The 2022 ACR Awards of Distinction

Dr. Rider has focused her research on juvenile myositis and has led work that defined major clinical and autoantibody phenotypes, identified genetic and environmental risk factors, led the development of validated outcome measures and the ACR-European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) myositis clinical trial response criteria and had leading roles in clinical trials of new therapies for myositis, as well as in the EULAR-ACR myositis classification criteria. She also co-established and is co-chair of the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS). 

Dr. Rider has mentored more than 45 adult and seven pediatric rheumatology fellows who are currently in academic programs and clinical practices throughout the U.S. and other countries. She mentored nine post-doctoral research trainees, as well as more than 35 students from high school through PhD dissertation level in research.

Within the ACR, Dr. Rider has served on the Executive Council of the Pediatric Subsection, chaired the Pediatric Rheumatology Study Section and served multiple years on abstract selection committees for pediatric rheumatology and myositis/myopathies. She is currently an associate editor of Arthritis & Rheumatology and Frontiers in Immunology, chairs the Cure JM Foundation Medical Advisory Board and previously served as vice-chair of The Myositis Association Medical Advisory Board and as scientific committee chair.

She received the 2011 U.S. Public Health Service Physician Researcher of the Year Award, the Cure JM Foundation Lifetime Achievement in Research Award (2017), The Myositis Association’s 25th Anniversary Research Award (2018), Global Genes Rare Champion of Hope Award for Research Collaboration to IMACS (2019) and the American Academy of Pediatrics James T. Cassidy Award (2020).

Distinguished International Rheumatology Professional Award

Introduced in 2021, the Distinguished International Rheumatology Professional Award is given to a rheumatologist or rheumatology health professional working outside the U.S. and Canada for exceptional contributions in public service and advocacy to the global rheumatology community. This year’s recipient is Nicolino Ruperto, MD, MPH, senior scientist of the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO), Genoa, Italy, and pediatric rheumatologist at Gaslini Children’s Hospital, Genoa, where he is responsible for the Gaslini Trial Centre.

Dr. Ruperto earned his medical degree from the University of Pavia, Italy, where he specialized in pediatrics. He was a research fellow in pediatric rheumatology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Ohio, and earned a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, and an Executive Master in Health Management from Bocconi University, Milan.