Division
Research
The Division’s clinical investigations assess the immunogenetic and
natural histories of several rheumatic diseases. Studies also involve
the evaluation of new drugs and biologics for treating rheumatic
diseases, bone physiology in the rheumatic diseases, functional
evaluation of the host immune status in various rheumatic diseases, and
the role of genetic and psychosocial factors in the outcome of patients
with rheumatic disease. The Arthritis Clinical Intervention Program (Dr.
Moreland, Director) and the UAB Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment
Clinic play crucial roles in these translational research programs.
Complementing clinical investigations, the Division has an extensive,
interdisciplinary program in many areas of fundamental investigation.
These include apoptosis, cellular immunology, transgenic models of
autoimmunity, cell surface antigens, complement chemistry and biology,
and mediators of inflammation and autoimmunity. Division laboratories
are fully equipped for experimental work in protein chemistry, molecular
biology, and cell biology.