Pathways
Volume 4 • Issue 2 • February 2015 • Rheumatology Research Foundation
Foundation Receives $1 Million Donation for Physician-Driven Medical Research
Norman B. Gaylis, MD |
The Rheumatology Research Foundation has received a $1 million donation from practicing rheumatologist, Norman B. Gaylis, MD, to fund physician-driven medical research through the establishment of the Norman B. Gaylis, MD Research Award for Rheumatologists in Community Practice. This award will support research ideas from practicing rheumatologists.
Dr. Gaylis is recognized as one of the country’s leaders in the field of rheumatology, practicing medicine in the greater Miami area for more than 34 years. He is also an active member of the Foundation and has served as an ambassador for the Campaign Leadership Council. He believes strongly in the benefits of clinicians conducting research and the importance of making an investment in the field of rheumatology.
The award will be used to support rheumatologists in community-based practices who, in addition to taking care of patients, want to test their own observations and ideas through innovative research. He says, “I created this award to benefit patients who suffer from rheumatic diseases. I feel very strongly that practicing rheumatologists have day-to-day exposure and relationships with patients that allow them to notice trends and nuances that regular researchers might not have, yet they usually don’t have access to funding.”
Dr. Gaylis said his desire to create the award was born out of his own experiences. “In my career, I have been both fortunate and frustrated. Fortunate because I’ve been in practice for nearly 40 years. Frustrated because I struggled to get support for ideas I had - not because they weren’t worthwhile, but because funding wasn’t available. So many rheumatologists deserve that opportunity, and I’m trying to stimulate new thought and creativity and attract some of the unsung heroes in rheumatology.”
The Foundation will start accepting applications for the Norman B. Gaylis, MD Research Award for Rheumatologists in Community Practice in 2016. The first round of funding for research will be given out in 2017. Dr. Gaylis hopes his investment serves as a message to colleagues to “give back to what’s made you who you are.” With this additional research funding, he hopes to influence rheumatology’s future and, ultimately, improve the lives of patients around the world.
 |
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: Audrey B. Uknis, MD
Audrey B. Uknis, MD |
As one of the first recipients of a Rheumatology Research Foundation grant, Audrey B. Uknis, MD, has been able to watch the Foundation evolve as her very own rheumatology career has grown. While she was a fellow preparing to embark on additional research endeavors, Dr. Uknis was profoundly affected by receiving the Foundation’s Physician Scientist Development Award. “The grant enabled me to engage in additional rheumatology training and begin a research focus in my career. It allowed me to secure a junior faculty position as assistant professor in medicine and to guarantee protected time to engage in the research that would serve as the foundation for my career in academic medicine,” said Uknis.
Now at the 30th anniversary, Dr. Uknis says the Foundation’s greatest impact was not only ensuring the future of the field of rheumatology in a general way, but specifically ensuring the health and continued growth of the field’s training programs through academic and funding support. She calls the Foundation the “triple threat” because it funds the training of additional clinicians, the education and mentorship that support training programs, and the advancement of research and discovery.
For the next 30 years, Dr. Uknis hopes to see the Foundation continue to grow its donor base in order to expand funding opportunities, career support and scientific discovery. She hopes to see the rheumatology workforce grow as well. She truly believes that the Foundation is the future of the field, providing the next generation of practitioners and scientific discovery that advances rheumatology. In her words, “It would seem counterproductive to stop the momentum that we have already built.”