The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Triple-Threat Rheumatologist H. Ralph Schumacher, Jr., MD, Has a Zest for Research

Triple-Threat Rheumatologist H. Ralph Schumacher, Jr., MD, Has a Zest for Research

January 1, 2010 • By Gretchen Henkel

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Widely published, much honored and admired, H. Ralph Schumacher, Jr., MD, is one of that rare breed, a triple-threat rheumatologist, says rheumatologist and long-time colleague Daniel G. Baker, MD, vice president of clinical immunology at Johnson & Johnson.

You Might Also Like
  • In Memoriam: Dr. H. Ralph Schumacher Jr.
  • Quadruple-threat Rheumatologist
  • Rheumatologist John P. Atkinson, MD, Continues Research into Rare Diseases
Explore This Issue
January 2010
Also By This Author
  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration at Wash U Advances Understanding of Immunology, Rheumatology

Dr. Schumacher’s stature in the field of rheumatology is built on a prodigious body of work, not just in laboratory and clinical investigation, but in his clinical and teaching pursuits. Currently, Dr. Schumacher is professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; director of rheumatology-immunology research at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia; and founding editor and current editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, the official journal of the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR).

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Recent conversations with Dr. Schumacher, several former fellows, and long-time collaborators revealed a man of dedication, discipline, and heart, with an appetite for sharing knowledge.

Dr. Schumacher with his electron microscope.
Dr. Schumacher with his electron microscope.

First and Foremost a Scientist

Five hundred fifty and still counting: the list of published journal articles in Dr. Schumacher’s CV is impressive not only for its length but for its breadth and depth of scientific inquiry. “I always thought of Ralph, from the research standpoint, as a really great observational scientist. He’s a keen observer of various types of pathology in arthritis,” notes Edward V. (“Ted”) Lally, MD, professor of medicine and director of rheumatology at Brown Medical School in Providence, R.I., who was a fellow with Dr. Schumacher from 1978–1980.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

From pioneering studies using electron microscopy on normal synovium, describing the value of synovial biopsy in diagnosis; to investigations on monosodium urate, calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate, and apatite crystal pathogenesis in synovial fluid and synovium; to reports of the histology of very early synovitis; to a just-completed study of acupuncture in arthritis, Dr. Schumacher’s body of work is impressive for its range.1-3 “He is open to everything,” comments Joshua Baker, MD, a current fellow in the division of rheumatology at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Daniel Baker’s son. “The main thing about Dr. Schumacher is that he is, first and foremost, a scientist in the best sense of the word. He will not listen to a case without having a healthy level of skepticism about each part of it.”

The senior Dr. Baker concurs, saying, “My most vivid impression of Ralph was his dedication to science. That’s what he did: he was going to explore and study things, and he was persistent and relentless in his pursuit.” After his own fellowship at Penn, Dr. Baker joined the faculty and collaborated with Dr. Schumacher at the VA for another 17 years.

Dr. Schumacher (back center) and his laboratory team.
Dr. Schumacher (back center) and his laboratory team.

Following Threads of Discovery

Dr. Schumacher’s intellectual curiosity and drive blossomed early in his career, although he had no idea that rheumatology would be his choice when he attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Two electives—one spent in a Cachiquel-speaking Guatemalan village researching cures for Kwashiorkor, and another as an extern at the Talihina Indian Hospital in Oklahoma—were life-changing experiences. “Both of those experiences,” he recalls, “showed me patients’ suffering in these underserved populations and the scientific challenges [of finding cures for and treating disease].” They also sparked his interest in other cultures, demonstrated by the international pool of fellows and his longstanding collaborations with international rheumatology societies.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions, Practice Management, Professional Topics, Profiles, Rheumatoid Arthritis Tagged With: Career, Research, Rheumatiod arthritis, rheumatology, TrainingIssue: January 2010

You Might Also Like:
  • In Memoriam: Dr. H. Ralph Schumacher Jr.
  • Quadruple-threat Rheumatologist
  • Rheumatologist John P. Atkinson, MD, Continues Research into Rare Diseases
  • Rheumatologist Nathan Wei, MD, Focuses on Alternatives to Surgery for Athletes

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.