Sriram Machineni
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Dr. Machineni obtained his medical degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, followed by a residency in internal medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He served as chief resident and primary care teaching physician at Buffalo General Hospital. He subsequently completed a clinical and research fellowship in obesity medicine and metabolism at Massachusetts General Hospital/ Harvard Medical School and stayed on as an instructor. Dr. Machineni studied energy balance and body fat regulation in animal models allowing the interpretation of clinical research findings and phenotypes in the context of physiology. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Dr. Machineni moved to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) to start a clinical obesity program for treatment, education, and pharmaceutical clinical obesity trials. During his term at UNC, he helped create an obesity primary care network in central North Carolina. He was recruited to Montefiore Medical Center to develop a new medical obesity program.</p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The Fleischer Institute Medical Weight Center at Montefiore Einstein, founded by Dr. Machineni, is designed to support clinical, educational, and research endeavors in the field of obesity medicine. The program leverages individual variations in response to treatments and uses multiple modalities for weight reduction to treat the comorbidities of obesity and improve quality of life. Special programs are available for individuals who need to lose weight to quality for medical and surgical procedures. The Medical Weight Center works closely with the Montefiore bariatric surgery program to offer a broad spectrum of treatment modalities.</span></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Dr. Machineni has clinical expertise in the m</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">ultidisciplinary management of obesity, anti-obesity medications, and post-bariatric medical complications, including nutritional deficiencies, hypoglycemia, weight regain, malabsorption, and diarrhea. He</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> is among a handful of physicians in the New York area with Castle Connolly Top Doctors designation in obesity medicine.</span></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> </p>
<p>1: Garvey WT, Frias JP, Jastreboff AM, le Roux CW, Sattar N, Aizenberg D, Mao H,Zhang S, Ahmad NN, Bunck MC, Benabbad I, Zhang XM; <strong>SURMOUNT-2 investigators</strong>.Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity in people with type 2 diabetes (SURMOUNT-2): a double-blind, randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2023 Jun 26:S0140-6736(23)01200-X. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01200-X. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37385275.</p>
<p>2: Pagidipati NJ, Mulder H, Chiswell K, Lampron Z, Jones WS, <strong>Machineni S</strong>,Waitman LR, Mongraw-Chaffin M, Waterman F, Kumar N, Ramasamy A, Smolarz G,Peterson ED, O'Brien E. Evaluation of weight change and cardiometabolic risk factors in a real-world population of US adults with overweight or obesity. PrevMed. 2023 May;170:107496. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107496. Epub 2023 Mar 29.PMID: 36997096.</p>
<p>3: Ro SJ, Lackey AR, Aymes SE, McCauley JL, Davis TC, Wang R, Stanley W, Ratner SP, <strong>Machineni S</strong>, Fiscus LC. Impact of a Community-Based Weight Management Program in a North Carolina Health Care System. Fam Med. 2023 Mar;55(3):189-194.doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2023.603918. Epub 2023 Jan 31. PMID: 36888674.</p>
<p>4: Aronne LJ, Bramblette S, Ingelfinger JR, Jastreboff AM, <strong>Machineni S,</strong> Massie N, Rosen CJ. When Weight Impacts Health. N Engl J Med. 2023 Jan 12;388(2):e2. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2215794. PMID: 36630621.</p>
<p>5: Aronne LJ, Bramblette S, Huett-Garcia A, Ingelfinger JR, Jastreboff AM, <strong>Machineni S</strong>, Massie N, Rosen CJ. Weight and Health - Pathophysiology and Therapies. N Engl J Med. 2022 Dec 15;387(24):e62. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2214423. PMID: 36516089.</p>
<p>6: le Roux CW, Zhang S, Aronne LJ, Kushner RF, Chao AM, <strong>Machineni S</strong>, Dunn J, Chigutsa FB, Ahmad NN, Bunck MC. Tirzepatide for the treatment of obesity: Rationale and design of the SURMOUNT clinical development program. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Jan;31(1):96-110. doi: 10.1002/oby.23612. Epub 2022 Dec 7. PMID: 36478180; PMCID: PMC10107501.</p>
<p>7: Bionic Pancreas Research Group; Russell SJ, Beck RW, Damiano ER, El-Khatib FH, Ruedy KJ, Balliro CA, Li Z, Calhoun P, Wadwa RP, Buckingham B, Zhou K,Daniels M, Raskin P, White PC, Lynch J, Pettus J, Hirsch IB, Goland R, Buse JB,Kruger D, Mauras N, Muir A, McGill JB, Cogen F, Weissberg-Benchell J, Sherwood JS, Castellanos LE, Hillard MA, Tuffaha M, Putman MS, Sands MY, Forlenza G, Slover R, Messer LH, Cobry E, Shah VN, Polsky S, Lal R, Ekhlaspour L, Hughes MS, Basina M, Hatipoglu B, Olansky L, Bhangoo A, Forghani N, Kashmiri H, Sutton F, Choudhary A, Penn J, Jafri R, Rayas M, Escaname E, Kerr C, Favela-Prezas R, Boeder S, Trikudanathan S, Williams KM, Leibel N, Kirkman MS, Bergamo K, Klein KR, Dostou JM, <strong>Machineni S</strong>, Young LA, Diner JC, Bhan A, Jones JK, Benson M, Bird K, Englert K, Permuy J, Cossen K, Felner E, Salam M, Silverstein JM, Adamson S, Cedeno A, Meighan S, Dauber A. Multicenter, Randomized Trial of a Bionic Pancreas in Type 1 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2022 Sep 29;387(13):1161-1172. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2205225. PMID: 36170500; PMCID: PMC10028490.</p>
<p>8: Perreault L, Davies M, Frias JP, Laursen PN, Lingvay I, <strong>Machineni S</strong>, Varbo A,Wilding JPH, Wallenstein SOR, le Roux CW. Changes in Glucose Metabolism andGlycemic Status With Once-Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide 2.4 mg AmongParticipants With Prediabetes in the STEP Program. Diabetes Care. 2022 Oct1;45(10):2396-2405. doi: 10.2337/dc21-1785. PMID: 35724304; PMCID: PMC9862484.</p>
<p>9: Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, Wharton S, Connery L, Alves B, Kiyosue A,Zhang S, Liu B, Bunck MC, Stefanski A; <strong>SURMOUNT-1 Investigators</strong>. TirzepatideOnce Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2022 Jul21;387(3):205-216. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2206038. Epub 2022 Jun 4. PMID: 35658024.</p>
<p>10: Klein KR, Freeman JLR, Dunn I, Dvergsten C, Kirkman MS, Buse JB, Valcarce C;<strong>SimpliciT1 research group</strong>. The SimpliciT1 Study: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1b/2 Adaptive Study of TTP399, a Hepatoselective Glucokinase Activator, for Adjunctive Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2021 Apr;44(4):960-968. doi:10.2337/dc20-2684. Epub 2021 Feb 23. PMID:33622669; PMCID: PMC7985421.</p>
<p>11: Melanie Davies, Louise Færch, Ole K Jeppesen, Arash Pakseresht, Sue D Pedersen, Leigh Perreault, Julio Rosenstock, Iichiro Shimomura, Adie Viljoen, Thomas A Wadden, Ildiko Lingvay; <strong>STEP 2 Study Group</strong>. Semaglutide 2·4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2): a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2021 Mar 13;397(10278):971-984. PMID: 33667417.</p>
<p>12: Rosman L, Armbruster T, Kyazimzade S, Tugaoen Z, Mazzella AJ, Deyo Z, Walker J, <strong>Machineni S,</strong> Gehi A. Effect of a virtual self-management intervention for atrial fibrillation during the outbreak of COVID-19. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2021 Mar;44(3):451-461. doi: 10.1111/pace.14188. Epub 2021 Feb 17. PMID: 33565642; PMCID: PMC8014277.</p>
<p>13: Wadden TA, Bailey TS, Billings LK, Davies M, Frias JP, Koroleva A, Lingvay I, O'Neil PM, Rubino DM, Skovgaard D, Wallenstein SOR, Garvey WT; <strong>STEP 3 Investigators.</strong> Effect of Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo as an Adjunct to Intensive Behavioral Therapy on Body Weight in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: The STEP 3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2021 Feb 24. PMID: 33625476; PMCID: PMC7905697.</p>
<p>14: Jensen SM, Thompson RE, <strong>Machineni S,</strong> Overby DW, Farrell TM. Refractory Hypocalcemia Following Stomach Intestinal Pylorus-Sparing Bariatric Surgery and Thyroidectomy: Successful Management With Creation of a Proximal Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Am Surg. 2021 Apr;87(4):576-580. doi: 10.1177/0003134820952427. Epub 2020 Oct 30. PMID: 33125276.</p>
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<p>15: Kushner RF, Batsis JA, Butsch WS, Davis N, Golden A, Halperin F, Kidambi S, <strong>Machineni S,</strong> Novick M, Port A, Rubino DM, Saunders KH, Shapiro Manning L, Soleymani T, Kahan S. Weight History in Clinical Practice: The State of the Science and Future Directions. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020 Jan;28(1):9-17. doi: 10.1002/oby.22642. PMID: 31858735.</p>
<p>16: Kushner RF, Butsch WS, Kahan S, <strong>Machineni S,</strong> Cook S, Aronne LJ. Obesity Coverage on Medical Licensing Examinations in the United States. What Is Being Tested? Teach Learn Med. 2017 Apr-Jun;29(2):123-128. doi:10.1080/10401334.2016.1250641. Epub 2016 Dec 29. PMID: 28033472.</p>
<p>17: Carmody JS, Ahmad NN, <strong>Machineni S,</strong> Lajoie S, Kaplan LM. Weight Loss After RYGB Is Independent of and Complementary to Serotonin 2C Receptor Signaling in Male Mice. Endocrinology. 2015 Sep;156(9):3183-91. doi: 10.1210/en.2015-1226. Epub 2015 Jun 11. PMID: 26066076; PMCID: PMC4541621.</p>
<p>18: Liou AP, Paziuk M, Luevano JM Jr, <strong>Machineni S,</strong> Turnbaugh PJ, Kaplan LM. Conserved shifts in the gut microbiota due to gastric bypass reduce host weight and adiposity. Sci Transl Med. 2013 Mar 27;5(178):178ra41. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3005687. PMID: 23536013; PMCID: PMC3652229.</p>
<p>19: Bose M, Teixeira J, Olivan B, Bawa B, Arias S, <strong>Machineni S,</strong> Pi-Sunyer FX, Scherer PE, Laferrère B. Weight loss and incretin responsiveness improve glucose control independently after gastric bypass surgery. J Diabetes. 2010 Mar;2(1):47-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-0407.2009.00064.x. PMID: 20676394; PMCID: PMC2910618.</p>
<p>20: Bose M, <strong>Machineni S,</strong> Oliván B, Teixeira J, McGinty JJ, Bawa B, Koshy N, Colarusso A, Laferrère B. Superior appetite hormone profile after equivalent weight loss by gastric bypass compared to gastric banding. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Jun;18(6):1085-91. doi: 10.1038/oby.2009.473. Epub 2010 Jan 7.PMID: 20057364; PMCID: PMC2877144.</p>
Beatrice Y. Wong
Diana S. Wolfe
<p>Diana S Wolfe, MD MPH is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women’s Health, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine. She is Associate Program Director of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program. </p>
<p>She established the MFM Cardiology Joint Program in 2015 in response to the rising contribution of cardiovascular conditions to pregnancy related morbidity and mortality. The aim was to establish a multidisciplinary program to optimize the care of high-risk pregnant patients with known or suspected cardiac disease, as there is a real potential for communication gaps when patients are seen separately in contrast with parallel visits by different specialists. Patients are at all stages of their reproductive lives including preconception, pregnancy and postpartum. She works closely with the department of Cardiology both in the outpatient and inpatient setting to establish delivery plans and continued care postpartum. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In addition, Dr. Wolfe has worked in global health, her most recent work in Africa was in Butare (Huye), Rwanda, serving as MFM subspecialist in the Human Resources for Health (HRH) program, directed by the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Rwanda. Dr. Wolfe was the first MFM subspecialist from Einstein to commence HRH at CHUB, Butare, Rwanda. Her interest began locally when she volunteered as a bilingual pregnancy counselor in Escondido, California. She then started working in Africa in 1998 where she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa. She was part of the national Maternal and Child Health Program. She worked as health educator in a remote village, Karangasso, located in the Sikasso region, with a birth assistant to develop health education for 7 local villages on subjects such as infant nutrition, prenatal care, family planning, and developing community health committees for each village. She also initiated a birth assistant training program with the head nurse of the nearest local health center that included training subjects such as management of postpartum hemorrhage, contraception, and first steps in obstetric emergencies. During medical school, Dr. Wolfe worked on “the Assessment of the Knowledge of Women’s Health,” a project that initiated with the Bedoin community of Israel. She implemented the same pre and post-training test to the 7 Malian villages where she served in the Peace Corps as well as to several villages in the Peruvian Amazon. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Dr. Wolfe’s clinical focus is on maternal and fetal medicine (MFM).
<ol>
<li>Wolfe DS, Hameed AB, Taub CC, Zaidi AN, Bortnick AE. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30278179">Addressing maternal mortality: the pregnant cardiac patient.</a> Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Feb;220(2):167.e1-167.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2018.09.035. Epub 2018 Sep 29.</li>
<li>Sahasrabudhe N, Teigen N, Wolfe DS, Taub C. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29581907">Pregnancy after Prosthetic Aortic Valve Replacement: How Do We Monitor Prosthetic Valvular Function during Pregnancy?</a>Case Rep Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Jan 17;2018:4935957. doi: 10.1155/2018/4935957. eCollection 2018.</li>
<li>Kim SY, Wolfe DS, Taub CC. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29063738">Cardiovascular outcomes of pregnancy in Marfan's syndrome patients: A literature review.</a> Congenit Heart Dis. 2018 Mar;13(2):203-209. doi: 10.1111/chd.12546. Epub 2017 Oct 23. Review.</li>
<li>Wolfe DS, Williams SF, Ross MG, Beall MH, Apuzzio JJ. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23943702">Does preeclampsia predict the risk of late postpartum eclampsia?</a> AJP Rep. 2013 May;3(1):13-6. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1329127. Epub 2013 Jan 25.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Wolfe%20D%5BAuthor%5D&cau… D</a>1, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Gong%20M%5BAuthor%5D&caut… M</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Han%20G%5BAuthor%5D&cauth… G</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Magee%20TR%5BAuthor%5D&ca… TR</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Ross%20MG%5BAuthor%5D&cau… MG</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Desai%20M%5BAuthor%5D&cau… M</a>.Nutrient sensor mediated programmed nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in low birthweight offspring. <a title="American journal of obstetrics and gynecology." href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Nutrient+sensor-mediated+prog… J Obstet Gynecol.</a> 2012 Oct;207(4):308.e1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2012.07.033. Epub 2012 Jul 31.</li>
</ol>
<p>Diana S. Wolfe, MD, MPH, FACOG is Attending Physician at Montefiore and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women’s Health at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Wolfe’s clinical focus is on maternal and fetal medicine (MFM). In 2015, she established the MFM-Cardiology Joint Program at Montefiore—a multidisciplinary program to reduce morbidity and prevent mortality in expecting mothers with cardiovascular disease by optimizing the care of high-risk pregnant patients.</p><p>From 1988 to 1993, Dr. Wolfe pursued her Bachelor of Science in biology through the University of California San Diego, participating in the Education Abroad Program with Universita di Bologna, Italy from 1990 through 1991. In 1996 she began studies at University of California, Berkeley focusing on maternal child health, earning her Master of Public Health in 1998. After two years serving in the health extension of the Child Health Survival Program with the Peace Corps in Mali, Dr. Wolfe pursued her Doctor of Medicine at Ben Gurion University, Israel, receiving her degree in 2004.</p><p>Building on her clinical focus, Dr. Wolfe’s research investigates cardio-obstetrics, preconception health, maternal morbidity and contraception in high risk women. She has published her research in several reviewed journals, book chapters and review articles.</p><p>Dr. Wolfe is board certified and is a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine. She is active in global health, most recently working in Butare (Huye), Rwanda, serving as MFM subspecialist in the Human Resources for Health program, directed by the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the Ministry of Health of Rwanda.</p>
Shudan Wang
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Dr. Wang is an Attending Physician in the Division of Rheumatology at Montefiore Medical Center, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is board certified in both internal medicine and rheumatology and currently sees patients at the Montefiore Westchester Practice at Taxter Road. Dr. Wang has an expertise in lupus and lupus related kidney disease. She is also skilled to see a wide range of other rheumatologic diseases, including but not limited to antiphospholipid syndrome, Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, <span style="color: black;">spondyloarthropathy</span> and psoriatic arthritis, vasculitis, myositis, polymyalgia rheumatica, scleroderma and osteoarthritis.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Dr. Wang graduated from McGill University with a major in Physiology and Statistics in 2009. Dr. Wang received her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in 2013. She subsequently completed her internal medicine residency training at New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell in 2016, followed by a fellowship in Rheumatology at New York University Hospital in 2018. Dr. Wang obtained a MS in clinical research from the Albert Einstein Clinical Research Training Program in 2021. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Dr. Wang's research interest is in lupus, focused on the role of the complement system in lupus related kidney disease. Dr. Wang is supported by the NIH KL2 Mentored Clinical Research Scholar Grant and the Rheumatology Research Foundation K-Bridge Grant to investigate complement biomarkers in lupus nephritis using various translational approaches including immunohistochemistry, urine proteomics and single cell RNA sequencing. Dr. Wang has experience working with large cohorts and databases, recruiting patients for the Einstein Rheumatic Disease Registry and serve as sub-investigator for lupus clinical trials. She has published first author papers in prestigious journals, presented her academic work at national meetings and served on NIH and CDC study sections. She was recognized by American College of Rheumatology as a Distinguished Fellow nationally for translational research and clinical excellence in 2018.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Wang Shudan</span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">, Wu M, Chiriboga L, Zeck B, Goilav B, Wang Shuwei, Jimenez-Londono A, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Putterman C, Schwartz D, Pullman J, Broder A, HM Belmont. Membrane Attack Complex (MAC) Deposition in Renal Tubules is Associated with Interstitial Fibrosis/Tubular Atrophy: A Pilot Study. <em>Lupus Science & Medicine. </em>2022 Jan; 9(1). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Tagoe, CE, Wang W, <strong>Wang S</strong>, Barbour K. Association of anti-thyroid antibodies with radiographic knee osteoarthritis and chondrocalcinosis: a NHANES III study. <em>Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease. </em>2021 Aug 4; 13. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Guerrero, MS, Londono, A, Dobrowolski C, Mowrey WB, Goilav B, <strong>Wang S</strong>, Broder A. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Activity and Hydroxychloroquine Use Before and After End-Stage Renal Disease. <em>BMC Nephrology</em>. 2020 Oct 28; 21(1): 450.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Wang S, </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Wu M, Pillinger MH, Krasnokutsky, S, and Barbour K. The Association between Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia and Knee Osteoarthritis: Data from Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. <a title="Osteoarthritis and cartilage." href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=The+Association+between+Asymp… class="highlight"><em><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Osteoarthritis</span></em></span><em> Cartilage.</em></a> 2019 Sep;27(9):1301-1308. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Wang S, </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Wu M, Chiriboga L, Zeck B, HM Belmont. Membrane Attack Complex (MAC) Deposition in Lupus Nephritis is Associated with Hypertension and Poor Clinical Response to Treatment. <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018; 48(2): 256-262.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Wang S, </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Broder N, Marchetta P, Nowatzky J. Myelodysplastic syndrome presenting as a Behcet’s like syndrome with aortitis. <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BMJ Case Rep. 2018 March 15. </em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Oshima-Takane Y, <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wang S</strong>, Takane M and Takane, Y. T</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">he Acquisition of Personal Pronouns in English: Neural Network Stimulations. S<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tudies in Language Sciences. 2014, Jan: 13 (53-69).</em></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 24.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Sleat DE, Ding L, <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wang S, </strong>Zhao C, Wang Y, Zheng H, Moore DF, Sims KB, Lobel P<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </strong>Mass spectrometry-based protein profiling to determine the cause of lysosomal storage disease of unknown etiology. <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mole Cell Proteomics</em>. <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">2009 Jul; 8(7): 1708-18.</em> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 24.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></strong></p>
Dawn M. Wahezi
<p>Dr. Wahezi attended medical school at the University of Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She completed her residency training in Pediatrics at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, where she stayed on as the inaugural fellow in Pediatric Rheumatology. She subsequently joined the faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at Montefiore and completed a Master’s Degree in clinical research through the Einstein-Montefiore Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Program. Dr. Wahezi is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and serves as the Program Director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program. </p>
<p>Dr. Wahezi has a special interest in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and was awarded the Cure JM Foundation Early Investigator Award for her research in premature atherosclerosis. She has additionally established a pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Cohort and participates in a dedicated, multi-disciplinary pediatric Lupus Nephritis Clinic. Dr. Wahezi is currently engaged in several research projects within the domains of JDM and SLE, contributing to over 40 peer reviewed manuscripts, reviews and scientific abstracts.</p>
<p>Dr. Wahezi is an active member of both the JDM subcommittee and SLE subcommittee within the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) and has participated in numerous observational and comparative effectiveness research protocols through this research consortium. </p>
<span style="color:#4d4d4d;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, source-code-pro, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, 'Courier New', monospace;font-size:16px;background-color:#ffffff;">Pediatric Rheumatology</span>
Dr. Wahezi has a particular research interest in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and was awarded the Cure JM Foundation Early Investigator Award for her research in premature atherosclerosis.
<p></p>Dawn Wahezi, MD, MS, is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology and Director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. She is also Associate Professor of Pediatrics at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine.<br /><br />Dr. Wahezi received her Bachelor of Science from Loyola College and earned her Doctor of Medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She obtained a Master of Science in Clinical Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and did her residency and fellowship training at CHAM.<br /><br />Dr. Wahezi’s clinical and research interests include juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). At CHAM, she established an interdisciplinary clinic and comprehensive patient registry for children with JDM and SLE.. Dr. Wahezi is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Rheumatology Advisory Board and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA).<p></p>
Berrin Ustun
Lisa J. Underland
Yaron Tomer
<p>Dr. Yaron Tomer is the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer at Montefiore Medicine.</p>
<p>He received his M.D. degree magna cum laude from the Sackler School of Medicine of Tel Aviv University and trained in Internal Medicine at Sheba Medical Center, Israel, and in Endocrinology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Prior to joining Montefiore Einstein in March 2016, he was Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Bone Disease at Mount Sinai.</p>
<p>Dr. Tomer has served on the editorial boards of <em>Endocrinology </em>and <em>The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism</em>, among others. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Tomer is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the American Thyroid Association’s Sidney H. Ingbar Distinguished Lectureship Award, as well as its Van Meter Award.</p>
<h3>Research</h3>
<p>Dr. Tomer’s research program focuses on the immunogenetic, epigenetic, and environmental mechanisms underlying thyroid autoimmunity, and type 1 diabetes, and on targeting these mechanisms in order to develop novel therapies. His group made several discoveries including identifying new genes and mechanisms underlying the strong association between type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroiditis; demonstrating that CD40 and thyroglobulin are major susceptibility genes for thyroid autoimmunity; identifying a unique amino acid variant in the peptide binding pocket of HLA-DR that is key for the development of thyroid autoimmunity; dissecting the epigenetic mechanisms by which polymorphisms in the thyroglobulin and TSHR genes interact with environmental agents (e.g. viruses) to trigger thyroid autoimmunity; and identifying a novel small molecule that can block antigen presentation in autoimmune thyroiditis.</p>
<h3>Current Projects</h3>
<ol role="list">
<li><strong>Genetic and epigenetic studies in thyroid autoimmunity</strong><br />The Tomer lab mapped several susceptibility genes for autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) including CD40, thyroglobulin, and TSHR. Recent data suggest that variants in regulatory regions of some of these genes interact epigenetically with environmental factors (e.g., viral infections) to trigger disease. Current studies are using epigenomic screening, including whole genome methylation studies and ChiP-seq analyses to study these genetic-epigenetic interactions.</li>
<li><strong>Epigenetic studies in type 1 diabetes</strong><br />Similar studies are utilizing epigenomic screening to analyze epigenetic interactions between known type 1 diabetes susceptibility genes and interferon alpha, a key cytokine secreted during viral infections.</li>
<li><strong>Translational studies in autoimmune thyroiditis (AITD) and type 1 diabetes</strong><br />The Tomer lab discovered that the presence of arginine at position beta-74 of the peptide binding pocket of HLA-DR is critical for the development of AITD. This discovery led to a translational project aimed at blocking thyroid antigen presentation to T-cells by the arginine beta-74 HLA-DR peptide binding pocket as a potential therapy for AITD. Recently, the Tomer lab identified a small molecule, Cepharanthine, that can block antigen presentation and suppress AITD in mouse models. Similar studies are performed in type 1 diabetes where the aim is to block the HLA-DQ8 peptide binding pocket from presenting insulin peptides to T-cells as a novel strategy to treat autoimmune diabetes.</li>
<li><strong>Genetic and functional analyses of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS) type 3</strong><br />The co-occurrence of type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroiditis in the same individual is considered a variant of the APS type 3 syndrome. The Tomer lab discovered several new susceptibility genes for APS3. The lab is now analyzing the mechanisms by which these genes predispose to disease.</li>
<li><strong>The role of viruses in triggering autoimmune thyroiditis and type 1 diabetes</strong><br />Certain infections, such as hepatitis C, are associated with autoimmune thyroiditis and diabetes. Current studies are aimed at dissecting the mechanisms by which interferon alpha, the primary cytokine secreted during viral infections, can trigger autoimmune thyroiditis and diabetes in genetically susceptible individuals.</li>
</ol>
2.Gene-environment interactions in AITD and T1D
3. Epigenetics of AITD and T1D
4. Environmental chemical triggers of T1D
<ol role="list">
<li>Menconi F, Monti MC, Greenberg DA, Oashi T, Osman R, Davies TF, Ban Y, Jacobson EM, Concepcion ES, Li CW, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Molecular amino acid signatures in the MHC class II peptide binding pocket predispose to autoimmune thyroiditis in humans and in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2008; 105: 14034-14039.</li>
<li>Jacobson EM, Yang H, Menconi F, Wang R, Osman R, Skrabanek L, Li CW, Fadlalla M, Gandhi A, Chaturvedi V, Smith EP, Schwemberger S, Osterburg A, Babcock GF, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Employing a recombinant HLA-DR3 expression system to dissect MHC II-thyroglobulin peptide dynamism: A genetic, biochemical, and reverse immunological perspective. J Biol Chem 2009; 284: 34231-34243.</li>
<li>Villano MJ, Huber AK, Greenberg DA, Golden BK, Concepcion E, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Autoimmune thyroiditis and diabetes: Dissecting the joint genetic susceptibility in a large cohort of multiplex families. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2009; 94: 1458-1466.</li>
<li>Menconi F, Osman R, Monti MC, Greenberg DA, Concepcion ES, <strong>Tomer Y</strong>. Shared molecular amino acid signature in the HLA-DR peptide binding pocket predisposes to both autoimmune diabetes and thyroiditis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2010; 107: 16899-16903.</li>
<li>Menconi F, Huber A, Osman R, Concepcion E, Jacobson EM, Stefan M, David, CS, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Tg.2098 is a major human thyroglobulin T-cell epitope. J Autoimmun 2010; 35: 45-51.</li>
<li>Stefan M, Jacobson EM, Huber AK, Greenberg DA, Li CW, Skrabanek L, Concepcion E, Fadlalla M, Ho K, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Novel variant of thyroglobulin promoter triggers thyroid autoimmunity through an epigenetic interferon alpha-modulated mechanism. J Biol Chem 2011; 286: 31168-31179.</li>
<li>Huber AK, Finkelman FD, Li CW, Concepcion E, Smith E, Jacobson E, Latif R, Keddache M, Zhang W, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Genetically driven target tissue overexpression of CD40: A novel mechanism in autoimmune disease. J Immunol 2012; 189: 3043-3053.</li>
<li>Stefan M, Wei C, Lombardi A, Li CW, Concepcion ES, Inabnet WB 3rd, Owen R, Zhang W, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Genetic-epigenetic dysregulation of thymic TSH receptor gene expression triggers thyroid autoimmunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2014; 111: 12562-12567.</li>
<li><span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>, Dolan LM, Kahaly G, Divers J, D’Agostino Jr. RB, Imperatore G, Dabelea D, Marcovina S, Black MH, Pihoker C, Hasham A, Hammerstad SS, Greenberg DA, Lotay V, Zhang W, Monti MC, Matheis N. Genome wide identification of new genes and pathways in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and type 1 diabetes. J Autoimmun 2015; 60: 32-39.</li>
<li>Li CW, Menconi F, Osman R, Mezei M, Jacobson EM, Concepcion E, David CS, Kastrinsky DB, Ohlmeyer M, <strong>Tomer Y</strong>. Identifying a small molecule blocking antigen presentation in autoimmune thyroiditis. J Biol Chem 2016; 291: 4079-4090.</li>
<li>Li CW, Osman R, Menconi F, Concepcion ES, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Flexible peptide recognition by HLA-DR triggers specific autoimmune T-cell responses in autoimmune thyroiditis and diabetes. J Autoimmun 2017; 76: 1-9.</li>
<li>Faustino LC, Lombardi A, Madrigal-Matute J, Owen RP, Libutti SK, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Interferon alpha triggers autoimmune thyroid diseases via lysosomal-dependent degradation of thyroglobulin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018; 103: 3678-3687.</li>
<li>Stefan-Lifshitz, M, Karakose E, Cui L, Ettela A, Yi Z, Zhang W, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Epigenetic modulation of β-cells by interferon-α via PNPT1-miR26a-TET2 triggers autoimmune diabetes. JCI Insight 2019; 4: e126663.</li>
<li>Li CW, Osman R, Menconi F, Concepcion E, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Cepharanthine blocks TSH receptor peptide presentation by HLA-DR3: Therapeutic implications to Graves’ disease. J Autoimmun 2020; 108: 102402.</li>
<li>Lombardi, A, Concepcion E, Hou H, Arib H, Mezei M, Osman R, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Retro-inverso D-peptides as a novel targeted immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes. J Autoimmune 2020; 115: 102543.</li>
<li>Li CW, Sachidanandam R, Jayaprakash A, Yi Z, Zhang W, Stefan-Lifshitz M, Concepcion E, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Identification of new rare variants associated with familial autoimmune thyroid diseases by deep sequencing of linked loci. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021; 12: 691781.</li>
<li>Ye J, Stefan-Lifshitz M, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Genetic and environmental factors regulate the type 1 diabetes gene CTSH via differential DNA methylation. J Biol Chem 2021; 296: 100774.</li>
<li>Li CW, Osman R, Menconi F, Faustino LC, Kim K, Clarke OB, Hou H, <span class="underline">Tomer Y</span>. Cepharanthine blocks presentation of thyroid and islet peptides in a novel humanized autoimmune diabetes and thyroiditis mouse model. Front Immunol 2021; 12: 796552.</li>
</ol>
Clement E. Tagoe
<p>Dr. Clement Tagoe obtained his medical degree from the University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana, and a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Leeds, UK. His basic science research interests included the study of the role of annexins in cell function and rheumatic diseases, and subsequently the mechanisms of disease in transthyretin amyloidosis using several animal models of transthyretin amyloidosis. His clinical work in the area of transthyretin amyloidosis has greatly illuminated our understanding of the form of amyloidosis associated with the Transthyretin V122I (pV142I) mutation, which is found in about 3 to 4% of African Americans. His current work focuses on the role of autoimmune diseases in fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain, and in particular the association of these syndromes with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). His work also explores the other musculoskeletal and rheumatic manifestations of autoimmune thyroid disease, including the association with peripheral osteoarthritis and spinal osteoarthritis. These autoimmune syndromes can occur in the absence of thyroid dysfunction and are of particular interest to physicians and patients because AITD is by far the commonest autoimmune disease.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Selected Bibliography</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. Clement E. Tagoe, Tejas Sheth, Eugeniya Golub, Karen Sorensen (2019) Rheumatic associations of autoimmune thyroid disease: a systematic review Clin Rheumatol. 2019 Jul;38(7):1801-1809., (1-9) DOI: 10.1007/s10067-019-04498-1</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2. Kavisha Patel, Clement Tagoe, Phyllis Bieri, Karen Weidenheim & James M. Tauras (2018): A case of transthyretin amyloidosis with myopathy, neuropathy, and cardiomyopathy resulting from an exceedingly rare mutation transthyretin Ala120Ser (c.418G > T, p.Ala140Ser), Amyloid, DOI: 10.1080/13506129.2018.1491398</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3. Daniel R. Jacobson, Alice A. Alexander, Clement Tagoe, W. Timothy Garvey, Scott M.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Williams, Sara Tishkoff, David Modiano, Sodiomon Bienvenu Sirima, Issa Kalidi, Toure A, & Joel N. Buxbaum. The Prevalence and Distribution of the Amyloidogenic Transthyretin (TTR) V122I Allele in Africa Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine Epub 14 July, 2016 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.231</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">4. Asha Shrestha, Hillel W. Cohen, Clement E. Tagoe. Association of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease With A Higher Frequency Of Spinal Degenerative Disc Disease Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2016 Mar-Apr;34(2):296-302. Epub 2016 Feb 9. PMID: 26885680</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">5. Tagoe CE, Zezon A, Khattri S. Rheumatic manifestations of autoimmune thyroid disease: the other autoimmune disease. J Rheumatol. 2012 Jun;39(6):1125-9. Epub 2012 Apr 15.</p>
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