CHICAGO—Each year, the ACR honors up to 10 clinical and research fellows who have performed meritoriously. Meet this year’s Distinguished Fellows, who are bridging the gap between research and patient care, and who were recognized at ACR Convergence 2025 in October. We asked: What does recognition as an ACR Distinguished Fellow mean to you?
Abhimanyu Amarnani, MD, PhD
Greg Challener, MD
Rheumatologist, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
“I am honored and humbled to be recognized as an ACR Distinguished Fellow,” says Dr. Challener. “This award reflects the exceptional mentorship and support that I have received from the Division of Rheumatology at Massachusetts General Hospital. I am especially grateful to my research mentors, Hyon Choi, MD, and Minna Kohler, MD, and program director, Marcy Bolster, MD, for their invaluable guidance, encouragement and wisdom.”
Andrew Grim, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, University of Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor
“It is a tremendous honor to receive the ACR Distinguished Fellow Award, and I am truly humbled to be recognized among such an outstanding group of pediatric and adult rheumatology fellows,” says Dr. Grim. “I am deeply grateful for this recognition, which reflects not only personal achievement but also the support and inspiration of those around me (especially my program director, Meredith Riebschleger, MD). And this award finally proves to my family that I do more at work than just tell inflammatory jokes!”
Lauren He, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
“This award is both an honor and a powerful affirmation of the importance of focusing on all aspects of patient care—from rigorous scientific inquiry to bringing compassion and integrity to each patient interaction,” says Dr. He. “The greatest gift I can give to my mentors, who have invested in me and thus share in this achievement, is my commitment to invest in the education and training of those who come next.”
Mehmet Hocaoglu, MD
Advanced Lupus Fellow at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Lupus Center of Excellence and graduate student in the Computational Biomedicine and Biotechnology Program, University of Pittsburgh
“I am deeply honored to be selected as one of the recipients of the Distinguished Fellow Award,” says Dr. Hocaoglu. “It is a great privilege to carry forward the legacy of many outstanding physicians and scientists who received this recognition before me. I am grateful to my mentors, Amr Sawalha, MD, Niveditha Mohan, MD, and Dana Ascherman, MD, for their unwavering support in my growth as a physician-scientist and to my dear wife, Eylul, for being my steadfast partner at every step of my journey.”
Siva Kasinathan, MD, PhD
Pediatric Rheumatologist and Instructor of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, Calif.
“I am deeply honored to receive the ACR Distinguished Fellow Award and grateful to my mentors, colleagues and patients who have supported my training and research efforts,” says Dr. Kasinathan. “This recognition reinforces my commitment as a physician-scientist to advancing rheumatology through patient care and research.”
Kristen Mengwasser, MD, PhD
Assistant Adjunct Professor, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
“I am very grateful for the support and recognition from ACR. This affirmation bolsters my confidence to continue pursuing bold ideas in rheumatology research,” says Dr. Mengwasser. “It also reflects the extraordinary mentorship and support I’ve received at the University of California, San Francisco, especially from our program director, Lianne Gensler, MD, and my personal mentors, Mary Nakamura, MD, Jinoos Yazdany, MD, MPH, Julie Zikherman, MD, Mimi Margaretten, MD, and Jonathan Graf, MD.”
Amanda Moyer, MD
Adult and Pediatric (Med-Peds) Rheumatologist, Interim Chief of Pediatric Rheumatology, OU Health, Oklahoma City; Clinical Assistant Professor, OU Health College of Medicine and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), Oklahoma City
“It is a tremendous honor to receive the ACR Distinguished Fellow award [because] it celebrates the dedication to patient care, communication and therapeutic relationships—the true art of medicine,” says Dr. Moyer. “As a Med-Peds rheumatology fellow, the focus has been on supporting complex, high-needs and vulnerable patients during challenging moments, many of whom have limited advocates or resources. This award recognizes the importance of this often-unrecognized work, affirming its lasting value for both patients and the field.”
Yakir Reshef, MD, PhD
Rheumatology Fellow, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
“Discovering rheumatology has been one of the great revelations of my life, and I’m deeply honored to receive the ACR Distinguished Fellow Award,” says Dr. Reshef. “I am grateful to my research mentor, Soumya Raychaudhuri, MD, PhD, my division chief, Ellen Gravallese, MD, my fellowship directors, Simon Helfgott, MD, and Jeffrey Sparks, MD, MMSc, and my other faculty mentors and co-fellows in the warm Brigham and Women’s Hospital rheumatology community for their guidance and support. Above all, I thank my patients, who continue to inspire both my clinical care and research.”
Arissa Young, MD
Clinical Instructor, Division of Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles
“I am honored to receive the ACR Distinguished Fellow Award. It is humbling to be recognized alongside so many outstanding leaders in rheumatology,” says Dr. Young. “I am deeply grateful to my mentors, Elizabeth Volkmann, MD, MS, and Heather Christofk, PhD, for their invaluable guidance, and to my fellowship program director, Jennifer Grossman, MD, for her support. I also want to thank my husband and my daughters for their love and encouragement every step of the way.”
Patrice Fusillo is a writer and editor based in Oakland, Calif.
