Renowned Rheumatologist Salvatore Albani New Director of Arizona Arthritis Center at UA College of Medicine

Salvatore Albani, MD, PhD, an internationally renowned pediatric rheumatologist and immunologist, has joined The University of Arizona College of Medicine as The Charles A.L. and Suzanne M. Stephens Chair of Rheumatology, director of the Arizona Arthritis Center, and professor of medicine and pediatrics.

“As an immunologist and rheumatologist, Dr. Albani is the perfect person to serve as the Stephens chair,” said Keith Joiner, MD, MPH, UA vice provost for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, recalling the late Dr. Stephens’ pioneering rheumatology research in Tucson.  Dr. Albani’s research focuses on a relatively new field in arthritis research known as immune modulation, which acts like a vaccine to re-educate the body to tolerate the amino acid chains that cause the faulty immune responses that lead to painful inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

“I want to help put this center on the world map, even more than it is now. When I was 20, I needed to make a choice between continuing with a rowing team that was Olympic bound or entering medical school. Now, this is my Olympics,” said Dr. Albani.

Before joining the Arizona Arthritis Center, Dr. Albani served as director of the Translational Medicine Unit at the Clinical Investigation Institute at the University of California, San Diego, where he also was professor of medicine and pediatrics.  There, he was part of a research team that developed a synthetic peptide – a chain of amino acids – in tablet form that appears to disrupt the immune response in people with RA without causing side effects.

Originally from Italy, Dr. Albani trained in medicine, pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology and immunology at the University of Pavia in Italy.  He then moved to Scripps Research Foundation in La Jolla, Calif., where he completed a research fellowship in pediatric rheumatology and immunology.

Dr. Albani’s research has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Arthritis Foundation.  His research has been published in numerous leading peer-reviewed publications and he is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including the Kourir Award in Pediatric Rheumatology, Paris, France; and the Fijkman Award for Translational Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

A Center of Excellence at The University of Arizona College of Medicine, the Arizona Arthritis Center is dedicated to biomedical research into the causes and treatments of more than 100 forms of arthritis.  Understanding the ways that arthritis, bone and connective tissue diseases start and progress is the key to helping people with arthritis lead healthier lives.

Click here to view video of the announcement of Dr. Albani to the Stephens Chair: http://uanews.org/node/17522