ACR REF/Abbott Medical and Graduate Student Achievement Award

We are not accepting applications at this time. For complete information about the award and requirements, please view the application below.

>> Scroll down to view a list of past recipients.

All applicants and award recipients must abide by REF Awards and Grants Policy at all times.

Application Deadline
The application deadline has passed. Check back in May 2010 for the new application and instructions.

For more information about this award, please contact the REF office by e-mail or by phone at (404) 633-3777.

Award Application

2007 Award Recipients

Sarah E. Eiser
Penn State College of Medicine
The use of alternative therapy by patients in the treatment of juvenile arthritis

Yvonne Golightly
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Relationship of limb length inequality with hip and knee osteoarthritis

Jack Hutcheson
Saint Louis University
Concomitant loss of BIM and FAS lead to gender specific SLE-like disease

Jason M. Low
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Circulating immune complexes from JIA patients reveal disease-specific proteins

Maribeth R. Morral
Hershey Medical Center
Risk factors for the development of pseudoporphiria in children with rheumatic disorders: TOle of hypermobility

Justin Neff
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Pathway analysis of genes differentially expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of children with SLE and controls

Grace S. Park, MPH
University of California, Los Angeles
Radiographic progression patterns to supplement progression rate as ourcome measures in early, seropositive rheumatoid arthritis

Sunitha Rao
University of Kansas Medical Center
Ultrasound imaging of the salivary glands in subjects with primary Sjorgren's Syndrome and volunteers without sicca symptoms

John C. Scatizzi
Saint Louis University
Macrophage-specific ablation of FAS leads to enhanced development of inflammatory arthritis

Deborah Smith
University of California, Los Angeles
A female preponderance for chemically induced lupus in SJL/J mice

Elaine Sunderlin
Jefferson Medical College
Mobile DXA physician response to high-risk DXA's: Bridging the osteoporosis care gap

Laura Tesmer
University of Michigan
Regulation of Th17 function: Mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance

Muthiah Vaduganathan
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
The relationship between bone mineral density and osteoarthritis in a familial setting

Jason S. Weinstein
University of Florida
Chronic inflammation response can promote antibody/autoantibody production

Jane Yaciuk
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center
Novel T-cell receptor transgenic mouse model of tolerance to the ubiquitous RNA-binding nuclear antigen LA/SS-B

2006 Award Recipients

Sarah R. Atkins
Mayo Clinic
B Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Pneumonia and Idopathic Interstitial Pneumonia

Doris R. Brown, PhD
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Histone Deacalase Inhibitors May Prevent Atherosclerosis While Treating Lupus

Joseph R. Doll, BS
University of North Dakota School of Medicine
Evidence For an Association of Mast Cell Degranulation with Spontaneous Polychondritis

Jenice Ria Guzman, BSN, MSN
UCLA School of Nursing
Barriers in the Management of Glucocorticoid-induced Osteoporosis

Kristen Johnson, BA
VAMC/UCSD

Kindra M. Kelly, BS
University of Florida
RNA Components of the Sm/RNP and R060 Lupus Autoantigens Promote Type I Interferon Production and Dendritic Cell Maturation

Kevin F. Kia, BS
University of Michigan
Patients with Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Have Increased Rates of Serologic Markets for Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Sprue

Jason M. Low, BS, MS
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Relationships of Immunogolbulin Light Chain Editing and Complement Activation in Immune Complexes from the Sera of Patients with TIA

Tricia Roehrig, BA
SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in a Clinical Versus Research Setting

John C. Scatizzi, BS
Saint Louis University
P21 is Required for Regulation of Inflammatory Monocyte Homeostasis and for the Induction of Experimental Arthritis

Danielle Soranno, BS
Case School of Medicine
Team Learning: Tackling Connective Tissue Diseases

Russell Traister, BS
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Inflammatory Cytokines REgulate Transgene Expression in Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes Infected with Double Stranded Adeno-associated Virus Vectors

Matthew J. Turner, BS
The University of Cincinnati/Children's Hospital Medical Center
HLA-B27 Misfolding and Induction by IFN-g Activates the Unfolding Protein Response Which Augments Type I IFN Production in Macrophages from Transgenic Rats

Leora Vegosen, MHS, PhD student
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Seasonal Birth Patterns in Subgroups of Myositis Suggest a Role for Perinatal Environmental Factors in Etiology

Jason S. Weinstein, BS
University of Florida
Antigen Specific B Cells Can Home to Ectopic Lymphoid Tissue Where They CAn Undergo Somatic Mutation to Become Autoreactive

2005 Award Recipients

Lauren M. Abbate
University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill
Do Body Composition and Body Fat Distribution Explain Ethnic Differences in Radiographic Knee Osteoarthritis Outcomes in African-American and Caucasian Women?

Kelly K. Anthony, MA
Duke University Medical Center
Perceptions of Child Vulnerability in Parents of Young Children with Arthritis: Relationships with Child Adjustment, Functional Status and Health Care Use

Nathaniel J. Brown
Saint Louis University
Fas Death Receptor Signaling Represses Monocyte Development and Macrophage Activation Invivo

Matthew Davids
Yale University School of Medicine
Human Lupus T Cell Subpopulations are Skewed Toward Effector Memory Cells and Underproduce IL-10 While Over-Producing Other TH2 Cytokines

Emily Dryden
University of Pittsburgh
Platelet C4d: A Promising Biomaker in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Justin Endo
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Lymphoma Characteristics in the Context of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Case Series from the Nebraska Lymphoma Study Group Registry

Steffany Haaz, MFA
John Hopkins University School of Medicine
Improving HRQOL Through Diet and Exercise in Obese Persons with Knee Osteoarthritis

Matthew R. Husa
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Induction and Expression of GRSP1 and Cybr Proteins in IL-12 Stimulated Human T-Cells

Kindra M. Kelly
University of Florida
U1 and Y1-5 RNA's Stimulate Type I Interferon Production Via the Double Stranded RNS Sensors TLR3 and/or PKR

Kristine A. Kuhn
University of Colorado Health Science Center
Protection from Collagen-Induced Arthritis by Complement Receptor CR2/CR1 Deficiency; and Development of an Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody Response in Collagen-Induced Arthritis

Kuo-Chiang Lian
University of California--San Francisco
Differences in Hip Bone Minderal Density and Strength between Glucocorticoid-treated and Glucocorticoid-naive Postmenopausal Women

Jason M. Low
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Reversal of the Kappa to Lambda Light Chain Ratio in Circulating Immune Complexes from Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Robert R. McLean, MPH
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged
Does Quantitative Ultrasound of the Heel Provide Insight into the Vitamin K and Bone Relation?

Shana Traina, MA
University of California--Los Angeles
Mental Health Scores and Social Support are Not Associated with Disease Duration in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Chinh Tran
University of Michigan--Ann Arbor
Presentation of Arthritogenic Peptide Specific T Cells by Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes

John C. Scatizzi
Saint Louis University
The Cell Cycle Inhibitor p21 is Required for Experimental Arthritis Development