Rheumatology
About UsThe Division of Rheumatology promotes prevention, cure and relief of suffering caused by arthritis and rheumatic diseases through research, education and patient care.
Over the past decade, we have witnessed a major transformation in our ability to treat patients and to understand pathological conditions that exist under the umbrella of rheumatic disease.”
– Harris R. Perlman, PhD
What We Do
Faculty: Meet the Team
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology)
I was one of the first students to obtain an undergraduate degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at University of Toronto. Then, I trained as a computational biologist at Duke University (PhD) under Drs. Greg Crawford and Terry Furey focusing on gene regulation, specifically, using high-throughput sequencing assays to study chromatin dynamics across diverse human cell lines. For my postdoc, I joined Ido Amit's lab in Immunogenomics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel where I applied genomic approaches to the study of immunology. My landmark paper showed that tissue-resi...
Associate Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology)
My clinical research interests are in the field of musculoskeletal ultrasonography, specifically ultrasound-guided minimally invasive synovial biopsies.
Professor of Preventive Medicine (Epidemiology), Medicine (Rheumatology) and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dr. Rowland Chang is a rheumatologist and epidemiologist interested in the outcomes of individuals and populations with arthritis and chronic joint symptoms. He sees patients at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, where he also teaches clinical rheumatology to medical students and residents. He is a faculty member of the Feinberg School of Medicine's Medical Decision Making course and co-leads an epidemiology course in the Graduate School. He thereby participates in the epidemiology education of medical, public health and other graduate students. His research interests focus on understanding and impr...
Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology)
I received my undergraduate degree in English Literature from Princeton University. I attended medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine followed by a residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. I completed my rheumatology fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital, with a concurrent research fellowship under a T32 training grant at the Harvard School of Public Health. At Northwestern since 2000, where I have held a number of roles, currently Associate Chief, Clinical Affairs for the Division of Rheumatology.
Associate Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) and Preventive Medicine (Epidemiology)
The mission of our research is to understand the pain experience in individuals with systemic rheumatic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to identify the relationship between these experiences and pain pathways. This research is important because it paves the way for the development of effective pain prevention and management strategies to improve the well-being of our patients.
Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Anesthesiology and Medicine (Rheumatology)
Research activities of our group focus on two major clinical areas: musculoskeletal pain and bone. In collaboration with Dr. A. Vania Apkarian in the Department of Physiology, our pain research focuses on understanding the basis for pain chronification, utilizing brain imaging and psychophysical methodologies. Current NIH-funded studies are evaluating the transition that occurs in individuals who progress from acute to chronic pain and attempting to modulate this by pharmacologic interventions. On a more applied level, the development and characterization of analgesic agents for the management...
Professor of Medical Social Sciences (Implementation Science), Medical Social Sciences (Determinants of Health), Medicine (Rheumatology) and Orthopaedic Surgery
I serve as Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Following a residency in Preventive Medicine, I completed a fellowship in Health Services Research emphasizing large database design and analysis and inter-disciplinary chronic care models. This training laid the foundation for a career in quality improvement (Medical Director for Quality) and outcomes research. I serve as Principal Investigator of FORCE-TJR, a P50 (AHRQ) for comparative effectiveness research in total joint replacement (TJR) outcomes. This national effort ...
Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology)
epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus, pregnancy and rheumatic diseases, osteoporosis, steroid-induced osteoporosis, clinical drug trials in lupus
Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) and Preventive Medicine (Epidemiology)
The overarching goals of our research program are to identify targets for novel strategies to prevent disease and disability development and progression in persons at risk for or with knee osteoarthritis.
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Diversity and Inclusion
The department works toward an environment of inclusion and support through the Diversity and Cultural Affairs Council and through several dedicated events and initiatives.
Housestaff Research Portal
Physician-Scientist Training & Resources
We offer a wide range of resources, mentorship opportunities and formal training programs to help our residents and fellows excel as physician-scientists. Explore all of the resources and hear from housestaff who are making research a major part of their career development plans.
Giving
Support What We Do
We invite your philanthropic partnership in helping us achieve our research and teaching missions each day.
You can contact MaryPat Mauro for more information on supporting the Division of Rheumatology at 312-503-1090 or marypat.mauro@northwestern.edu.
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