Editorial introductions

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Current Opinion in Rheumatology was launched in 1989. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of Rheumatology is divided into 15 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Journal's Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS John VargaJohn VargaJohn Varga MD is the John and Nancy Hughes Distinguished Professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Coming to the United States as a refugee, Dr Varga attended Columbia University, and obtained his medical degree from New York University. Following Rheumatology Fellowship in Boston, USA, he pursued post-doctoral research training with Professor Sergio Jimenez at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. In 2004, he joined the faculty at Feinberg School of Medicine, USA, where he founded and directs the integrated Scleroderma Program. His research focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of scleroderma and fibrosis, and bridges clinical and laboratory-based investigation. Dr Varga has mentored over 20 trainees, several of whom are now independent academic investigators. He is the author of more than 350 original articles, 40 book chapters and four books. His research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health. He is an elected member of the Association of American Physicians, and is Master of the American College of Rheumatology. Anna GhirardelloAnna GhirardelloAnna Ghirardello, DSc, PhD, graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Padova, Italy where she also qualified in Clinical Pathology. She received her PhD degree and post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Padova. She is Biologist at the University Hospital of Padova. Her main fields of interest include the pathogenesis and laboratory diagnostics of connective tissue diseases, focused primarily on systemic lupus erythematosus and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Dr Ghirardello is a member of the Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR), Council member of the Italian Interdisciplinary Forum for the Research in Autoimmune Diseases (FIRMA), and member of the EuroMyositis Registry. She has authored over 120 ISI publications. Andrea DoriaAndrea DoriaAndrea Doria is Professor of Rheumatology and Head of the Unit of Connective Tissue Disease and Rare Rheumatic Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Italy. He is Head of the Rheumatology Unit, University of Padua and Director of Rheumatology postgraduate medical school. Professor Doria received his medical degree and qualification in Rheumatology from the University of Padua. He was Council member of the Italian College of Rheumatology (CRO) between 1999 and 2005 and a Council member of the Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR) from 2007 to 2010 and from 2013 until now. He is also a member of American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Professor Doria has organised over ten international conferences on autoimmunity and was involved as “expert” in the EUropean League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Standing Committee for the development of clinical and therapeutic recommendations: (1) EULAR recommendations for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)—Assessment of the SLE patient (2008–2009); (2) EULAR recommendations for the management of SLE Part II—Neuropsychiatric disease (2008–2009); (3) Joint EULAR and European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (EULAR/ERA-EDTA) recommendations for the management of adult and paediatric lupus nephritis (2012). Professor Doria is a member of the Lupus Academy Steering Committee and co-Chaired the 4th Annual Meeting held in Rome 27th February to 1st March 2015. He was the chair of the 10th European Lupus Meeting, held in Venice (Italy) 5–8th October 2016. Professor Doria is on the Editorial Boards of several rheumatology and immunology journals, including Lupus, Autoimmunity, Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, Autoimmunity Reviews, Journal of Autoimmunity, Experimental Biology and Medicine, Rheumatology Reports, Journal Autoimmunity Highlights and Reumatismo (the official journal of Italian Society of Rheumatology). He has authored over 250 ISI publications on SLE and other connective tissue diseases. These include clinical studies describing new manifestations or subgroups of autoimmune disorders, prognostic risk factors, diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions, as well as immunochemical studies that evaluate autoantibodies, epitopes and complementary epitopes of autoantigens. In addition, he has authored and co-authored three books, over 90 book chapters and conference proceedings, and over 500 abstracts for national and international conferences. Professor Doria has long-standing experience of the clinical management of patients with connective tissue diseases. The Unit in which he works is a tertiary referral rheumatology centre, within Italy, for the diagnosis and management of patients affected with systemic connective diseases. In addition, he has expertise in the management and follow-up of pregnant patients with systemic rheumatic diseases. Professor Doria has also trained over 30 students in Rheumatology. Mariele GattoMariele GattoDr Mariele Gatto, MD, is Rheumatologist and currently attending her last year of PhD course in Clinical and Experimental Sciences at Padova University, Italy. Dr Gatto performs both clinical activity and laboratory research at Padova University, with a major focus on development and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other connective tissue diseases. So far, her Cursus Studiorum was carried out between Padova University and other foreign institutions where Dr Gatto could acquire and improve research skills, particularly at Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases in Tel Aviv, Israel and at Charité Hospital in Berlin, Germany, with a major focus on B cells in lupus. Dr Gatto is actively involved in patient recruitment and follow-up within randomized controlled trials, investigating novel therapeutics in SLE, inflammatory myositis and Sjögren syndrome, as well as in training of younger fellows and students at Padova Medical School. Dr. Gatto has attended several national and international meetings and symposia as speaker and was awarded so far with four prizes (CORA young researcher award 2015; prize of the Italian Society of Rheumatology 2016; CORA award 2019; DIMAR 2019 award at Medicine Department of Padova university) for best abstract presentation. She is author or co-author of 58 publications available in PubMed. Mariana KaplanMariana KaplanDr Mariana Kaplan is Senior Investigator and Chief of the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, USA. Dr Kaplan's research has focused on identifying mechanisms of organ damage and premature atherosclerosis in systemic autoimmunity. Her laboratory focuses on identifying how innate immunity promotes loss of tolerance and end-organ damage in SLE, rheumatoid arthritis and other systemic autoimmune diseases. Dr Kaplan also has an interest in identifying novel therapeutic targets to prevent premature vascular damage in systemic autoimmune diseases, using a bench to bedside approach. She has been principal investigator in various investigator-initiated clinical trials assessing new treatment approaches in autoimmunity. Dr Kaplan has served in numerous advisory and committee roles with the American College of Rheumatology, Rheumatology Research Foundation, American Association of Immunologists and Lupus Foundation of America and has been a member of the editorial boards of many immunology and rheumatology journals. She is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians and a recipient of the Henry Kunkel Young Investigator Award and the Edmund L. Dubois Memorial Lectureship, both from the American College of Rheumatology. She has also been recipient of the Evelyn Hess Award from the Lupus Foundation of America for her significant contributions to the understanding of systemic lupus erythematosus, and the Charles L. Christian award for her research impact in understanding lupus.