Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Program Awardees 

Learn more in our press release.

Tom (Thomas) Riley, MD, Penn Medicine
$150,000
Using polygenic risk for disease susceptibility to predict disease severity and treatment response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Read more about Thomas Riley    

Aryana Sepassi, PharmD, University of California, Irvine
$150,000
Effects of Socioeconomic and Racial/Ethnic Status on Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Agents for Medicare Beneficiaries
Read more about Aryana Sepassi

Fan Zhang, PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
$149,557
Uncovering dynamic immunophenotypes by developing novel AI methods to predict RA onset
Read more about Dr. Zhang’s work

Mehmet Hocaoğlu, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
$150,000
Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Progression to Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Machine Learning Model Predictions
Read more about Dr. Hocaoğlu's work

Chris (Christopher) Striebich, MD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
$448,662
National Network to Prospectively Study Individuals at Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Read more about Christopher Striebich

Jeff (Jeffrey) Sparks, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital
$450,000
Cellular Biomarkers for Risk and Progression of Subclinical Interstitial Lung Disease in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
Read more about Jeffrey Sparks

Learn more in our press release

Michael George, MD

Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Grant title: Genetic predictors of metabolic adverse effects with glucocorticoid treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Award mechanism: Pilot award
Amount awarded: $150,000 Award duration: 1 year
Read more about Dr. George

 

Wen-Yuan Elena Hsieh, MD

Institution: University of Colorado, Denver
Grant title: Immunological determinants of the development of clinical rheumatoid arthritis evaluated in the pre-RA and early stages of disease
Award mechanism: Large award
Amount awarded: $450,000
Award duration: 2 years
Read more about Dr. Hsieh

 

 

Theresa Wampler Muskardin, MD

Institution: Hospital for Special Surgery
Grant title: Examination of Pathotype-specific Biology and Treatment Response using Microbioengineered and Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient-Derived Synovium-on-a-Chip
Award mechanism: Large award
Amount awarded: $450,000
Award duration: 2 years
Read more about Dr. Wampler Muskardin

Rebecca Blank, MD, PhD

Institution: New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Grant title: Modifying the gut microbiome and systemic immune response to enhance methotrexate efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis patients with inadequate response
Award mechanism: Pilot award
Amount awarded: $74,995
Award duration: 1 year
Read more about Dr. Blank

 

Susan Goodman, MD

Institution: Hospital for Special Surgery
Grant title: Characterizing Targets in Refractory RA
Award mechanism: Large award
Amount awarded: $450,000
Award duration: 3 years
Read more about Dr. Goodman

 

Elaine Husni, MD, MPH

Institution: Cleveland Clinic
Grant title: Defining a Personalized
Treatment Approach to Rheumatoid Arthritis: Using Genetic Markers of TNFi Response
Award mechanism: Pilot award
Amount awarded: $75,000
Award duration: 1 year
Read more about Dr. Husni

 

Dan Solomon, MD, MPH

Institution: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
Grant title: Defining immune cell phenotypes and cell functions that distinguish treatment responders and non-responders in RA: towards development of a liquid biopsy to personalize treatment
Award mechanism: Large award
Amount awarded: $450,000
Award duration: 3 years
Read more about Dr. Solomon