At the core of the Rheumatology Research Foundation’s mission is the commitment to attract the best and brightest trainees into a career in rheumatology. To do this, the Foundation has an extensive portfolio of awards and grants that provide support to these professionals during critical career stages. These awards help to support individuals who serve as excellent role models for future rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals. Over the last decade alone, the Foundation has invested more than $50 million directly in rheumatology training and career development and disease-targeted research.
The Foundation is pleased to announce the newest class of recipients. Awards are presented in three main categories focused on addressing specific needs within the field of rheumatology. The categories awarded for 2013 include education and training, career development research, and disease-targeted research.
Education and Training Awards
Recruiting more quality rheumatologists starts with strong academic training centers. The Foundation is the only organization dedicated to strengthening the national rheumatology academic training environment. A ten-year expansion of the training grants portfolio has resulted in substantial growth in the number of fellows completing rheumatology training in the 107 programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. These awards will help to cultivate future generations of rheumatologists.
Amgen Fellowship Training Award Recipients
Ernest Brahn
UCLA School of Medicine
Richard Brasington, MD
Washington University School of Medicine
Amy Cannella, MD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Debendra Pattanaik, MD
University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center
Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, MDDuke University
Anne Davidson, MBBS
Feinstein Medical Research Institute
Chris T. Derk, MD, MS
University of Pennsylvania
Raymond F. Flores, MD
University of Maryland Hospital
Howard A. Fuchs, MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Samina Q. Hayat, MD
Louisiana State University Health Science
Center–Shreveport
Simon M. Helfgott, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Jennifer L. Huggins, MD
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Beth L. Jonas, MD
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Robert A. Kalish, MD
Tufts Medical Center
Tammy Utset, MD
The University of Chicago
Tzielan C. Lee, MD
Stanford University
Bonita S. Libman, MD
University of Vermont
Kristine M. Lohr, MD, MS
University of Kentucky
Carlos J. Lozada, MD
University of Miami
Rory M. Marks, MD, BS, FRACP
University of Michigan Health Systems
Jay Mehta, MD
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
Eyal Muscal, MD, MS
Baylor College of Medicine
Philip Seo, MD, MHS
Johns Hopkins University
Eric S. Sobel, MD, MHS
University of Florida
Virginia D. Steen, MD
Georgetown University
Katherine K. Temprano, MD
Saint Louis University
Robert Terkeltaub, MD
University of California, San Diego
Emily von Scheven, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Training Program Development Award Recipients
Gregory C. Gardner, MD, FACP
University of Washington
Pascale Schwab, MD
Oregon Health and Science University
Paula de Merieux Fellowship Award Recipient
Michael H. Pillinger, MD
NYU School of Medicine
Clinician Scholar Educator Award Recipients
Karen L. Law, MD
Emory University School of Medicine
Using decision-based learning to highlight rheumatic disease
Bernadette C. Siaton, MD
University of Maryland
Development of a web-based rheumatology curriculum
Career Development Research Awards
Establishing a research career in the rheumatology field requires the availability of major research funding. Current trends have caused increasing concerns regarding shortfalls in funding at the federal level for investigator-driven rheumatic-disease research. To combat this, the Foundation provides a number of research awards designed to attract young investigators to conduct vital research into the cause and prevention of rheumatic diseases.
Scientist Development Award Recipients
Judith Ashouri, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Capturing arthritogenic T cell receptors in murine arthritis
Kristine Kuhn, MD, PhD
Washington University School of Medicine
Mechanism of IL-6 mediated intestinal epithelial repair
Franziska Matzkies, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Interrogating the role of B-cell signaling networks in SLE
William O’Brien, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Joint inflammation modulation by Cherubism gene, SH3BP2
Dipak R. Patel, MD, PhD
University of Michigan
PP5 is a novel epigenetic regulator in lupus T cells
Christine Peoples, MD
University of Pittsburgh
The role of estrogen in systemic sclerosis
Abhinav Seth, MD, PhD
Yale University
Regulation of inflammation by protein S
Clayton J. Sontheimer, MD
University of Washington
Humanized plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the pathogenesis of cutaneous lupus
Investigator Award Recipients
Devyani Misra, MD
Boston University School of Medicine
Obesity and knee osteoarthritis: Understanding the link
Matthew Stoll, MD, PhD, MSCS
University of Alabama Birmingham
Exploration of the gut microbiome in spondyloarthritis
Disease-Targeted Research Grants
Through our disease-targeted research initiative, the Foundation is committed to funding innovative research that is not being done elsewhere, research which will impact medical breakthroughs in rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. The important work being done through this program is integral in our quest to find a cure.
The recipients selected represent the variety of quality research and training programs committed to advancing treatments and finding cures. These recipients began work on their projects July 1, 2013, and will be recognized at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego in October.
INNOVATIVE RESEARCH GRANTS
Basic Science Grant Recipients
Paul Anderson, MD, PhD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Posttranscriptional control of inflammation
Cong-Qiu Chu, MD, PhD
Oregon Health and Science University
Balancing Th17 and Treg cells for therapy of rheumatoid arthritis models
Mary P. Corr, MD
University of California, San Diego
Disruption of inflammatory cascades by a novel small molecular weight inhibitor
Jorg J. Goronzy, MD, PhD
Stanford University
BRAF/KRAS-mediated T-cell responses in rheumatoid arthritis
Nancy D. Kim, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Neutrophil-derived microvesicles drive fibroblast activation in inflammatory arthritis
Alessandra B. Pernis, MD
Hospital for Special Surgery
Smoking-induced pathways in RA pathogenesis
Translational Research Grant Recipients
Joan M. Bathon, MD
Columbia University
Pathways and biomarkers of myocardial dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis
Kevin Dale Deane, MD, PhD
University Colorado Denver
The microbiome and generation of RA-related autoimmunity in the lung
Peter A. Nigrovic, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Aberrant IgG glycosylation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Judith A. Smith, MD, PhD
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Analysis of the causal variants in the IL-23/IL-17 pathway in axial spondyloarthritis
C. Michael Stein, MD
Vanderbilt University
HDL function in rheumatoid arthritis
Clinical Research Grant Recipients
Jeffrey R. Curtis, MD, MS, MPH
University of Alabama at Birmingham
A pilot study of the safety and effectiveness of the live zoster vaccine in anti-TNF users
Patricia Katz, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Randomized controlled trial of a physical activity intervention for RA fatigue
PILOT GRANTS
Basic Science Grant Recipients
Antonios Aliprantis, MD, PhD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Beyond the osteoclast? Alternative pathways to inflammatory bone erosion
D. Branch Moody, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Role of interleukin-22 in human rheumatoid arthritis
Robert Vassallo, MD & Eric Matteson, MD
Mayo Clinic
Th17 factors in RA-associated interstitial lung fibrosis
Translational Research Grant Recipients
Mandy J. McGeachy, PhD
University of Pittsburgh
A novel integrin expressed by Th17 cells in RA
Kaleb Michaud, PhD
Arthritis Research Center Foundation, Inc.
Web-based measurement of the heritability and environmental risk of developing RA
William F.C. Rigby, MD
Dartmouth College
Modulation of B-cell function by rituximab
Clinical Research Grant Recipient
Yvonne C. Lee, MD, MMSc
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Arterial spin labeling as a quantitative measure of pain exacerbations in RA
