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
