One of the goals in the University of Pittsburgh Arthritis Institute is to train the next generation of scientists and clinicians who will carry on the investigation of the etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, patient care, and treatment of arthritis. In order to accomplish this goal, it will be important to recruit high quality trainees at the graduate and postgraduate level. Listed are two development opportunities:

Research Fellowship

Clinical Fellowship

Educational programs include undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing education programs for physicians and other arthritis health professionals, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, social workers and patient educators. A summary of selected professional educational programs is listed below:

Rheumatology Grand Rounds (weekly)

Visiting Professor Series (monthly)

Molecular Mechanisms of Rheumatic Diseases

Clinical Didactic Conference (monthly)

Internet/Web Site

Computer Research Center

Audiovisual Research Center

The primary objective of the Arthritis Institute is to provide the most advanced health care for the diagnosis and management of patients with arthritis and related musculoskeletal and immunologic disorders. The mission of the University of Pittsburgh Arthritis Institute is three-fold:

• to coordinate a system of regional multidisciplinary health care for arthritis and related conditions including autoimmune connective tissue diseases and osteoporosis,



• to provide an organizational framework for the development of interactive research programs comprised of investigators pursuing basic and clinical arthritis-related research; and



• to establish a series of arthritis education programs for patients and their families, the general public, health care professionals and trainees.

The Arthritis Research Center expands the research efforts in arthritis and related diseases by recruitment of high quality faculty with complementary research interests to augment the research base. The central location of research space for basic and clinical investigators that represent the "core group" of arthritis investigators will foster greater collaborations and nurture translational research.

The University of Pittsburgh Arthritis Institute is one of the nation's leading centers in arthritis research. Since 1955, the division's physicians have engaged in a comprehensive patient care, teaching, and research program focusing on arthritis and musculoskeletal connective tissue diseases. This endowed professorship position will be named to an outstanding and qualified individual who remains at the forefront of patient care and research initiatives and has adequate, stable research funding.

The goal of the biomedical research fellowship program is to provide a rigorous, exciting, and productive training experience for those individuals interested in developing careers as independent physician/scientists. This requires at least a three year commitment to the study of molecular and cellular mechanisms of arthritis, autoimmune, and musculoskeletal diseases, or to the development of novel therapeutic agents or vaccines targeted at these conditions. An extensive biomedical research program has been designed to encourage fellowship candidates who intend to pursue an academic research career. This endowment will support the Research Fellow's salary, fringe, and a small allowance to be used for research supplies and/or travel to a research meeting to present the results of the trainee's research.

The clinical fellowship training program will train the leaders of rheumatology in academic medicine, industry and community practice. Our training program is specifically designed to accomplish this goal. The program includes (1) a clinical training component that provides both the didactic and practical experience necessary to achieve a superior level of clinical competency in the subspecialty of Rheumatology, (2) a research component tailored to the interests and future plans of the trainee, and (3) a teaching component that provides further experience for the trainees in the process of educating health professional students and practitioners. Our clinical training program provides experience with common rheumatic diseases as well as the less common systemic connective tissue diseases. This endowment will support the salary and fringe benefits of the Clinical Fellow during this two year training program.

As part of our community outreach program, an outpatient center will be created to serve areas not currently receiving services of rheumatology specialists.

A University Library will be named in honor of the donor and will be dedicated to arthritis research. One of the most important tools for performing arthritis research is a library containing copies of the most recent journals and books providing the latest information about research methods, diagnostic evaluation, disease classification, and treatments for arthritis and related diseases. Many of the books and journals needed for this purpose are highly specialized and cannot be found in the Medical School Library. Therefore, a library to be located in the University of Pittsburgh Arthritis Institute is planned and will be devoted exclusively to the support of arthritis research. The endowment will be used for the establishment and maintenance of the Arthritis Research Library including the purchase of books, journals, and for other costs such as the binding of research periodicals.

Research laboratories are located in the Biomedical Science Tower. Each laboratory is equipped with specialized laboratory equipment and supplies. Although the program activity varies, the space contains all of the necessary equipment for a full functioning, state-of-the-art laboratory.

Various pieces of laboratory equipment can be purchased by donors including ultra centrifuges, radiation counters, or laser scanning cytometers.

This special laboratory is a shared facility located in the Biomedical Science Tower and is essential to the operation of the Arthritis Research Center. The common equipment stored in this laboratory includes: freezers, incubators, ice maker, etc.

The University of Pittsburgh Arthritis Institute hosts weekly Rheumatology Grand Rounds, which consists of a presentation and discussion of the diagnosis and/or management of difficult or interesting cases seen on inpatient consultation service or in the outpatient clinics. This conference is designed to provide a forum for faculty and fellows to broaden their clinical exposure and to tap the clinical expertise of more senior rheumatologists. The format consists of a brief presentation followed by a formal discussion of the case by other fellows, full-time faculty, clinical faculty and guest faculty members from other divisions or departments depending on the type of case. The presenter reviews a limited number of relevant articles and provides an instructional handout. A guest speaker from outside the University is invited once a month to participate in the Rheumatology Grand Rounds Conference.

A guest speaker from outside the University is invited once a month to participate in the Rheumatology Grand Rounds Conference. A faculty member is the host for our guest and a special divisional luncheon is planned. All travel and overnight accommodations, as well as an honorarium, for our guest are included.

Held three to four times per year, this all-day symposium provides a medium for discussion of current or planned projects by faculty, fellows and other trainees of the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, and faculty members from other divisions and departments with collaborative projects.

This lecture series provides fellows and faculty of the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology the monthly exposure to a variety of topics of clinical relevance from the orthopaedic perspective (e.g., total knee replacement, total hip replacement, foot problems, cervical spine disease, shoulder problems, etc.) to rheumatic diseases from a specialty perspective (e.g., dermatologic manifestations, pulmonary involvement, cardiac involvement, ophthalmologic manifestations, etc.).

This funding opportunity regards the use of the Internet to provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) to physicians and Community Education to patients in the greater Pittsburgh community. We would provide an internet-based CME program to include Rheumatology conferences, lecture and discussion series. By having this format made available to the physicians in the greater Pittsburgh area, it would allow physicians to benefit from these weekly conferences without leaving their office. We would provide informational and interactive material for patients within the greater Pittsburgh area community. This forum would enable patients to access valuable and timely medical facts and resources. Both clinical and basic science research data would be made available to interested patients. The latest clinical trials would be posted, as well as information on the newest drug treatment therapies. One of the important features of the world wide web is its accessibility to a large audience on an as desired or needed basis. This has particular advantages for educational programs and provides an opportunity for the Arthritis Institute to serve arthritis health professionals, as well as the lay public, by furnishing educational programs tailored to the needs of these two groups. One of the primary objectives of the Arthritis Institute internet system is to improve health through the use of telecommunications systems. We will do this by moving arthritis research and education here, in the US, and across the world onto the information superhighway.

A computer library would be established to keep arthritis research in the forefront of health care research. A computer system would be purchased to perform searches of the literature on specific research topics and for journals now available in an "on-line" format.

The establishment of an Audiovisual Library will provide the Arthritis Institute with an opportunity to realize the full potential of audiovisual aids. Audiovisual resources already play an important role at the Arthritis Institute, but a comprehensive and fully equipped library is not yet a reality. The object of the library is to develop and coordinate the most effective and comprehensive audiovisual aids in all aspects of medical education, research, and patient care. The library will be a major educational resource for the School of Medicine; Department of Medicine; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology. These audiovisual aids have the further advantage of conserving the precious time of the physician to the advantage of his or her patients.

One method that has proven indispensable to modern education is the use of audiovisual aids. Textbooks, lectures and laboratories must be supplemented with instructional films, videotapes, slides, printed materials, medical illustrations, and photographs. The University of Pittsburgh Arthritis Institute Audiovisual Library will house a complete communications center.