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





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


Clinical Director
    Senior Investigator
    Head, Clinical Research @ NIAMS
    Chief, Pediatric Translational Research Branch Image
              Robert A. Colbert, M.D., Ph.D. 
            Contact Information

                                                  301-443-8935
                
                                                9000 Rockville Pike
                  
            10 Center Drive
      
                  
            Building 10, Room 12N/248B
      
                                   Bethesda MD 20892
                
                                                colbertr@mail.nih.gov 
                                          Media Resources
                                  
            High Resolution Image 
                Summary
          Dr. Robert Colbert is a board-certified pediatric rheumatologist with a long-standing interest in understanding the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis. After completing clinical training in pediatrics and rheumatology, he did postdoctoral research in molecular immunology at the University of North Carolina. From there he joined the faculty at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati, where he became Professor of Pediatrics and chief of the Division of Rheumatology. He joined the NIAMS Intramural Research Program in 2008 as Chief of the Pediatric Translational Research Branch.
        
                  Research Statement
          
            The Pediatric Translational Research Branch is focused on understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of early onset arthritis, including axial disease in juvenile spondyloarthritis. Patients are studied under a natural history protocol (#11-AR-0223; Studies on the Natural History and Pathogenesis of Spondyloarthritis) to find better clinical, laboratory, and imaging modalities to define axial involvement and disease outcome. We are particularly interested in genetic contributions to early onset axial disease. The laboratory also utilizes animal models to understand the role of risk genes and how they interact, and dissect molecular mechanisms that drive arthritis and spondyloarthritis pathogenesis. Current studies are focused on defining novel effects of ERAP1 on HLA-B27, the role of endoplasmic reticulum quality control pathways in HLA-B27 misfolding, and how misfolding impacts immune function. We also have studies addressing the role of gut microbiota in experimental spondyloarthritis.

Read Dr. Colbert's full profile 

            Scientific Publications
              Recent Updates in Juvenile Spondyloarthritis.

    Srinivasalu H, Sikora KA, Colbert RA
        

                    Rheum Dis Clin North Am.
        
                    2021 Nov;
        
                    47(4).
        
                    doi: 10.1016/j.rdc.2021.07.001
                            PMID: 34635292
  JAK1: Number one in the family; number one in inflammation?

    Spinelli FR, Colbert RA, Gadina M
        

                    Rheumatology (Oxford).
        
                    2021 May 5;
        
                    60(Suppl 2).
        
                    doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab024
                            PMID: 33950229
  Somatic Mutations in UBA1 and Severe Adult-Onset Autoinflammatory Disease.

    Beck DB, Ferrada MA, Sikora KA, Ombrello AK, Collins JC, Pei W, Balanda N, Ross DL, Ospina Cardona D, Wu Z, Patel B, Manthiram K, Groarke EM, Gutierrez-Rodrigues F, Hoffmann P, Rosenzweig S, Nakabo S, Dillon LW, Hourigan CS, Tsai WL, Gupta S, Carmona-Rivera C, Asmar AJ, Xu L, Oda H, Goodspeed W, Barron KS, Nehrebecky M, Jones A, Laird RS, Deuitch N, Rowczenio D, Rominger E, Wells KV, Lee CR, Wang W, Trick M, Mullikin J, Wigerblad G, Brooks S, Dell'Orso S, Deng Z, Chae JJ, Dulau-Florea A, Malicdan MCV, Novacic D, Colbert RA, Kaplan MJ, Gadina M, Savic S, Lachmann HJ, Abu-Asab M, Solomon BD, Retterer K, Gahl WA, Burgess SM, Aksentijevich I, Young NS, Calvo KR, Werner A, Kastner DL, Grayson PC
        

                    N Engl J Med.
        
                    2020 Dec 31;
        
                    383(27).
        
                    doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2026834
                            PMID: 33108101
  Janus kinase (JAK) inhibition with baricitinib in refractory juvenile dermatomyositis.

    Kim H, Dill S, O'Brien M, Vian L, Li X, Manukyan M, Jain M, Adeojo LW, George J, Perez M, Grom AA, Sutter M, Feldman BM, Yao L, Millwood M, Brundidge A, Pichard DC, Cowen EW, Shi Y, Lu S, Tsai WL, Gadina M, Rider LG, Colbert RA
        

                    Ann Rheum Dis.
        
                    2021 Mar;
        
                    80(3).
        
                    doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-218690
                            PMID: 32843325
  Novel Inter-omic Analysis Reveals Relationships Between Diverse Gut Microbiota and Host Immune Dysregulation in HLA-B27-Induced Experimental Spondyloarthritis.

    Gill T, Brooks SR, Rosenbaum JT, Asquith M, Colbert RA
        

                    Arthritis Rheumatol.
        
                    2019 Nov;
        
                    71(11).
        
                    doi: 10.1002/art.41018
                            PMID: 31216122
  The Role of Autophagy in the Degradation of Misfolded HLA-B27 Heavy Chains.

    Navid F, Layh-Schmitt G, Sikora KA, Cougnoux A, Colbert RA
        

                    Arthritis Rheumatol.
        
                    2018 May;
        
                    70(5).
        
                    doi: 10.1002/art.40414
                            PMID: 29342507
  Germline gain-of-function myeloid differentiation primary response gene-88 (MYD88) mutation in a child with severe arthritis.

    Sikora KA, Bennett JR, Vyncke L, Deng Z, Tsai WL, Pauwels E, Layh-Schmitt G, Brundidge A, Navid F, Zaal KJM, Hanson E, Gadina M, Staudt LM, Griffin TA, Tavernier J, Peelman F, Colbert RA
        

                    J Allergy Clin Immunol.
        
                    2018 May;
        
                    141(5).
        
                    doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.01.027
                            PMID: 29427642
  Effects of HLA-B27 on Gut Microbiota in Experimental Spondyloarthritis Implicate an Ecological Model of Dysbiosis.

    Gill T, Asquith M, Brooks SR, Rosenbaum JT, Colbert RA
        

                    Arthritis Rheumatol.
        
                    2018 Apr;
        
                    70(4).
        
                    doi: 10.1002/art.40405
                            PMID: 29287307
  ERAP1 reduces accumulation of aberrant and disulfide-linked forms of HLA-B27 on the cell surface.

    Tran TM, Hong S, Edwan JH, Colbert RA
        

                    Mol Immunol.
        
                    2016 Jun;
        
                    74().
        
                    doi: 10.1016/j.molimm.2016.04.002
                            PMID: 27107845
  Identification of Interleukin-1β-Producing Monocytes That Are Susceptible to Pyronecrotic Cell Death in Patients With Neonatal-Onset Multisystem Inflammatory Disease.

    Edwan JH, Goldbach-Mansky R, Colbert RA
        

                    Arthritis Rheumatol.
        
                    2015 Dec;
        
                    67(12).
        
                    doi: 10.1002/art.39307
                            PMID: 26245468 
          Education
              
            **Boston University**
B.A., Chemistry and Biology, Summa Cum Laude

**University of Vermont**
M.S., Biochemistry

**Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Rochester School of Medicine.**
M.D., Ph.D.             
                        Experience
              
            **Residency**
Pediatrics, Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester

**Residency**
Pediatric Rheumatology, Duke University and the University of North Carolina


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