MICHIGAN MEDICINE DIVISION OF RHEUMATOLOGY
FALL 2021
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Dear Faculty, Staff, Trainees, Alumni, and Friends,
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family well and safe. This past year and a half has been extremely difficult and overwhelming, and has taken its toll on everyone, physically and mentally. Despite all of the challenges and adversity we've faced, our Division's faculty, staff, and trainees have shown great commitment and resilience. I am thankful and honored to lead the Division of Rheumatology, and as we enter the new academic year, I am also optimistic and hopeful. Please read Looking Ahead with Hope for a brief review of what our Division has accomplished and what we hope to achieve in the future.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Convergence 2021 is taking place this week, beginning on November 3, 2021. I am proud to say that our Division has 50 abstracts in the conference this year. You can view the complete list here. The ACR conference is one of the highlights of the year for me and I'm looking forward to hearing about the latest research work from our Division.
I am pleased to announce that Mariana Kaplan, MD was elected to the National Academy of Medicine for seminal contributions that significantly advanced the understanding of the pathogenic role of the innate immune system in systemic autoimmune diseases, atherosclerosis, and immune-mediated vasculopathies. Congratulations to Dr. Kaplan on this outstanding achievement!
As some of you may know, Dr. Timothy Laing retired from active faculty status on September 30, 2021, and has transitioned to emeritus status. Dr. Laing has been with us for nearly 35 years, and during this time, has made significant contributions to our Division and in the field of rheumatology. You can learn more about Dr. Laing here. Please join me in congratulating him and wishing him the very best as he enters this next new, exciting chapter in his life!
Sincerely,
Chief, Division of Rheumatology
Frederick G. L. Huetwell Professor
Professor of Internal Medicine
Professor of Dermatology
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Ankylosing Spondylitis Vs. Sciatica: What’s the Difference?
Samar Gupta, MBBS discusses the differences between ankylosing spondylitis and sciatica, and how they are diagnosed and treated. Read more.
Confused About What to Do After a COVID Exposure?
Start Here
Emily Somers, PhD, ScM contributes to a guide to COVID-19 testing, quarantining, isolating, and returning to work or school. Read more.
Dr. Seetha Monrad – Laying
the Groundwork for Our Future Doctors
Seetha Monrad, MD explores the impact of assessment on learning in medical education to help students become better physicians, leaders, and collaborators. Read more.
Family Finds Answers to Rare, Genetic Glaucoma
J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD collaborates with a multidisciplinary, international research team to provide the first complete molecular and histological assessment of the eye and skin findings in Singleton-Merten syndrome type II. Read more.
For Psoriasis, Targeting Skin Protein May Help Control Inflammation
Mehrnaz Gharaee-Kermani, DVM, MPH, PhD; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD; and team find that psoriasis became more severe when more interferon kappa was present. Read more.
For Scleroderma, Algorithm Helps Better Screen for Fatal Complication
Amber Young, MD and Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc find that an internet application improved their ability to spot pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with scleroderma. Read more.
Gout Treatment Success Doubled by Combining Two Drugs, Study Finds
Puja Khanna, MD, MPH discovers that uric acid levels dropped below the therapeutic target level for a significant percentage of gout patients by combining two medications. Read more.
Higher CTRP9 Linked to Worse Pulmonary Function in Ssc-Related Interstitial Lung Disease
If I’m Immunocompromised, Should I Keep Wearing My Mask Once I’m Vaccinated?
Jiha Lee, MD, MHS discusses how vaccination works in immunocompromised people and what you can do to protect this population from COVID-19. Read more. Dr. Lee also discusses immunocompromised patients returning to the workplace and how to stay safe in an article published in CreakyJoints.
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'Influx of Newer Agents' in Gout Pipeline Hold Promise for Shifting Treatment Paradigm
Puja Khanna, MD, MPH reviews the newer agents available to lower urate for patients with gout that may help expand effective disease management, and also discusses her study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of anakinra in the treatment of gout flares. Read more.
Missing Link: Lingering Questions at the Intersection of COVID-19 & Autoimmunity
Jason Knight, MD, PhD, and other experts from across the country, discuss their insights and research on the association between autoimmunity and COVID-19. Read more.
Nearly 3% of Americans Take Immune-Weakening Drugs That May Limit COVID Vaccine Response
Beth Wallace, MD, MSc and team find that nearly 3% of insured U.S. adults under 65 take medications that weaken their immune systems. Read more. The team's study was featured in several news outlets including CNN, Popular Science, and U.S. News.
Novel Autoantibody Adds Fuel to COVID-19 “Firestorm” of Inflammation, Blood Clots
Ray Zuo, MD; Jason Knight, MD, PhD; and team analyze serum from hospitalized COVID patients and find that those with higher levels of autoantibodies were more likely to develop severe COVID symptoms. Read more.
Online Mental Health Intervention Significantly
Helps the Isolated, Immunosuppressed During Pandemic
John Varga, MD finds that online mental health intervention significantly improved mental health outcomes for patients with scleroderma during the pandemic. Read more.
Patients with Rare Scleroderma Have Deadlier Organ Damage, Despite Getting Standard Treatment
Sara Jaafar, MD; Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc; and team find that patients with a rare form of scleroderma have a greater chance of dying from related kidney, heart, and lung problems, despite taking medications used to treat most patients with the disease. Read more.
Studying an Extra COVID-19 Vaccine Dose in People with Autoimmune Diseases
Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc co-leads a National Institutes of Health study that will examine the antibody response to an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in people with autoimmune diseases. Read more.
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AWARDS, HONORS & RECOGNITION |
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J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD presented "What Causes Lupus? Uncovering the Role of the Skin" as the inaugural Michelene Hearth-Holmes Lupus Lecturer at the University of Nebraska.
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Jacqueline Madison, MD selected as a recipient of the ACR Distinguished Fellow Award which is given to clinical and research fellows in recognition of their meritorious performance throughout their training.
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT - DR. BETH WALLACE |
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Beth Wallace, MD, MSc is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Rheumatology and a staff rheumatologist at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. Dr. Wallace received her medical degree from Vanderbilt University, and completed her residency and fellowship at the University of Michigan, as well as a Master of Science degree through the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Learn more about Dr. Wallace.
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Nada Abdulaziz, MBBS promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
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Thomas Lanigan, PhD promoted to Associate Research Scientist, Department of Internal Medicine
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Emily Somers, PhD, ScM promoted to Professor with Tenure, Departments of Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Environmental Health Sciences
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Katherine Chakrabarti, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor,
Department of Internal Medicine
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Jacqueline Madison, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine
and Pediatrics
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Stephanie Lazar, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor,
Department of Internal Medicine
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Meriah Moore, MD
Clinical Instructor and Research Fellow,
Department of Internal Medicine
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Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) Program
The APS Program, led by Jason Knight, MD, PhD and his lab, in collaboration with physicians and researchers across Michigan Medicine, are working to advance the understanding of APS and identify new, sophisticated approaches to the treatment of the disease that are both personalized and proactive.
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Vasculitis Program
The Vasculitis Program, recently created and led by Ora Gewurz-Singer, MD, MS and Julia Ford, MD, provides patients with personalized care from a multidisciplinary team of experts experienced in diagnosing and treating even the most uncommon forms of vasculitis. The goals of the program are to:
- provide compassionate, individualized, multidisciplinary, cutting-edge care for patients with vasculitis
- educate health care providers, learners, and patients about vasculitis
- innovate the way vasculitis is diagnosed and treated through multidisciplinary research efforts within Michigan Medicine, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, and collaboration with national and international experts
As part of the up-and-coming Frankel Cardiovascular Center MiAORTA program, Dr. Gewurz-Singer and Dr. Ford will be pursuing clinical and research endeavors in aortitis including a prospective registry to facilitate future clinical and basic science research in aortitis.
Because vasculitis can affect nearly every organ in the body, coordination of care and collaboration across various medical and surgical specialties is essential for excellent patient care. By unifying physicians and providers, the Vasculitis Program can facilitate connecting patients and referring providers with University of Michigan physicians who are passionate about these diseases, and encourage collaboration in research.
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Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program |
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David Roofeh, MD, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, was named Associate Program Director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program. Read what Dr. Roofeh is excited about in his new position and what he hopes to achieve and click here to learn more about him.
What aspect of your new position are you most excited about?
Education is the most rewarding aspect of my work in academic rheumatology. Dr. Rory Marks taught me how to be a rheumatologist. He is an outstanding clinician-educator, and now I look forward to learning how to teach.
What do you hope to achieve?
COVID-19 has been a stress-test to the world of education; we must meet the need for a robust cloud-based education curriculum that supplements our Fellows’ hands-on learning. I look forward to building a sustainable on-line educational platform integrated as a collaborative curriculum between the Fellows and the Faculty.
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CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION |
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Update in Rheumatic Diseases - Save the Date! |
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Saturday, April 23, 2022
The Kensington Hotel, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Directed by Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc, this course will educate health care providers on the latest management and treatment options for different rheumatic diseases, leading to improved patient outcomes. Registration will open soon.
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