Pathways
Volume 4 • Issue 12 • December 2015 • Rheumatology Research Foundation
Celebrating Today's Advancements, Tomorrow's Leaders
 Foundation-funded students and residents were recognized at the Annual Awards Luncheon for their interest in rheumatology and contributions to the field. |
"The Rheumatology Research Foundation’s awards allow us to look at areas which may be outside the work we’ve done in the past,” says Jon Giles, MD, MPH. “The funding allows us to develop different areas of research, which we can further use to build bigger projects.”
Dr. Giles recently attended the Foundation’s Annual Awards Luncheon, an event that showcased the near 200 award recipients who have received Foundation funding this year. As a recipient of the Foundation’s Innovative Research Grant – one of several Foundation awards that Dr. Giles has received throughout the course of his career – Dr. Giles is an established investigator that is using the funding to better understand how fatty tissue and inflammation may contribute to psoriatic arthritis.
Other attendees at the event included residents and students in the early stages of their careers. In addition to funding research grants for experienced professionals like Dr. Giles, the Foundation also supports education and training awards and opportunities to build the rheumatology workforce. Recruiting and training the next generation of rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals is critical to the Foundation’s mission to improve care for people with rheumatic diseases.
“The awards we offer support all aspects of the field and help encourage innovative research that drives advancements and tomorrow’s cures,” said the Foundation’s 2015 president, David Karp, MD, PhD. “From students to fellows to young researchers and established investigators, the Foundation is right there with them and has been for decades.”
Click here for a list of the Foundation’s 2016 awards and grants recipients.
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: Anne Davidson, MBBS
Anne Davidson, MBBS |
Anne Davidson, MBBS, is a professor, researcher and former volunteer for the Rheumatology Research Foundation. Through these many roles, Dr. Davidson has seen firsthand the impact of the Foundation on patient outcomes, scientific advancements and stronger opportunities for future rheumatology professionals.
Currently, Dr. Davidson is a professor of molecular medicine at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and an investigator at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Her laboratory is studying the development and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE, an autoimmune disease affecting women of childbearing years.
Dr. Davidson also recently served as chair of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Council. She has received numerous grants from the Foundation, and Foundation funding has enabled her to expand the rheumatology fellowship program at North Shore-LIJ Health System where she serves as program director.
“The impact on career development is what I see as the greatest impact the Foundation has had in the last 30 years,” says Dr. Davidson. “It’s allowed us to train young rheumatologists to do research both in clinical and basic sciences and has grown to the point where the community really depends on it to do that.”
This support continues throughout rheumatologists’ careers, as government funding can be volatile. The Foundation can help fund research projects that are just starting or whose funding is otherwise insufficient. Through her work with the Foundation, Dr. Davidson feels as if she’s part of an organization that’s making a difference not only in the scientific community, but also for patients who rely on these new discoveries to improve their lives.