MICHIGAN MEDICINE DIVISION OF RHEUMATOLOGY
SUMMER 2020
Dear Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and Friends,
 
I hope this finds you and your families healthy and safe. While the COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely challenging these past months, I couldn't be prouder of the response and care that our Division has provided to our patients. I am equally as proud of the collaborative research that is underway at our institution to learn more about the disease and find treatments. Thank you for your hard work, perseverance, and dedication!

Please help me in welcoming our new Division Chief, John Varga, MD, whose appointment began on September 1, 2020. Dr. Varga is the sixth Division Chief, following in the esteemed footsteps of Drs. Ivan Duff, Giles Boles, Irving Fox, Thomas Palella, and David Fox. Dr. Varga brings a wealth of research, clinical, and administrative experience and will be a wonderful addition to the Division, the Department, and Michigan Medicine. I look forward to working with him through the transition and seeing our Division continue to flourish under his leadership! You can learn more about Dr. Varga below.

This year, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Meeting is taking place virtually November 5-9. The ACR has given it a new name - ACR Convergence 2020 - and a new look. While the format will be different this year, I fully expect that the conference will be what it's been in the past - a wonderful opportunity to showcase what our faculty have been working on, learn about the research other institutions have conducted, and engage with friends and colleagues.

I hope you enjoy reading the latest edition of our newsletter. To stay current on our work in patient care, research, and education, please regularly visit the Division of Rheumatology website. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions - please send us an email to umrheumatologydivision@umich.edu

Sincerely,
 
Interim Chief, Division of Rheumatology
Professor of Internal Medicine
New Division Chief, Dr. John Varga
Prior to joining Michigan Medicine's Division of Rheumatology, John Varga, MD was the John and Nancy Hughes Distinguished Professor of Rheumatology at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Scleroderma Program.

Dr. Varga earned his BA at Columbia University and his MD from New York University. He completed his internal medicine residency at Brown University and his fellowship in rheumatology at Boston University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with Sergio Jiminez at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Varga later held faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania, Jefferson Medical College, and was Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Illinois Chicago. He later joined Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine as the director of the Scleroderma Program.

Dr. Varga's research focuses on inflammation, fibrosis, tissue repair, and regeneration. He is well-known internationally for his work on defining TGF-beta-mediated fibrosis. Dr. Varga has published more than 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts in journals such as JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Nature Communication, and Science Translational Medicine. His research work is funded by the NIH, and foundation and pharmacological grants.

In addition to his research prowess, Dr. Varga's passion is in training, mentorship, and education. He has mentored trainees at all levels, several of whom have gone on to make outstanding careers for themselves.

Dr. Varga is a nationally recognized academic scholar and has received many accolades for his work on the basic mechanisms of fibrosis and scleroderma. He is an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and a Master of the American College of Rheumatology. Dr. Varga received the Scleroderma Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award and was recognized as Mentor of the Year by the Feinberg School of Medicine.

Dr. Varga serves on the Board of Directors for the Global Fibrosis Foundation and the American College of Rheumatology. He has been a member and chair of several NIH study sections, as well as committees from professional organizations. He is currently co-Editor of Arthritis and Rheumatology.
In the News
Patricia Cagnoli, MD discusses her research on lupus, treatments on the horizon, and the importance of clinical trials with the Michigan Lupus Foundation. Watch the video.

Dr. Cagnoli also describes the highlights of the 'A Vision of Lupus' initiative, existing gaps and inconsistencies in lupus care, and how clinicians can help in improving the quality of care. Read more in Rheumatology Advisor.
Daniel Clauw, MD partners with the Arthritis Foundation to develop CBD use guidance for adults with arthritis. Read more on Healio Rheumatology.

Dr. Clauw also discusses the effect of chronic pain on people and his work to educate clinicians and patients on how to think about pain and treatment options beyond drugs. Read more on Michigan Medicine Health Blog.
Samardeep Gupta, MBBS reviews the early signs to watch out for that can lead to psoriatic arthritis complications. Read more on Everyday Health.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD discusses her efforts to empower the next generation of women. Read more on Michigan Medicine Lab Blog.
Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc to conduct
a clinical trial that will test an investigational cell therapy designed to promote immune tolerance and minimize the risk of graft-versus-host disease. Read more on Scleroderma News.
Puja Khanna, MD, MPH reviews the updated 2020 American College of Rheumatology guidelines focused on establishing a standard treat-to-target urate lowering therapy. Read more on Michigan Medicine Lab Blog.
Elena Schiopu, MD explains what myositis is, what the symptoms are,
how to treat it, and where the research stands. Read more on Michigan

Dr. Schiopu also comments on central nervous system (CNS) involvement in
the disease course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Read more on Rheumatology Advisor.
Sirisha Sirobhushanam, PhD; Tamra Reed; Craig Dobry, PhD; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD; and former fellow Navya Parsa, MD find that 50% of skin rashes in patients with lupus contained an abnormally high presence of staphylococcus aureus. Read more on Michigan Medicine Lab Blog.
Emily Somers, PhD, ScM leads study that finds patients who received an intravenous dose of tocilizumab were less likely to die compared with those who didn’t receive the drug. Read more on Michigan Medicine Lab Blog and Healio.

Dr. Somers also discusses the development of the COVID-19 Rapid Response Registry, which organizes COVID-19 clinical data to help advance critical research across the globe. Read more on Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation News.
Aaron Stubbs, MD gives an overview of the differences between two common forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Read more on Michigan Medicine Health Blog and Microsoft News.
Beth Wallace, MD co-authors an editorial about a recent study that looks at the association between oral corticosteroid bursts and severe adverse events. Read more on Medscape.
Ray Zuo, MD; Yogen Kanthi, MD (Cardiovascular Medicine); and Jason Knight, MD, PhD find that the amount of NET biomarkers at admission was predictive of which patients progressed to respiratory failure. Read more in The Scientist and Scientific American.
Retired Faculty in the News
Robert Ike, MD, Associate Professor Emeritus, was featured in a local newsletter for his plans to write about a tragic car accident that happened in his hometown of Vicksburg, Michigan in 1968. The article also provides a glimpse into Dr. Ike's professional career and personal life with his wife, Kathryn Clark, PhD. Read more in the South County News.
Promotions
Wendy Marder, MD promoted to Clinical Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Vivek Nagaraja, MBBS promoted to Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine.
New Faculty Members
Julia Ford, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Dr. Julia Ford graduated from Harvard Medical School in 2014 and did her internal medicine residency and rheumatology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Ford's passion is clinical care, with a particular interest in vasculitis. She decided to to go into the field of rheumatology
because of the longitudinal relationships with patients, and the opportunities to collaborate with other specialists in the care of these complicated diseases.

Dr. Ford grew up in Rochester Hills, Michigan where her parents, who are retired family doctors, still reside. "It’s wonderful to come home after all these years," Dr. Ford said. When asked about what she enjoys doing when she's not working, she stated "These days, it’s chasing after my 9-month-old Tommy; we are on a mission to visit all the parks in Ann Arbor! My other passion is singing and musical theater!"
Aaron Stubbs, MD
Clinical Lecturer, Department of Internal Medicine

Dr. Aaron Stubbs graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine and did his internal medicine residency at Case Western Reserve University and rheumatology fellowship at the University of Michigan. Dr. Stubbs' research focuses on dietary interventions for treatment of inflammatory and non-inflammatory arthritis, and is interested in creating a lifestyle modification clinic in the future. He decided to go into the field of rheumatology because of the wide variety of diseases. "I like the complexity," said Dr. Stubbs. "I look forward to the future of what awaits the field."

Dr. Stubbs grew up in Detroit, Michigan. When asked about what he enjoys doing when he's not working, he said "I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, cooking, exercising, volleyball, and traveling (pre-COVID). I also read a ton of non-medical books, usually focused on history/sociology."
Awards, Honors & Recognition
David Fox, MD and team were selected for the Mi-Kickstart Early-Stage Funding Award for their research project "Evidence for Targeting NK Cell CD6 as a Breast Cancer Immunotherapy".
Puja Khanna, MD, MPH spoke at the 2020 Michigan Podiatric Medical Association Great Lakes Conference in Dearborn, Michigan in February 2020. This annual continuing medical education conference, taking place over five days, features top experts in podiatry from across the country . Dr. Khanna discussed gout in her talk "The Unwalkable Disease". Read more.
Jason Knight, MD, PhD was selected for the 2019 Rheumatology Research Foundation Edmund L. Dubois, MD Memorial Lectureship. This lectureship was established in memory of Dr. Edmund Dubois to honor his significant contributions to the study of lupus. Dr. Knight was chosen based on his abstract “Inhibition of Neutrophil Elastase Reduces Autoantibody Levels and Renal Inflammation in Murine Lupus”, as well as his many contributions to the field of lupus. Read more.
Elena Schiopu, MD received the Token of Appreciation from Medical Students (TAMS) Award. The award recognizes individuals for their significant contributions to the success of students during their medical school years. Read more.
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) mentees of J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD and Jason Knight, MD, PhD, received Blue Ribbon Awards, which are given to students for having an exemplary research poster and presentation, the capstone to their UROP experience. Read more.
Patient Care
Deeba Minhas, MD was the keynote speaker at the 2019 Toledo Lupus Symposium hosted by the Michigan Lupus Foundation on November 23 at Lourdes University. The symposium educates lupus patients and their families about the latest medical advances and resources in order to improve their quality of life, as well as give emotional support by bringing together those in the community who suffer from this disease. Dr. Minhas spoke on managing lupus through the physiological understanding of cognitive responses to external cues in the context of lupus symptoms such as pain management, depression, and intentional thought processes which ignite a higher quality of life.
Learn more about our Patient Care.
Research
J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD was awarded a Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research K24 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The K24 grant provides support for the principal investigator’s time to mentor junior investigators in clinical and translational research. Dr. Kahlenberg and her team's research will look at linking disease mechanisms and outcomes in rheumatic diseases.

Dr. Kahlenberg was also awarded a Lupus Research Alliance Novel Research Grant to study the effects of ultraviolet light in patients with lupus. Discovering the changes that occur in skin exposed to ultraviolet light could reveal whether existing drugs will work against the symptoms or provide clues for development of novel therapies. Read more.
Jason Knight, MD, PhD, in collaboration with Subramaniam Pennathur, MD and Kevin Atkins, PhD from the Division of Nephrology, was awarded a grant from the Department of Defense Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) to study diabetic cardiovascular disease. Read more.

Dr. Knight was also awarded a Lupus Research Alliance Target Identification in Lupus Grant to study whether a stress-sensing protein spurs neutrophils to release NETs in patients with lupus. Determining how a type of cell stress may lead to the release of this DNA could point to new drug targets for treating lupus. Read more.
Beth Wallace, MD received a Mentored Clinical Scientists Career Development Award from the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR). Dr. Wallace's project uses retrospective data to define clinically acceptable strategies for glucocorticoid tapering and identify patient characteristics associated with successful tapering. This work will lead to a pilot trial using an innovative design (sequential multi-assignment randomized trial, or SMART) to test the efficacy and safety of these tapering strategies.
Ray Zuo, MD received the Rheumatology Research Foundation Investigator Award, created to encourage junior investigators in the period between completing post-doctoral fellowship training while being competitive for more significant funding and establishing themselves as independent investigators. This award funds Dr. Zuo's research to determine the extent to which anti-NET autoantibodies may be a new class of clinically-actionable biomarker that can inform personalized, and earlier, interventions among Antiphospholipid Syndrome patients. Read more.
Learn more about our Research.
Education & Training
Rheumatology Fellowship Program Graduation Ceremony

The Division of Rheumatology held a virtual graduation ceremony for this year's graduates on Thursday, June 25, 2020 from 6:00 - 8:30 pm. The celebration included an awards presentation. Below are the recipients:
  • Mirette Habib, BS – Abraham Grant Award – given to a student (undergraduate, graduate, or medical) who has excelled in research (lab or clinical) in our Division
  • Meriah Moore, MD – Palella Teaching Award – given to a fellow who has shown exceptional talent in the area of teaching
  • Aaron Stubbs, MD – William D. Robinson Award – given to a fellow in recognition of overall accomplishments during training
  • Gail Quaderer – Julie C. Welch Award for Exemplary Service to the Fellowship & Education Program
Pictured L to R: Mirette Habib, BS; Meriah Moore, MD; Aaron Stubbs, MD; Gail Quaderer with Julie Welch
Congratulations to our 2020 Graduates!
  • Hong Shi, MD – Assistant Professor at Augusta University Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia
  • Aaron Stubbs, MD – Clinical Lecturer in the Division of Rheumatology at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Welcome to Our New Fellows

  • Yaseen Aleatany, MB, BS (Residency – St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, MA)
  • Sohail Farshad, DO (Residency – Beaumont Health, MI)
  • Anne Murphy, MD (Residency – University of Michigan; Dual Fellowship – Adult/Pediatric Rheumatology)
  • Ahmad Ramahi, MD (Residency – University of Toledo)

John and Joan Herlitz Endowment for Lupus Research
The John and Joan Herlitz Endowment for Lupus Research was established by their sons, Kirk and Todd Herlitz, to support lupus research at Michigan Michigan to continue the search for answers their mother had so eagerly wanted to help find. The fund was set up after their parents both passed away suddenly two months apart. Learn more about John and Joan Herlitz.

John Herlitz was an American automotive designer most commonly known for his styling of cars at Chrysler Corporation, particularly the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner, and Dodge Copperhead concept car. Earlier this year, his sons created the John Herlitz - American Automotive Designer website to celebrate the life and work of their father. All proceeds from the sale of the prints go to the John and Joan Herlitz Endowment for Lupus Research.
Recent Publications
JULY 2020
Arthritis & Rheumatology

Arthritis & Rheumatology

Arthritis & Rheumatology

Arthritis Care & Research

Clinical Infectious Diseases

Clinical Journal of Pain

JCI Insight

JCI Insight

Pain

JUNE 2020
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

Arthritis & Rheumatology

Arthritis Care & Research

JCI Insight

Journal of Biological Methods 

Journal of Investigative Dermatology

Pain
  
MAY 2020
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

Cellular & Molecular Immunology

Current Opinion in Rheumatology
 
Current Opinion in Rheumatology

Current Opinion in Rheumatology
MAY 2020 - cont'd
FASEB Journal
 
Journal of Investigative Dermatology

APRIL 2020
Arthritis & Rheumatology

Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Chinese Medical Journal

Journal of Clinical Rheumatology

MARCH 2020
Genes

The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology

FEBRUARY 2020
ACR Open Rheumatology

Arthritis & Rheumatology

Cells

International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
 
JANUARY 2020
Arthritis & Rheumatology

Arthritis & Rheumatology

Arthritis & Rheumatology

Journal of Immunology

MethodsX

Pain