Written by: Ivy Brewster
Media contact: Savannah Koplon
S. Louis Bridges Jr., M.D., Ph.D.S. Louis Bridges Jr., M.D., Ph.D., director of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology and professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, been appointed incoming president of the Rheumatology Research Foundation. His term is for two years.
“One of our priorities is to improve funding levels for rheumatology research and training from the foundation, the National Institutes of Health and other institutions,” Bridges said. “A major part of advancing resources is through enhancing the American College of Rheumatology’s RISE (Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness). RISE is the first and largest HER-enabled rheumatology registry in the United States. One of the three RISE data analytics center is at UAB and is led by Jeff Curtis, M.D., which puts UAB squarely at the center of this important effort.”
In addition to his positions within the School of Medicine, Bridges is also the director of the UAB Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center. His research is focused largely on susceptibility to being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, as well as the severity and possible treatment responses.
The RRF is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the United States. The RRF awards grants to scientists conducting research that will lead to more options for patients with rheumatic disease. The RRF also funds training and mentorship opportunities to expand the workforce within the field.