Profile in Research: Daniel Lovell, MD, MPH
Daniel Lovell, MD, MPH, is the Levinson Professor of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He received his first Arthritis Foundation grant in 1994 to study bone mineralization and low bone density in children with juvenile arthritis. We recently were able to catch up with Dr. Lovell and learn a bit more about his life and career now, some 12 years after first receiving his Arthritis Foundation grant.
What is your current field of research?
I focus on clinical trials of medications to treat children with juvenile arthritis.
Has your research played a role in the improvement, treatment or prevention of arthritis?
Yes, I have been intimately involved in demonstrating the efficacy and safety of the biologic agents for treating JA.
Have you trained other researchers?
Yes I have. During the entire time I have been in Cincinnati we have had trainees in pediatric rheumatology, and I have trained about 25 researchers at the clinic. More recently I have begun training young faculty members from other disciplines at the medical center in performing clinical research.
What other institutions have provided funding for your research?
I’ve received support from the federal government, pharmaceutical companies, and I hold the Levinson Chair in Pediatric Rheumatology, which is an endowed chair with contributions from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and many people in our community.
What has been the impact of your Arthritis Foundation award on your career?
The Foundation funded several studies that led to my first National Institutes of Health grant. In addition, it funded projects that I led with members of the Arthritis Foundation that allowed for the development and testing of very innovative teaching workshops for children with arthritis, parents and health care providers.
What role do you feel the Arthritis Foundation plays in the progress of arthritis research?
The Foundation provides critical funds for training grants for fellows and for grants for those just starting their research careers to allow them to generate the data for larger grants with other agencies. In addition, the funding the Foundation has provided to the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) has been critical in allowing this dedicated group of pediatric rheumatology investigators to develop and move toward performing research on a national agenda of studies for all childhood rheumatic diseases.
Are you currently involved with the Arthritis Foundation?
Yes, I am a member of the Research Committee of my local chapter and am the Medical Director of an arthritis summer camp.
When you’re not in the clinic, where can you most often be found?
In my office at the hospital working on projects, studies, manuscripts, grants, etc.!
What good, non-medical book have you read lately?
The most recent is Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books.
What is your favorite type of music and do you have a favorite musical artist?
Old school rock ‘n’ roll and western – Jackson Brown and Hank Williams, Sr.
If you weren’t a medical researcher, what would you be doing now?
Taking care of kids with rheumatic diseases full time. Still after all these years that is great fun and very rewarding.
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