I am conducting research on myositis, a chronic inflammatory muscle disease. The primary goal of my PhD research is to develop an optimal diagnostic algorithm with the highest possible diagnostic accuracy for patients presenting with proximal muscle weakness and suspected idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

This algorithm will assess the added value of various diagnostic tests compared to using only patient history and neurological examination. Tests under investigation include electromyography (EMG), muscle ultrasound, muscle MRI, myositis-specific antibodies, and muscle biopsy.

My aim is to improve the diagnostic process for patients with suspected idiopathic inflammatory myopathy by identifying which combinations of tests are truly valuable and which are less so. This will help streamline and enhance diagnostic strategies for these complex conditions.