Everyone is invited to “Get to Know The University of Arizona Arthritis Center,” the annual fall luncheon of the University of Arizona Arthritis Center (UAAC) Friends, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Lodge on the Desert, 306 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson.
C. Kent Kwoh, MD, director of the University of Arizona Arthritis Center, will deliver the keynote address, “State of the University of Arizona Arthritis Center.” Dr. Kwoh also is The Charles A.L. and Suzanne M. Stephens Chair of Rheumatology; chief of the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology in the Department of Medicine and Professor of Medicine and Medical Imaging in the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.
Tickets are $25 for UAAC Friends members and their guests; $30 for non-members. Reservations and advance payment are requested by Friday, Oct. 25. To reserve tickets, please call the University of Arizona Arthritis Center Friends, 520-626-7901.
The University of Arizona Arthritis Center is a clinical and basic research leader with a focus on identifying the causes of arthritis and developing improved diagnosis, measurement and treatment of the many forms of the disease that affect millions.
Dr. Kwoh’s clinical interests include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and gout. His research interests include outcome assessment and the examination of risk factors for the development and progression of a broad spectrum of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. His current work focuses on the identification of biomarkers – most notably MRI imaging biomarkers – for the development and/or progression of knee osteoarthritis and the characterization of knee pain patterns in osteoarthritis. Another line of research targets the elimination of ethnic/racial disparities in the care of patients with osteoarthritis. A third area of interest is the evaluation of state-of-the-art imaging techniques (for example, 3D imaging and thermography) to quantify inflammation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr. Kwoh’s research has been funded by grants from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Arthritis Foundation and other organizations. He is a co-holder of three patents for a method using thermal, laser and other state-of-the-art imaging to assess the extent of arthritis in joints.
Dr. Kwoh recently replaced Eric P. Gall, MD, MACP, MACR, one of the founding directors of the University of Arizona Arthritis Center, who served as interim director of the center since 2010, when he returned to the UA from the Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, where he was emeritus professor of medicine and chair of the Department of Medicine from 1994-2009. Dr. Gall remains a member of the center and a professor of clinical medicine in the UA Department of Medicine Division of Rheumatology. He is working with the rheumatology fellows and seeing patients at The University of Arizona Medical Center – Wilmot Physician Offices.
The UAAC Friends support the Center’s mission to help create a world free of arthritis and autoimmune diseases. Friends members are invited to participate in ongoing programs and special events designed to increase awareness and promote optimal health for arthritis sufferers.
The University of Arizona Arthritis Center, a Center of Excellence at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson, strives to improve the lives of millions afflicted with one of the many forms of arthritis. The center conducts both clinical and basic research and educates health-care providers and scientists in the development of more effective therapies. The goal of the research is to change the way patients are treated globally. The knowledge gained from this research will develop and test more effective therapies with the hope of reversing the disease process. For more information, please visit the website www.arthritis.arizona.edu
Media Contact: Jean Spinelli