Pathways
Volume 4 • Issue 4 • April 2015 • Rheumatology Research Foundation
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Rheumatology Research Foundation! To celebrate 30 years of advancing treatment of rheumatic diseases, the Foundation will profile 30 people who have made a significant impact in the world of rheumatology through their work with the Foundation. Please feel free to email us if you would like to contribute a story about how the work of the Foundation has directly impacted your life, or if you would love an opportunity to share your story or brag about your rheumatologist. We would love to hear from you!
30 Over 30: Jeffrey Karp, PhD
Jeffrey Karp, PhD • Disease Targeted Innovative Research Grant
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Jeffrey Karp, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and is Principal Faculty at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and affiliate faculty at MIT. He works to train the next generation of researchers in regenerative medicine and develops technologies by approaching science from new angles. Dr. Karp reflects on how the Foundation’s support has been pivotal to his work in developing an inflammation responsive material that can treat affected joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
Q: How did you first hear about the Foundation’s grant opportunities?
A: My colleague, Antonios Aliprantis, MD, PhD, first told me about this grant opportunity. Dr. Aliprantis was also an awardee of the Foundation. We had conversations about how we could synergize our research, and the Foundation’s funding accelerated the process for us.
Q: What did receiving a grant mean to you and your career?
A: It meant that we’d be able to have a serious project in the field of rheumatoid arthritis. The grant was an accelerator of our project, and it gave us the opportunity to make a difference. From a career perspective, this has put RA as one of the key focus areas of my lab. As I’ve been working closely with Dr. Aliprantis and received this funding, I’m now generating other ideas that can be applied to rheumatic disease. I also have a better understanding of the unmet needs in RA and have begun to address them.
Q: What is the greatest impact you’ve seen the Foundation make in the last 30 years?
A: The Foundation has really been the driving force in fostering careers in the field of rheumatic disease. In addition to careers, they have facilitated the development of new therapies and other technologies that will help patients. When I was at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting, I was amazed at the number of awards that were being given out and the diversity of the recipients. It was such a celebration of accomplishments in this field, and, at the same time, it was fostering the development of the next generation. The Foundation has been a lifeline to many researchers and clinicians in the field.
Q: What do you hope to see the Foundation achieve over the next 30 years?
A: I hope the Foundation continues to receive the support that it’s been given over the first 30 years and builds on that, so they can continue their mission of facilitating career development and the development of next generation therapies and technologies.
Q: What do you wish people knew about the Foundation?
A: I wish people knew the impact they have had. Their impact has been multifold in terms of career development, supporting high-risk, creative ideas in the field that would otherwise not be funded, and advancements of therapies through trials to help patients. When I was at the last Annual Meeting, I thought to myself, “Wow, this is remarkable.” I’ve never seen such an abundance of support from a foundation. It’s a very unique contribution. The magnitude of the Foundation’s support of its awardees is unparalleled.
National Arthritis Awareness Month is Almost Here
Each May, we recognize National Arthritis Awareness Month to bring attention to the more than 46 million Americans living with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. It’s also a time to internally recognize, as a community, the incredible progress made by clinicians, investigators, educators and patients to deliver new therapies, build a strong workforce and improve lives.
This year’s upcoming National Arthritis Awareness Month is a particularly special one for the Rheumatology Research Foundation because it coincides with the Foundation’s 30th anniversary. In 1985, the Foundation was formed by a core group of rheumatologists determined to advance their field, support their colleagues and provide more for their patients. Over the past 30 years, the Foundation has become the largest private funding source of rheumatology research and training in the United States, vitally filling funding gaps for important work across the nation. The Foundation has many activities planned this month and throughout the year to honor that heritage and the rheumatology community.
On Tuesday, May 19, the Foundation will be hosting its first-ever Giving Day to celebrate and support the work of rheumatology professionals. We will have exciting updates in the coming days, so stay tuned through Facebook and Twitter to learn more.