| ARTICLES OF INTEREST |
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| SUPPORTING OUR WORK |
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Thanks to major strides in research, for many people arthritis is no longer the severely crippling disease it was only a generation ago. The Rosalind Russell Medical Research Center for Arthritis has contributed importantly to this progress by supporting numerous scientific advances at UCSF.
UCSF investigators are making important progress in understanding how the immune system goes awry and causes arthritis and in designing more effective, less toxic treatments. They are also pioneers in studying the interface between bone biology and immunology—called osteoimmunology—with the goal of learning how to inhibit bone destruction caused by arthritis and osteoporosis. In addition, UCSF researchers are studying arthritis pain and designing more effective pain relief medications.
The UCSF Division of Rheumatology Clinical Trials program is one of the largest in the nation. At any given time, as many as a dozen new treatments are being tested—and people are known to have moved across the country to the San Francisco Bay Area for early access to promising new drugs. In addition to having an especially strong program in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, UCSF stands out for its commitment to offer clinical trials for patients with uncommon forms of arthritis. These include ankylosing spondylitis, an arthritis of the spine; and Wegener's Granulomatosis, a serious and potentially life-threatening disease in which the blood vessels are inflamed.
In addition, UCSF's genetic epidemiology studies are among the most ambitious ever undertaken to learn about the genetic factors involved in both rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
Thanks to major strides in research, for many people arthritis is no longer the severely crippling disease it was only a generation ago. The future holds enormous promise. Doctors will be able to predict—long before symptoms appear—who is at risk for many forms of arthritis. They will also know whether a specific case is likely to be mild or serious and will often be able to prescribe highly personalized drug regimens to prevent or delay onset of the disease. Also, a powerful new arsenal of more effective, less toxic drugs will further improve the quality of life of those afflicted with the disease.
Key investigators involved in the UCSF Division of Rheumatology's laboratory, clinical, genetic epidemiological and health services research include:
Kari Connolly, MD
Lindsey A. Criswell, MD, MPH
Jeffrey Critchfield, MD
David Daikh, MD, PhD
Maria Dall'Era, MD
Kenneth H. Fye, MD
John Imboden, MD
Patricia Katz, PhD
Jon D. Levine, MD, PhD
Mehrdad Matloubian, MD, PhD
Kerstin Morehead, MD
Mary Nakamura, MD
B. Matija Peterlin, MD
Kenneth E. Sack, MD
William E. Seaman, MD
Arthur Weiss, MD, PhD
David Wofsy, MD, Associate Director,
Rosalind Russell Medical Research Center for Arthritis
Edward Yelin, PhD
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Honors & Awards
Dr. Julia Charles, UCSF Rheumatology Fellow, is the recipient of the 2007 Abbott Rheumatology Scholars Award.
Dr. Sharon Chung, UCSF Rheumatology Fellow, received the 2007 Physician Scientist Development Award from the American College of Rheumatology.
Dr. Lindsey Criswell, Professor in Residence in the UCSF Division of Rheumatology, has been named a Kirkland Scholar for 2005—2008 in recognition of her outstanding research on lupus.
Dr. Ephraim P. Engleman, Center Director and Professor of Clinical Medicine, was awarded the 2007 Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons' Gold Medal for Excellence in clinical medicine. The honor is the highest the school's Alumni Association can bestow.
Dr. Kenneth Fye, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Medicine, and Dr. Kenneth Sack, Professor of Clinical Medicine, have been named as "master clinicians" by the UCSF Department of Medicine in recognition of their outstanding patient care.
Dr. Laura Julian, Assistant Adjunct Professor in the UCSF Division of Rheumatology, received a 2007 Pilot Award from the Alliance for Lupus Research.
Dr. Rachel Kaiser, UCSF Rheumatology Fellow, has been awarded a 2007 Arthritis Foundation Fellowship Award.
Dr. Mary Nakamura, Associate Professor in the UCSF Division of Rheumatology, was awarded the 2006 Henry Kunkel Young Investigator Award from the American College of Rheumatology.
Drs. Kenneth Sack, Professor of Clinical Medicine, and William Seaman, Professor of Medicine, were appointed Masters of the American College of Rheumatology in 2007.
Dr. Kenneth J. Scalapino, Assistant Adjunct Professor in the UCSF Division of Rheumatology, is the 2006 recipient of the prestigious Department of Veterans Affairs Career Development Award.
Dr. Arthur Weiss, Ephraim P. Engleman Distinguished Professor of Rheumatology, was elected to both the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine in 2004.
Dr. David Wofsy, Center Associate Director and George A. Zimmermann Distinguished Professor of Rheumatology, was awarded the prestigious Lee C. Howley Prize in 2007 from the Arthritis Foundation.
Dr. Julie Zikherman, UCSF Rheumatology Fellow, has received a 2007 postdoctoral fellowship award from the Arthritis Foundation.
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