Welcome to the Division of Rheumatology
At the Division of Rheumatology at WashU Medicine, we are dedicated to helping patients navigate, manage, and live well with a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases that can affect the joints, muscles, and internal organs. From common conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout to complex disorders like lupus, vasculitis, and scleroderma, we provide compassionate, comprehensive care grounded in nationally recognized expertise and informed by ongoing scientific discovery.
Our physicians care for patients with conditions that often involve multiple organ systems and require highly individualized treatment approaches. Through a network of specialized clinics — including programs focused on lupus, vasculitis, myositis, and related-interstitial lung disease — we tailor care to each patient’s unique needs. Working at the intersection of clinical excellence and research innovation, our team is advancing more precise diagnostics, targeted therapies, and improved long-term outcomes for patients of all ages.
The division’s distinguished reputation is rooted in a long history of leadership and discovery, including the transformative contributions of John P. Atkinson, MD, a former division chief and one of the field’s most influential physician-scientists.
An internationally recognized expert in immunology and autoimmune disease, Dr. Atkinson’s pioneering discoveries in complement biology — including the identification and characterization of key regulatory pathways that control complement activation on human cells—fundamentally reshaped understanding of innate immunity and autoimmune pathogenesis, laying the groundwork for new insights into diseases such as lupus and other systemic inflammatory disorders.
Through the WashU Medicine Rheumatology Fellowship Program, we train future leaders through a rigorous clinical experience that emphasizes both academic excellence and community-based care. Fellows are deeply embedded in the St. Louis community, and a core focus of the program is understanding and addressing social determinants of health as an integral part of delivering high-quality, patient-centered rheumatologic care.
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