In the News

Save the Date: Lupus Education Day, November 13th 2021

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

The 15^thAnnual Lupus Education Day will be held virtually on November 13, 2021 from 10 – 11:30.  The event is free but registration is required.  Please see the event flyer for details.

Allen Anandaraja Named Department of Medicine Associate Chair for Wellness

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Allen Anandarajah MD, MSc has been named Associate Chair for Wellness in the Department of Medicine. In his new role, he will be working with department leadership and faculty to promote resilience and wellness across all of our missions.

Dr. Anandarajah joined the URMC faculty in 2003 and served as Clinical Director of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology from 2006-2017. His most recent research interests have been focused on improving the care of patients with rheumatologic diseases from underserved and rural communities and is the founder and Program Director of the RA CHAMP Program at URMC which improves access to care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Anandarajah has had an ongoing interest in physician wellness for several years. He recently led a departmental retreat attended by representatives from all divisions to address wellness.

Jennifer Anolik Named Interim Division Chief of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology

Monday, October 4, 2021

After eight years as division chief of AIR, Christopher Ritchlin, M.D., M.P.H., is stepping down to focus on research, while Jennifer Anolik M.D., Ph.D., assumes the role of interim chief. Anolik also currently serves as associate chair of research and education for the department of Medicine.

Christopher Ritchlin Receives NPF Lifetime Achievement Award

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Christopher Ritchlin, M.D., M.P.H., professor of Medicine, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). The celebration was part of the 2021 Commit to Cure Gala hosted in New York City on September 9, where Ritchlin’s long history of research and clinical care was honored.

Ritchlin is director of the Clinical Immunology Research Unit and is a member of the Center for Musculoskeletal Research. He has served as division chief of AIR for the past eight years, growing the division in both size and funding. Ritchlin is a founding member of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA). Through the NPF, he is co-chair of the COVID-19 Task Force and a member of their scientific advisory committee.

From the Commit to Cure Gala: “It is with great honor that NPF recognizes the lifetime achievements of Dr. Ritchlin with this prestigious award. His efforts for the foundation and his larger contributions to the understanding and advancement of treatment for psoriatic arthritis will resonate for generations to come. His work has had a profound impact on those impacted by psoriatic disease as well as on the NPF community throughout the country.”

Read the NPF press release: NPF Presents Alexa B. Kimball, M.D., MPH and Christopher Ritchlin, M.D., MPH with Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Jessica Stern Receives Career Development Award

Friday, September 24, 2021

Jessica Stern, MD has been awarded a two-year Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Award from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. The purpose of the award is to train and develop investigators who are committed to increasing the diversity of patients enrolled in clinical trials with the goal of yielding new treatments that are effective in all populations.

Drs. Anolik and Barnas Author Chapter in Comprehensive Reference Textbook on Lupus

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Jennifer Anolik, MD, PhD and Jennifer Barnas, MD, PhD co-authored the chapter entitled, “B-cell Biology, Tolerance and Autoantibodies”  in the recently published 6^th edition of Lahita’s Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, a highly regarded reference text for clinical specialists.

Dr. Christopher Palma Leads Study of COVID Treatment at URMC

Monday, March 29, 2021