓 ERN ReCONNET Webinar TODAY | Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIMs)

Don’t miss our webinar TODAY at 16 CET:
“Fatigue in Patients with Myositis – Beyond Muscle Weakness”

Event Details:
• Date: TODAY, 16th September 2026
• Time: 16:00 CET
• Target Audience: healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers and family members
• Dedicated to: Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIMs)
• ✍️ Registration: rb.gy/f0uqhf

🎤 Speaker: Dr. Fabricio Espinosa-Ortega
🎙 Moderator: Dr. Olga Drápalová

👉 Please note that the webinar is available with subtitles in 36 different languages.

⚙️ ERN ReCONNET resources on IIM are freely available and can be consulted here: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/disease-iims/
🗞 Newsletter subscription: https://bit.ly/48dO86Q
💻 All webinars can be seen here: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/webinar/

🎓 ERN ReCONNET Webinar | Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIMs)

We are pleased to announce the upcoming ERN ReCONNET webinar:
“Fatigue in Patients with Myositis – Beyond Muscle Weakness”

Is fatigue still the great, overlooked challenge in the management of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIMs)?
Join our webinar to explore the complex and multifactorial nature of this symptom, one of the most disabling yet underestimated in patients with myositis, and discover how immune-mediated inflammation, altered energy metabolism, deconditioning, sleep disturbances, and psychosocial factors all contribute to its onset, while distinguishing it from muscle weakness through multidimensional assessment tools and patient-reported outcomes.

👉 Please note that the webinar is available with subtitles in 36 different languages.

Event Details:
• Date: 16th September 2026
• Time: 16:00 CET
• Target Audience: healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers and family members
• Dedicated to: Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIMs)
• ✍️ Registration: rb.gy/f0uqhf

🎤 Speaker: Dr. Fabricio Espinosa-Ortega
🎙 Moderator: Dr. Olga Drápalová

⚙️ ERN ReCONNET IIMs Resources: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/disease-iims/
🗞 Newsletter subscription: bit.ly/44wk7La
💻 Webinar Archive: https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/webinar/

🌍 ERN ReCONNET Exchange Programme 2026–2027 is now open!

Are you an ERN ReCONNET healthcare professional or ePAG Advocate?

Take the opportunity to visit another ERN ReCONNET centre, exchange knowledge, share good practices and learn from colleagues across Europe. 🤝

🏥 11 centres in 8 countries are offering exchange opportunities between October 2026 and June 2027.

✈️ Travel expenses and a daily allowance are covered.

📅 Apply by 30 September 2026 at 23:59!

👉 Apply now: https://forms.gle/716HP4A7MZd7HrhU7

⏳ Just one week left to apply!

This is your opportunity to strengthen your expertise in transitional care for adolescents and young adults with rare and complex connective tissue diseases while learning from leading European specialists and patient representatives.

During the programme you will:
✅ Gain practical knowledge to improve transition pathways.
✅ Exchange experiences with an international multidisciplinary community.
✅ Participate in an onsite course in Ljubljana (22–24 October 2026) followed by a 6-week virtual learning programme with mentoring, case discussions and peer exchange.

⚠️ Places are limited and participants will be selected through a competitive application process.

📅 Application deadline: 24 August 2026

👉 Apply now and find all the information here:
https://reconnet.ern-net.eu/transition-of-care-course/

Please help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity with colleagues who may be interested!

📬 The ERN ReCONNET July 2026 Newsletter is here!

The latest edition features:
🎓 Applications for our accredited Transition of Care course
🧬 Progress on the TogethERN ReCONNET Registry
📚 Four new scientific publications
🌍 Highlights from EULAR 2026
💜 Awareness campaigns dedicated to Lupus, APS, Systemic Sclerosis and Sjögren's Disease
🤝 New collaboration and funding opportunities for the rare disease community

Take a few minutes to explore the latest news and discover how ERN ReCONNET continues to connect expertise and improve care for people living with rare and complex connective tissue and musculoskeletal diseases.

📖 Read it here: https://bit.ly/NewsJuly2026

European Commission