Episode 61: A Living Legend - Dr. Proton Rahman, Member of the Order of Canada
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Dr. Proton Raman, a newly appointed Member of the Order of Canada and clinical chief of rheumatology in Newfoundland and Labrador, shares a deeply personal and professional journey that began with his own struggle with spondyloarthritis—diagnosed only after years of misdiagnosis and debilitating pain. What could have been a career-ending health crisis became the foundation of his empathy, resilience, and groundbreaking research in psoriatic arthritis and genetic epidemiology. His story reveals a rare intersection of lived experience and scientific excellence, where personal vulnerability fuels clinical insight. Raman challenges the status quo in rheumatology, arguing that the field is stuck in a 'last mile' problem: we have thousands of genetic variants and powerful therapies, but lack rigorous testing to determine their real-world utility. He envisions a future where precision medicine isn't just theoretical but operational—using companion diagnostics, molecular profiling, and dynamic treatment algorithms inspired by oncology and pediatrics. His call to action? Stop chasing 'cures' and start validating what we already have. The episode is a masterclass in humility, collaboration, and the quiet power of asking for help.
Your lived experience with illness can deepen clinical empathy and strengthen patient relationships, even if you don’t need to have the disease to treat it.
The biggest barrier in rheumatology isn’t discovery—it’s implementation: we have tools, but we rarely test their real-world value before adopting them.
Genetic research has evolved from searching for single 'culprit genes' to understanding polygenic risk scores, where thousands of tiny variants collectively influence disease.
Precision medicine in rheumatology should mirror oncology: use companion diagnostics to guide drug selection, dosing, and sequencing based on individual biology.
The most powerful clinical skill isn’t knowing everything—it’s recognizing when you don’t know and knowing how to ask for help.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome & Sponsorship
The episode opens with acknowledgments to the Canadian Rheumatology Association and sponsor Boehringer Ingelheim, with a note on scientific integrity oversight by an independent CRA committee.
The Order of Canada Moment
“I thought this was about the colleague. I was just in the middle of something and I didn't have the time to get at it, then I forgot about it. And so it was till maybe 15 or 20 minutes later, I realized I should look at the email and just to my surprise, it wasn't actually about the colleague. It was regarding me.”
From Patient to Physician
Raman shares how his own diagnosis of spondyloarthritis during university—misdiagnosed as degenerative disc disease and treated with a restrictive back brace—led him to switch from engineering to medicine, and ultimately to rheumatology.
The Evolution of Treatment & Identity
He reflects on the dramatic shift in his health—from walking with a cane and relying on high-dose phenylbutazone to now running 13 kilometers. His personal journey underscores how treatment advances have transformed lives.
The Power of Shared Experience
“They realize you're human, that you're going to be recommending things that maybe you've tried for them, and they're not going to ask, did you try this? It's always about TMI, not too much information.”
“The issue is with trying to push the precision medicine initiative forward is that we're not testing enough. All our resources go into more and more drug development. We actually have a lot of companion diagnostics with various agents that we can actually make more efficient.”
“I've made more mistakes, to be honest. And there are times when I really have thought I had something only for it not to be validated. So there's no greater joy in finding something in the lab for which someone else can validate.”
“So I thought it was about them. I was just in the middle of something and I didn't have the time to get at it, then I forgot about it. And so it was till maybe 15 or 20 minutes later, I realized I should look at the email and just to my surprise, it wasn't actually about the colleague. It was regarding me,”
Hosts
Guest
Dr. Proton Raman
person
Dr. Janet Pope
person
Dr. Dafna Gladman
person
Order of Canada
organization
Dr. David Hawkins
person
Newfoundland
place
Memorial University
organization
University of Toronto
organization
HLA-B27
other
Canadian Rheumatology Association
organization
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Episode 60: ASM Roundup - Day 3 with Dr. Marinka Twilt and Dr. Mo Osman
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