Research

The Division of Pediatric Rheumatology is actively engaged in clinical research to improve the care of children with rheumatic disease. This includes research studies funded by the NIH and foundations, as well as industry.  We currently have active clinical trials in systemic juvenile arthritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile dermatomyositis, pediatric scleroderma, inflammatory eye disease, and drug safety.

Heather Van Mater, MD, Chief
Areas of interest: Pediatric rheumatology workforce, cost-effective treatments in rheumatic disease, systemic onset juvenile arthritis, localized scleroderma.

Stephen Joseph Balevic, MD
Areas of interest: Precision medicine, clinical pharmacology, and drug trials.

Mara Becker, MD, MSCE
Areas of interest: Variability in drug response, mainly involving methotrexate and the impact on folate homeostasis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients.

Jeffrey Dvergsten, MD
Areas of interest: Pathogenesis of pediatric inflammatory diseases.

Egla C. Rabinovich, MD
Areas of interest: Treatment of childhood rheumatic diseases, treatment of inflammatory eye disease, drug safety, childhood osteoporosis, treatment of juvenile dermatomyositis, classification and treatment of linear scleroderma.

Ann M. Reed, MD
Areas of interest: Genetics and cause of human autoimmune disease; development of new biomarkers of disease to identify those predisposed to develop disease, as well as monitor disease activity and response to treatment.

Rebecca Eli Sadun, MD, PhD
Areas of interest: Determining how B cell dysfunction leads to lupus, examining transition outcomes in adolescent and young adults with rheumatic diseases, and evaluating the efficiency of curricula aimed at teaching residents and fellows how to help adolescents and young adults transition from pediatric care to adult care.

• Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry (CARRA)
• STRIVE: A registry for children with moderate to severe Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis currently taking the medication HUMIRA
• Urinary HER2 as a biomarker for Lupus Nephritis
• Juvenile Dermatomyositis Repository (JDMS Repository)
• Go VIVA: Trial of IV golimumab (SIMPONI) in patients with active Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis despite methotrexate therapy
• Jigsaw: Study to investigate the effectiveness and safety of subcutaneous injection of tocilizumab in patients with Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

• Nitric oxide metabolism in statin treated pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus
• Microarray assessment in childhood lupus erythematosus
• Endothelial progenitor cells in pediatric SLE and atherosclerosis

For further information about clinical trials currently being conducted in the Division of Rheumatology, please visit dukechildrens.org.