About Us
UCLA Rheumatology – Ranked #8 in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report, 2025
This prestigious ranking reflects our commitment to exceptional patient care, research, and education.
UCLA Medical Center is also recognized on the .
Patient Care
We see patients at our Westwood and Santa Monica locations, as well as at our community offices in Beverly Hills, Burbank, Downtown Los Angeles, Encino, Porter Ranch, Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Valencia, and Westlake Village.
Our Division welcomes referrals for consultative, diagnostic, and therapeutic services in both outpatient and inpatient care. Our rheumatologists provide expert evaluation and treatment for a wide range of rheumatic conditions, from general arthritis to complex diseases such as lupus, scleroderma, myositis, gout, and osteoarthritis.
Research and Clinical Trials
Our Division maintains an active research program. We frequently participate in clinical trials testing innovative therapies for:
- Connective Tissue Disease-Interstitial Lung Disease (CTD-ILD)
- Gout
- Lupus
- Myositis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Sjögren's syndrome
- Vasculitis
We are grateful to all participants, whose contributions help us bring new, better treatments to our community, nation, and world.
For further information, please refer to the Rheumatology Research Website.
Recent Research Achievements
To name a few research achievements from recent years, we have discovered:
- New genes and gene regions that predispose to lupus, myositis, or rheumatoid arthritis; we are dedicated to understanding how they work.
- A novel set of biomarkers that predict accelerated atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Insight into how the hormone leptin (from fat cells) promotes autoimmunity.
- Ultrasound studies of joints identify people with hidden joint inflammation.
- A specialized cell in the skin can be manipulated to protect mice from severe lupus dermatitis.
- Novel methods for visualizing gout and pseduogout crystals.
Education
Education is a central focus of our Division. UCLA rheumatologists have chaired the preparation of national guidelines for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of rheumatic diseases, impacting local, national, and international communities. These guidelines have been published in the official journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
We continue to attract top graduates from medical schools and internal medicine programs to train with us as fellows. Additionally, all Internal Medicine residents study with us. Several faculty members are also preparing new editions of textbooks in rheumatic diseases.
Advancing Care Together
UCLA Rheumatology continues to thrive in research, education, and clinical care. We sincerely thank our patients, participants, and colleagues for their support. To make a contribution and help advance our work, please visit our website.
Thank you for trusting UCLA Rheumatology with your care.