Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology

One of fifteen divisions in the UAB Department of Medicine, the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology is internationally recognized and dedicated to pursuing new knowledge and translating research findings into more effective diagnosis and treatment of patients with rheumatic diseases. As one of the largest academic rheumatology units in the nation, the Division's clinical program registers over 22,000 patient encounters annually, evaluating and treating patients with various forms of connective tissue disease including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, vasculitis (Wegener's granulomatosis, etc.), fibromyalgia, and osteoporosis. This service is conducted in our outpatient clinics at The Kirklin Clinic at UAB, the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, The Children's Hospital of Alabama, as well as in the inpatient clinical services of UAB Hospital. In addition, the Division has a substantial, peer-reviewed, externally funded research program in fundamental investigation, emphasizing translation into clinical intervention. In the past ten years, the Division has recruited more than 15 new faculty.

In each of the past 16 years, according to the U.S. News and World Report, UAB's Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology has been ranked as the University's most highly regarded clinical program (8th nationally, 2007). Many Division faculty (Drs. Alarcón, Bridges, Chatham, Fessler, Heck, Kimberly, Koopman, and Saag) have been recognized in the latest edition of "Top Doctors in the USA." Dr. Louis W. Heck has been honored with the 2004 Arthritis Foundation Distinguished Rheumatologist Award and is the 2005 recipient of the C. Glenn Cobbs, MD/Edwin A. Rutsky, MD, Award for Clinical Excellence. Division faculty have also been recognized with the Max Cooper Award for Research Excellence four of the past five years [Mountz (2003), Carter (2004), Saag (2005), Zhou (2007)]. In November 2006, the Division was selected by the American College of Rheumatology as one of three programs nationwide to host European Union scientists for the ACR-EULAR exchange.

As a leading program integrating fundamental research with clinical care, the Division has been awarded numerous other honors. It has been distinguished as one of the Federation of Clinical Immunological Societies' Centers of Excellence. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recognized UAB and the Division with a five-year, $3.6 million award to establish an Autoimmunity Center of Excellence (ACE) (R. H. Carter, MD, Director) -- one of only nine such centers nationwide. The ACE unites investigators representing diverse disciplines to conduct basic research and clinical studies aimed at developing new therapies for autoimmune diseases. The UAB ACE is conducting three basic research projects with an emphasis on therapeutic manipulation of cytokines and T-cells. In addition to its basic research activities, the Center is participating in ACE-sponsored clinical studies. The Division has also been awarded over $200,000 through the Protective Life Corporation's Clinical Initiative Program allowing for the establishment of three clinics focused on the treatment of vasculitis, early arthritis, and lupus, as well as a Pro-CIS Infusion service improving therapeutic options for patients. Additionally, the Division's Arthritis Clinical Intervention Program (ACIP), a member of the Immune Tolerance Network at the direction of Dr. Jeffery Curtis, continuously evaluates new therapies for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, and other rheumatic diseases. These clinical trial therapies evaluate a variety of biologic agents and disease modifying drugs for people who have less than optimal responses to conventional therapy.

The outstanding efforts of the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology are further exemplified in its commitment to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research. The Division has established several national patient registries (PROFILE, CLEAR, LUMINA, and WGGER Repository) to aid practitioners' patient diagnosis and treatment. The Division is the only rheumatology unit in the nation to host both a Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center (MCRC) and a Rheumatic Disease Core Center (RDCC), both funded by the NIH. Led by Drs. Robert P. Kimberly and Robert H. Carter, respectively, these programs provide the foundation for innovative pilot and feasibility projects, as well as methodology and scientific core services. Dr. Kimberly also directs the Program Project (P01) in the Genetics of SLE, which unites researchers from seven academic centers around the country to address pertinent genetic and genomic links attributed to lupus. The Division also contributes extensively to the UAB/Daiichi Sankyo Program for Rheumatic Diseases and Cancer Research collaboration, now entering its fourteenth year. Through this partnership, several novel therapeutics are in the developmental pipeline with one humanized and in pre-clinical testing.

In addition to its outstanding commitment to clinical practice, the Division serves as an academic locus for the training of future researchers and clinicians. The Division's highly competitive Training Program in Rheumatic Disease Research sponsors the instruction of several pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows, most of whom continue fundamental and clinical research careers. The ACGME-accredited Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program provides for clinical practice and fundamental research experience, leading to eligibility for the American Board of Internal Medicine's certification examination in rheumatology. Both programs benefit from weekly Rheumatology Journal Clubs, Research in Progress meetings, the annual Lowe Conference, and a comprehensive program of seminars including the Cochrane Visiting Professor and the Howard Holley Visiting Professor. In keeping with a commitment to training excellence, a number of our Division researchers have been honored for their outstanding efforts. For his excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, Dr. Heck is the recipient of numerous recognitions including the "2005 Outstanding Teacher in the Division," the Department of Medicine's "2005 Top Ten Teacher Award," and the University's "2005 President's Award for Excellence in Teaching." Dr. Winn Chatham’s commitment to excellence has been recognized with the American College of Rheumatology Clinician Scholar Educator Award. Dr. Yue Wang, MD, PhD, working with Dr. Carter, is the recipient of the 2005 Joseph Reeves Award for Excellence in Research by a Post-Doctoral Scholar of the Department of Medicine. Dr. Carter, himself, has recently been honored as the "2005 Outstanding Faculty Mentor, Department of Medicine Junior Faculty Mentoring Program."

Division faculty are also very active in community outreach. Dr. Barri J. Fessler participates on the Advisory Board of Health Infonet of Alabama. Drs. Heck and Graciela Alarcón have donated time and professional services staffing the Alabama Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation's summer camp for children with juvenile arthritis. For his extensive service, Dr. Heck received the 2004 Alabama Rheumatologist of the Year Award. Division faculty, staff, friends, and family annually participate in the Arthritis Foundation “Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis” fundraiser to help find a cure for arthritis, raising over $1,000 in the 2006 event.

For additional information:

Director: Robert H. Carter, MD
Email: rcarter@uab.edu
Phone: 205-975-8688

Web site: www.uab.edu/rheumatology

Approved by: Robert H. Carter, MD, Division Director
Date: August 22, 2007

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