An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**A
              **.gov** website belongs to an official government
              organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**A
              **lock** (
              Locked padlock icon) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
 Top Utility Nav
        
        
        Asian-Language Resources
        
        Portal en español


Site search Mega Menu
  

        

        Home
                  Health Topics
                                      
    
  Health Topics

    Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases
          
    Muscle and Bone Diseases
          
    Skin Diseases
          
    All Diseases and Conditions
          
    Publication Catalog
                  Grants & Funding
                                      
    
  Grants & Funding

    Current Funding Opportunities
          
    Supported Scientific Programs
          
    NIAMS-Supported Programs
          
    Applying for a Grant
          
    NIH Policies and Guidance
          
    Peer Review and Grants Administration Resources
          
    Types of Funding Mechanisms (Activity Codes)
                  Labs @ NIAMS
                                      
    
  Labs @ NIAMS

    NIAMS Labs and Core Facilities
          
    Research Faculty
          
    Research Areas
          
    NIAMS Scientific Advances
          
    Training and Career Development
                  Clinical Trials
                                      
    
  Clinical Trials
      
            For Principal Investigators

    Clinical Trial Policies, Guidelines, and Templates
          
    Conducting Clinical Trials
          
    Register with ClinicalTrials.gov

For Patients

What is a Clinical Trial?
	Clinical Trials at NIAMS
	Clinical Trials in the Spotlight
                  News & Events
                                      
    
  Newsroom

    All NIAMS News
          
    NIAMS Newsletters
          
    Meetings & Events
                  About NIAMS
                                      
    
  About NIAMS

    Director's Page
          
    NIAMS Organization
          
    Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2020-2024
          
    Staff Directory
          
    NIAMS Budget
          
    Partnerships
          
    Contact NIAMS
                  Community Outreach
                                      
    
  Community Outreach

    Bone Health
          
    Joint Health
          
    Muscle, Tendon, and Ligament Health
          
    Skin Health
          
    Health Information For Kids And Young Adults
          
    Health Information For Older Adults/Seniors
          
    Printable Materials for Community Events
          
    Resources in Other Languages
          
    Annual Health Observances
          
    Social Media Resources Breadcrumb
    Home
          Labs @ NIAMS
          Clinical Care and Research





Clinical Care and Research Montage showing older and younger people receiving care.
  
  **Bringing care and research to the local community.**



Image
              Nurse and a doctor with a young patient.


Clinical Care and Research at NIAMS is located at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, Maryland, comprises several programs of research focused on rheumatological health in minority and underserved populations. Medical experts in the fields of autoimmunity, arthritis, lupus, and other rheumatological diseases conduct research focused on the evaluation, diagnosis, standard of care, and disease management of underserved patients from the local community (Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia).

The NIAMS team consists of physicians, advanced practice providers (NP/PA), nurses, patient care coordinators/navigators, and research assistants. Clinical Care and Research at NIAMS provides comprehensive medical evaluation in coordination with patients’ primary health care providers, and may refer patients to other NIH specialists for further evaluation or to outside health care teams for long-term follow-up and disease management. Services are provided at two locations.

Interpretation services are provided to non-English-proficient patients and their families. Local travel assistance is available to enrolled patients.
              
              The NIAMS Community Health Clinic (CHC) - NIH Campus



Over the shoulder view of a medical professional examining a patient's hand.
      
**Credit** Martyn Green


The NIAMS CHC program is based at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. It focuses on the study of rheumatological diseases in minority populations. However, non-minority, underserved patients from the local community are also eligible to participate.

Visit the Clinic Page

The Hope Center



Building entrance with double doors and an awning.
      
**Credit** Martyn Green


The Hope Center is a community-focused research facility based in Washington, DC. The NIAMS set up a team here in early 2023 to conduct outreach and allow participants in clinical trials to be seen close to their homes. NIAMS shares this facility with collaborators including the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
      Image
              Group of medical students smiling.

Rheumatology Fellows Training Program

Find information about our ACGME-accredited rheumatology program and details of the advanced training in our Scholars in Translational Research program.

Visit Program Page

Other Programs

NIH Training and Fellowship Program
	NIAMS Extramural Clinical Trials Program
              Natural History and Observational Studies

The NIAMS Clinical Research Program (CRP) conducts natural history and observational studies of skin (dermatology), joints (rheumatology), muscle (myology), blood vessels (angiology), bones (osteology), and autoimmunity. Some of the NIAMS natural history studies focus on specific diseases, including spondyloarthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus, myositis, vasculitis, melorheostosis, dermatitis, alopecia, and COVID-19.

Dermatology Branch

Standard Care in Dermatology (NCT00001506)

Edward Cowen, M.D., MHSc

Dermatology Biospecimens (NCT02471352)

Heidi Kong, M.D., MHSc

Natural History of Alopecia (NCT05502796)

Leslie Castelo-Soccio, M.D., Ph.D

Lupus Clinical Trials Unit

Natural History of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (NCT00001372)

Sarfaraz Hasni, M.D.

NIAMS Community Health Clinic

Natural History of Rheumatic Disease in Minority Communities (NCT00024479)

Sarfaraz Hasni, M.D.

Systemic Autoimmunity Branch

Natural History of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases (SAD-Covid) (NCT04690816)

Mariana J. Kaplan, M.D.

(Recruiting affected patients and healthy volunteers)

Translational Genetics and Genomics Section

Natural History, Genetics, and Pathophysiology of Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA), Adult-Onset Still’s Disease, and related conditions (NCT03510442)

Michael J. Ombrello, M.D.

Pediatric Translational Research Branch

Natural History of Spondyloarthritis (SpA) (NCT01422694)

Robert A. Colbert, M.D., Ph.D.

Muscle Disease Section

Study and Treatment of Inflammatory Muscle Disease (NCT00001265)

Andrew Mammen, M.D., Ph.D.

Juvenile Myositis Pathogenesis and Therapeutics Unit

Natural History of Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) (NCT00059748)

Hanna Kim, M.S., M.D.

Vasculitis Translational Research Program

Vasculitis Natural History Study (NCT02257866)

Peter Grayson, M.D., M.Sc.

Clinical and Investigative Orthopedics Surgery Unit

Melorheostosis Natural History Study (NCT02504879)

Sarthak Gupta, M.D.

Study lead: Timothy Bhattacharyya, M.D.
      Background

A natural history study is a type of observational study that follows a group of people who have, or are at risk of developing, a specific medical condition or disease. Usually, natural history studies observe patients over long periods of time to measure disease progression. Natural history studies do not test treatments (interventions), but many research programs provide standard-of-care management of a patient’s disease.

An observational study collects medical information and research data from patients to improve the medical community’s understanding of how the medical condition or disease develops and progresses over time.

The research goal of observational and natural history studies is to improve the medical community’s understanding of health and disease, and to develop better methods for the diagnosis, prevention, and management of disease.

Other Resources

NIH Clinical Center
	NIH Office of Patient Recruitment
	FollowMyHealth Patient Portal
	ClinicalTrials.gov


Last Updated: June 2023


Back to Top
 About NIAMS
                    Clinical Trials
                    Grants & Funding
                    Health Topics
                    Labs @ NIAMS
              News Room
                    NIAMS Multimedia Library
                    Disclaimer
                    FOIA
                    Contact us
              Privacy Statement
                    Accessibility
                    HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
                    Social Media Moderation Policy
                    NIAMS Archives
        Subscribe to Our E-Newsletters
            Click the button to see different options to sign up for newsletters.
            Click Here to Subscribe
          Follow us on
  
  About NIH
                  Accessibility Support
            FOIA requests
                  No FEAR Act data
            Office of the Inspector General
                  Performance reports
            Privacy Policy