The WashU Medicine, Division of Rheumatology is comprised of faculty with varied backgrounds and experiences who contribute to the clinical care, research and educational mission at WashU Medicine.
The division was previously led by John Atkinson, MD (1976-1992 and 2008-2017), Wayne Yokoyama, MD (1995-2007), and Deborah Lenschow, MD, PhD (Interim 2017-2018). Christine Pham, MD assumed the position of division chief on October 1, 2018.
The division has 6 full-time NIH-funded physician-scientists who work in a highly collaborative environment to enable innovative research to advance knowledge and improve healthcare for patients suffering from various rheumatologic diseases. To facilitate these endeavors the division successfully competed for a Rheumatic Diseases Research Resource-based Center (RDRRC) NIH P30 award, which began September 1, 2018 under the co-direction of Drs. Pham and Lenschow. In addition to expanding translational research, several faculty members have established specialized clinics to meet the challenges posed by the emerging rheumatic diseases as well as complex autoimmune conditions such as lupus and vasculitis.
Christine Pham, MD
Division Chief, G & EM Magness Professor of Medicine
Research Interests: Neutrophil proteases, nanomedicine for inflammatory arthritis
Clinical Interests: Rheumatology, arthritis, inflammation and proteases
Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida (1985)
Residency: Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (1989)
Felowship: Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (1997)
Sytse Piersma, PhD
Instructor in Medicine
Research Interests: Improving immunotherapy through studying natural killer (NK) cells
Graduate School: University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands (2009-2011)
Fellowship: Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands (2009-2011)
Fellowship: Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (2011-2013)
Beatrice Plougastel Douglas, PhD
Instructor in Medicine
Research Interests: Natural Killer Cells
Graduate School: PhD, University Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris- France (1989-1992)
Post Doctoral Fellowship: Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories – Lincoln’s inn Fields, London United Kingdom (1993-1997)
Post Doctoral Fellowship: Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (1998-2000)
Prabha Ranganathan, MD, MSCI
Professor of Medicine
Research Interests: Rheumatoid arthritis, epidemiology
Medical School: University of Madras, Madras, India (1990)
Residency: BJH/Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (1995)
Fellowship: Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (1999)
Kristen Richardson, MSN, NP-C
Nurse Practitioner
Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri
Master of Science in Nursing, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri
Sees patients at our West County location
Elisha Roberson, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Research Interests: Genetic basis of hidradenitis suppurativa, other human diseases
Graduate School: John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (2004-2009)
Benjamin D Schwartz, MD, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Medicine
Medical School: Albert Einstein College Of Medicine, New York, New York (1972)
Deepali Sen, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Research Interests: Lupus, clinical trials
Medical School: Seth G. S. Medical College, University of Mumbai, India (2003)
Residency: King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India (2003)
Residency: Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, New Jersey (2010)
Aisha Shaikh, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
- Director – Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease-related Interstitial Lung Disease (SARD-ILD) Clinic
- WU Physician’s Bio
- Research Output Profile
Research Interests: Vasculitis and interstitial lung disease therapies
Clinical Interests: vasculitis and vasculopathies, interstitial lung diseases in connective tissue disorders, inflammatory muscle disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis
Medical School: Dow Medical Institute of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan (2001)
Residency: St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (2006)
Fellowship: Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (2009)
Akhil Sood MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Research Interests: Epidemiology & Outcomes, Quality of Care, Lupus