Overview
Clinical Director
Research Areas (IRP Lab Groups)
The NIAMS Clinical Care and Research Programs, based on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, focus on rheumatologic, musculoskeletal, skin, and inflammatory diseases.
As part of the NIH Intramural Research Program, NIAMS conducts in-depth clinical and translational research at the NIH Clinical Center, advancing understanding and treatment of conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, autoinflammatory diseases, myositis, vasculitis, and related disorders—including rare diseases.
Multidisciplinary teams provide comprehensive evaluation and coordinated care, particularly for patients in the Maryland, Virginia, and DC region, while also training the next generation of physician-scientists.
Interpretation services, local travel assistance, and collaboration with primary and specialty providers support both research participation and long-term disease management.
Translational Research: The Bridge Between Basic Research and Clinical Disease
Translational research connects laboratory discoveries with clinical practice. Through well-designed observational and interventional studies, it validates biological insights in patients and returns new knowledge to the lab about the mechanisms underlying health and disease.
Training Programs
The NIAMS Clinical Research Program includes the following:
- Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program (ACGME-certified).
- Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program (joint program with Childrens’ National Medical Center Washington, DC)
Dermatology Consultation Service
The Dermatology Consultation Service at the NIH Clinical Center evaluates patients enrolled in NIH clinical research protocols, including those with rare diseases affecting the skin and adverse reactions to experimental therapies. The service also provides training for Dermatology Branch fellows, fellows from other NIH Institutes, and visiting dermatology residents nationwide. Notably, cases evaluated by the service are featured in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology through its “Grand Rounds at the NIH” series.
NIAMS Community Health Clinic (CHC)
In addition to its disease-focused clinical research programs, the CHC provides specialist care and screening for participation in clinical research studies for patients in the local area with serious rheumatological conditions. The clinic is located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
Core Research Facilities
Labs at the NIAMS are supported by the following state-of-the-art facilities and services:
Staff
Clinical Trials
Natural History Studies: follow people who have, or may develop, a disease to learn how it changes over time. They do not test new treatments, but patients may still receive standard medical care.
These studies help doctors and researchers better understand diseases and improve how they are diagnosed, prevented, and treated.
The NIAMS Clinical Research Program (CRP) conducts natural history and observational studies of skin (dermatology), joints (rheumatology), muscle (myology), blood vessels (angiology), bones (osteology), and autoimmunity.
Some studies focus on specific diseases, including spondyloarthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus, myositis, vasculitis, melorheostosis, dermatitis, alopecia, and COVID-19.
For additional information, please search the database of all clinical studies being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center.