Dr. James O’Dell, past President of the American College of Rheumatology, Chief of Rheumatology, and Director of the Medicine Residency program at the University of Nebraska, presented the 21st Cochrane Lecture, entitled, Rheumatoid Arthritis: Manifestations and Management at Medical Grand Rounds on Wednesday, February 1, 2017.

The John and Margaret Cochrane Lectureship was established in 1981 by Mr. and Mrs. John T. Cochrane, Jr., of Mobile, Alabama. The lecture series sponsors visits to UAB by scientists noted for their contributions to medical research. Dr. O’Dell is an internationally-recognized expert in the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis and founder of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Investigational Network (RAIN), a group of rheumatologists who conduct investigator-initiated trials to find better treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. This research network has pioneered the use of combinations of medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis, was one of the first groups to describe genetic factors that predict response to therapy, and has done extensive work with the use of minocycline in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. O’Dell has published extensively and presented frequently at national and international meetings and has more than 100 published articles in top level rheumatology journals.