Rahaf Attar

I am a dedicated rheumatologist with specialized training in musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) and a focused interest in inflammatory myopathies. My vision is to build something lasting, a strong foundation for myositis care in my home country. This commitment drives me to blend science with compassion, raise awareness where it’s most needed, and remain a lifelong learner in service of better care.

Ongoing / Under Submission:

• Improving Rheumatology Referral for Inflammatory Arthritis: A Comparative Analysis of Portable Musculoskeletal Ultrasound-Implemented Care vs. Standard of Care (MURE) – Co-author – Recruitment phase.
• Real-World Characterization of Difficult-to-Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis: Prevalence, Predictors, and Timing of Onset in the OBRI-RA Registry – First author – Ongoing.
• Vaccination Patterns and Predictors of Uptake Among RMD Patients: A Study on Patient Hesitancy and Barriers – First author – Ongoing.
• Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration in Dry Synovial Tissue Without Effusion: A Case Series on Diagnosing Microcrystalline Arthritis – First author – Ongoing.
• When It’s Not Rheumatoid Arthritis: Unveiling Whipple’s Disease – A Case-Based Narrative Review – First author – Completed, under submission.
• Improving Outcomes in Psoriatic Arthritis: The OBRI-PsA Registry – Rationale, Methodology, and Preliminary 18-Month Data – First author – Completed, under submission.
• Beyond the Skin: Enthesitis as a Marker of Musculoskeletal Transition in Psoriasis – First author – Submitted for publication.

Collaborative Work:

• GRAPPA Ultrasound Research Group – Contributed to developing a standardized database of ultrasound-detected pathologies in PsA – Collaborator, 2023.

Published:

• SLE Patient Presenting with HUS Triggered by Streptococcal Infection – First author.
• Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD): Burden and Role of Tolvaptan – Co-author.
• Impact of Medical Education and Social Factors on Stress Levels Among Medical Students – Data collector – Published in IJSR.
• Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Obese Children – First author.
• Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus Types in the Jeddah Area and Their Association with Lifestyle Risk Factors – Data collector.

• ECFMG Certified (Pathway 2025)
• Saudi Commission for Health Specialties – Consultant in Rheumatology
• Member of the Canadian Rheumatology Association
• Member of the EULAR school of Rheumatology
• Registered for the RHMSUS certification exam.

• Improving Outcomes of Patients Living with Psoriatic Arthritis: The Observational Best Practices Research Initiative (OBRI-PsA) registry: Rationale, Methodology and Preliminary Data of 18 Months Follow-up, Oral presentation, The Ottawa Hospital Research day, 2025
• The Role of Genetic Polymorphisms on the Response to Methotrexate Variations Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Saudi Arabia, Poster, 2018 ACR/ARHP annual meeting, Chicago, IL, USA
• Efficacy and safety of rituximab in SLE patients with refractory SLE, Poster, 2018 11th European lupus meeting, Dusseldorf, Germany
• SLE patient with initial presentation of HUS triggered by streptococcal infection, Oral presentation, 2016 10th European nephrology conference, Rome, Italy

• Top National Score, PGY4 National Written Rheumatology In-Training Examination (NWRITE), Canadian Rheumatology Association, 2023, Achieved the highest national score among PGY4s in Canada.
• Certificate of Excellence for COVID-19 Response, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia, 2020, Recognized for outstanding participation and dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2nd Place – Best Medical Scientific Research, 8th Scientific Forum, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2019, Awarded among 6,000 submissions for exceptional research contribution.
• 2nd Place – Patient Safety Day Competition, King Abdulaziz University, 2018, Recognized for excellence in student-led patient safety initiatives.
• Consistent Academic Excellence, King Abdulaziz University, 2011–2016, Ranked among the top 10 students from 2nd to 6th year of medical school.

• Ottawa MSK Ultrasound Course - FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE, 2025
• ACR Annual convergence, 2024, Washington DC, USA
• 4th ERA Basic MSK ultrasound course (EULAR endorsed), 2024
• CRUS Cadaveric advanced US-guided joints injections, Ottawa, Canada, 2023
• CRA & AHPA 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting, Quebec City, Canada
• ACR Annual convergence, 2023, San Diego, USA
• ORA 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting, Kings city, Canada
• Advanced Rheumatology course on imaging of arthritis by ACR
• Advanced Rheumatology course on RA and Seronegative Inflammatory Arthropathies by ACR
• 7th Annual Saudi Society for Rheumatology Conference
• 6th Annual Saudi Society for Rheumatology Conference
• 4th King Abdulaziz University Rheumatology Update Conference
• 2018 American college of Rheumatology / ARHP annual meeting
• Joint Injection technique workshop at the ACR / ARHP annual meeting, Chicago, IL, USA
• 11th 2018 European lupus meeting, Dusseldorf, Germany