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The Rheumatology Research Foundation has appointed S. Louis Bridges Jr., MD, PhD, to serve as president for a two-year term. Dr. Bridges has served as the director of the University of Alabama–Birmingham (UAB) Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology since 2009. He is also the director of the UAB Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center.
“I am delighted and honored to take on this role with the Foundation. I look forward to working with our many partners and stakeholders to further the Foundation’s mission of advancing rheumatology research and training to improve the health of patients with rheumatic disease,” says Dr. Bridges.
“In addition to addressing the impending workforce shortage in rheumatology, I look forward to developing innovative ways to support cutting-edge research in rheumatology as parts of the Foundation’s and the ACR’s most recent strategic plans,” he adds. “For example, the ACR’s Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness [RISE] registry is a great resource to advance impactful clinical research and has great potential as a research tool. I look forward to finding ways to collaborate and utilize this resource to its full potential.”
Dr. Bridges
Dr. Bridges received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Notre Dame, Ind., and his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine. His research has been continuously funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is focused largely on RA susceptibility, severity and treatment response. He has authored more than 130 manuscripts and 20 book chapters, and served as editor of three editions of the Vasculitis text, published by Oxford University Press. He has been named to the Best Doctors in America list yearly since 2003 and is a former co-editor of Arthritis & Rheumatology and former chair of the NIH Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Study Section. In addition to being a member of several ACR committees, he previously served as chair of the ACR Committee on Research and as a member of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Council.
V. Michael Holers, MD
The Foundation is also pleased to welcome other new members of the leadership team. V. Michael Holers, MD, will serve as vice president for a two-year term. Dr. Holers is the division head of rheumatology, professor of medicine and immunology, and the Scoville Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Colorado, Denver.
Douglas White, MD, PhD
Douglas White, MD, PhD, is the newly appointed treasurer and will serve a two-year term. Dr. White is the chair of rheumatology and sees patients at Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, Wis.
Vikas Majithia, MD, MPH
Vikas Majithia, MD, MPH, will serve as chair of the Development Advisory Council. Dr. Majithia is an associate professor of medicine, director of the Division of Rheumatology and the rheumatology fellowship program director at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson.