Research
The Division's clinical fellowship program fosters biomedical research
through the development of basic science as well as clinical research.
In addition, research fellowship positions are available for both Ph.D. and M.D./D.O.
postdoctoral fellows.
Complementing fellows’ individual interests, collaboration with the Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy School and the Pain Clinic has provided additional rich environments to develop research projects and get hands-on clinical practice.
The Immunology Laboratory under the direction of Helen Mullen, Ph.D., provides fellows the opportunities to work in nationally funded research programs studying such areas as: human immunogeneteics and molecular genetics of autoimmunity, molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis in murine models of autoimmunity and hormonal regulation of autoimmunity.
Gordon C. Sharp, M.D., is the current Director of the Antinuclear Antibody Laboratory (ANA). The ANA Lab has been in operation for over 3 decades at the University of Missouri-Columbia and is another venue for fellows’ research. Thousands of patients have provided serum samples from physicians throughout the country which gives a pool of data that may provide potential research material for fellows to work with. As scientific discoveries evolve, ANA tests are continually being updated. The current Complete ANA Profile can provide great assistance in early detection, definitive diagnosis and exclusion of autoimmune systemic rheumatic diseases. Opportunities exist in our own ANA Lab for fellows to reach their individual research goals culminating in basic science abstracts/manuscripts for publications.
Current clinical projects in conjunction with Chokkalingam Siva, M.D., are listed below:
- RAHelp.org: An online self-management program for adults with rheumatoid arthritis; PI-Karen L Smarr, PhD
- Clinical Trials, Principal Investigator, University of Missouri- Columbia
- A 2-Week, randomized, double-blind, placebo- and positive-controlled, parallel-Group, multi-center Study of CE-224,535 in subjects with osteoarthritic pain of the knee. (2007)
- A Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, multi-center, active-controlled trial to evaluate efficacy and safety of Celecoxib and Indomethacin in the treatment of moderate to severe acute gouty arthritis. (2008)
- A Phase 2A, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of CE-224,535 in the treatment of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in subjects who are inadequately controlled on methotrexate. (2008)
- A 14-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study of [S,S]-Reboxetine (PNU-165442G) administered once daily in patients with fibromyalgia (2008)
Celso R. Velázquez, M.D. in 2008, is involved in the planning and hosting of the 5th Annual I-70 Rheumatology Objective Structured Clinical Examination (ROSCE) and Symposium. In 2007, 15 fellows from 5 different rheumatology programs (Washington University, St. Louis University, University of Kansas, University of Colorado and University of Missouri-Columbia) spent the morning examining “simulated patients” in 10 different stations. Dr. Kevin Latinis, University of Kansas; Dr. Sterling West, University of Colorado; Dr. James Cassidy and Dr. Sara Walker from University of Missouri-Columbia also participated.
The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is an assessment method that aims to evaluate different competencies and is one of the assessment tools suggested by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The educational quality of OSCE’s improves with the participation of more trainees from different institutions. The OSCE consists of a series of stations, usually 10 to 12, with a different skill assessed by faculty in each station. Trainees have a limited amount of time to complete each station after which they move on to the next. Standardized patients are individuals trained to portray reliable clinical scenarios and are frequently used to assess history and physical examination skills. OSCE’s are commonly used to assess medical students and residents but less often for fellows.
Some ROSCE stations in the past have been:
- Perform a history of a patient with fibromyalgia.
- Start a rheumatoid arthritis patient on TNF-blockers.
- Answer a phone call from an arthritis patient.
- Examine a patient with a painful shoulder.
- Demonstrate injection sites and techniques
Sara Kay Walker, M.D. has been involved in an area of research under the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARTCC), the only federally funded arthritis center in the country, housed here at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Its purpose is to foster multi-disciplinary research on rehabilitation, to train and educate health professionals in the treatment and management of arthritis and its disabling effects on the quality of life, and to disseminate information about the disease to those afflicted and to physicians and other health professionals around the country through publications and conferences.
