Rheumatology

Dedicated to eradicating arthritis as a cause of human suffering through biomedical research, teaching and patient care, the Division of Rheumatology and its affiliated UA Arthritis Center were among the first to employ a multidisciplinary approach to combat arthritis and bone and connective tissue disease.

The Center’s research areas include innovative surgical techniques, use of new drug and other therapies, reduction of costs related to arthritis care, development of artificial joints and major new treatments in rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoarthritis, scleroderma, vasculitis and other related diseases.

The University of Arizona Division of Rheumatology began as the Clinical Immunology Section of the UA Department of Medicine in 1968 and was led by John “Jack” Boyer, MD, until 1983, at which point it was the Section of Rheumatology/Allergy & Immunology. It now operates largely through the UA Arthritis Center, which was founded in 1985 by then section chief Eric P. Gall, MD, and Robert G. Volz, MD. A renowned expert in joint diseases, C. Kent Kwoh, MD, became chief of the Division of Rheumatology and Center director in 2013, coming from the University of Pittsburgh Arthritis Institute where he had been director of clinical research and headed three related National Institutes of Health-funded projects.

Integrating research and patient care continues as a major emphasis for the Division of Rheumatology. Much of the work is collaborative with a multidisciplinary focus that also draws upon the strengths of other divisions, departments and colleges within the UA Health Sciences, including geriatric and orthopedic medicine and surgery.