| Chief
of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology Recognized
by Arthritis Foundation
December 11, 2006
Dr. Gary S. Firestein was awarded the Lee C. Howley
Sr. Prize for Arthritis Research by the Arthritis
Foundation at its National Meeting on Nov. 17 in Colorado
Springs, Colo. Firestein, chief of Rheumatology, Allergy
and Immunology at the UC San Diego School of Medicine,
was recognized for his outstanding research on the
origination and development of rheumatoid arthritis
(RA).
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| Gary S. Firestein |
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A highly coveted award for arthritis research, the prestigious Howley prize is given annually by the Arthritis Foundation to a researcher whose contributions in the previous five years represent significant advances in the understanding, treatment or prevention of arthritis and related diseases.
“Dr. Firestein has made enormous contributions
to the field of rheumatology as a clinician, researcher,
educator and thought leader,” said Dr. John
H. Klippel, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation.
“Dr. Firestein’s innovative work has resulted
in major advances in our understanding of RA which
have led to improvements in the care of patients affected
by the disease. We are thankful for researchers like
him who work tirelessly to better the lives of the
millions of children, teens and adults with arthritis.”
Firestein has advanced the field of rheumatology
by identifying key patterns of gene expression in
the joint to provide a basis for new therapies, including
cytokine blockers. During his career, his scientific
contributions have moved the study of RA from primitive
analysis of peripheral blood cells to a sophisticated
assay of patterns of gene expression that provide
a much more powerful and informed perspective. His
work provided the foundation for new therapies and
is leading to the development of promising new approaches
in the understanding and treatment of RA. Firestein’s
recent research, funded in part by the Arthritis Foundation,
has progressed from studying cytokines to understanding
the mechanisms inside cells that control gene expression
in order to design new oral drugs to control arthritis.
Firestein served as chair of the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration’s Arthritis Advisory Committee
and as deputy editor of Arthritis & Rheumatism. He
is also currently editor of Kelley’s Textbook
of Rheumatology. He graduated from Harvard
College and attended medical school at the Johns Hopkins
University. Firestein’s postgraduate training
included internal medicine residency at UCLA Medical
Center and rheumatology fellowship at UC San Diego.
The Lee C. Howley Sr. Prize for Arthritis Research
is made possible by the Howley family. The recognition
of excellence in arthritis research that this program
offers ensures that research will continue to find
cures for the more than 100 forms of arthritis and
rheumatic diseases.
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