March 2026 Town Hall – JM 101: Everything we Know about Juvenile Myositis in 2026

April 1 Town Hall 2026

Watch this recorded Town Hall to learn more about juvenile myositis diagnosis and treatment. In this session, Dr. Stacey Tarvin shares insights into best practice care, what families can expect along the treatment journey, and the current understanding of this disease. This discussion is designed to help families feel more informed and confident as they navigate care decisions.


About the Speaker

Dr. Stacey Tarvin is the Program Director for the Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship and the Section Education Director for Pediatric Rheumatology at Indiana University and Riley Children’s Hospital. She serves in numerous leadership roles across the pediatric rheumatology community and is the Chair of Cure JM’s Clinical Care Network. Most importantly, she is a dedicated physician and parent, known at home as “Dr. Mom,” raising three energetic children with her husband.

Alexandra’s Story

Alexandra grew up in Philadelphia. At eight years old, she was diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis. Her first symptom was pain in her cuticles whenever she

2025 Family Conference Finding Hope

Erin and Madi’s Story: Finding Hope at the Cure JM Family Conference

In February 2023, Erin Hicks and her daughter Madi faced a life-altering moment. After a visit to the National Institutes of Health in Seattle, Madi, a vibrant 12-year-old soccer player from Kansas City, Missouri, was diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). “We walked out feeling overwhelmed and lost,” Erin recalls. Research fueled panic as Madi’s condition worsened, her energy fading on the soccer field. Hope was slipping away.

Dr. Younghun Han: Shared DNA Clues Point to Faster Treatments for Juvenile Myositis.

Shared DNA Clues Point to Faster Treatments for Juvenile Myositis

In a study funded by the Cure JM Foundation and spearheaded by Dr. Younghun Han of the Baylor College of Medicine, scientists compared the DNA of more than three thousand people living with myositis to nearly twelve thousand healthy volunteers and found something striking. The major forms of myositis share much of the same genetic wiring.

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