National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases Report for 2015

Recent Events

On Oct. 15, NIAMS hosted Congressional staff for a visit and tour of some of the laboratories in its intramural program in collaboration with the NIAMS Coalition, an independent consortium of professional and voluntary organizations that raises awareness about NIAMS-funded research. During the tour, I had the opportunity to speak to the staffers about the NIAMS intramural and extramural research programs, training for the next generation of scientists, and our outreach programs. Staffers also visited labs to learn more about clinical research in diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

In closing, I want to acknowledge the staff in the rheumatic disease-related areas in the NIAMS Extramural Program. Marie Mancini, PhD, is director of the Systemic Autoimmune Disease Biology Program; Su-Yau Mao, PhD, is director of the Arthritis Biology Program; Wm. Phil Tonkins Jr., MS, DrPH, is director of the Rheumatic Diseases Biopsychosocial Research Program; Yan Wang, MD, PhD, is director of the Rheumatic Diseases Genetics and Translational Research Program; and James Witter, MD, PhD, FACR, is director of the Rheumatic Diseases Clinical Program. All of these programs are under the leadership of Susana A. Serrate-Sztein, MD, director of the Division of Skin and Rheumatic Diseases in the NIAMS Extramural Program. We encourage you to contact us at any time with concerns or suggestions. I would also encourage you to visit the NIAMS and NIH websites for more information on all of the areas included in this article, as well as many other programs, including a wealth of reliable information for patients and the public.

Stephen I. Katz, MD, PhD, is director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services in Bethesda, Md.