Thanda Aung, MD, MS
- Rheumatology
About
Additional Education Information
MSc Geriatric medicine, Keele University, the United Kingdom
Dr. Thanda Aung graduated from the Institute of Medicine (1) in Burma in 1998. She pursued her postgraduate education in the United Kingdom, earning a Master of Science in Geriatric Medicine from Keele University for her work in osteoporosis and ortho-geriatrics. She has 13 years of experience as an internist and geriatrician in the UK and holds Fellowship status with both the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (FRCP) and the American College of Physicians (FACP).
Dr. Aung later continued her medical career in the United States, completing her internal medicine residency at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, California, followed by a rheumatology fellowship at UCLA.
She is a general rheumatologist with a broad interest in rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, pseudo-gout, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, myositis, scleroderma, osteoporosis, and various other autoimmune conditions. She has a particular interest in auto-inflammatory eye diseases, Sjögren’s syndrome, crystal arthropathy, and is experienced in performing joint injection and joint aspiration procedures as part of her clinical care.
Dr. Aung has authored and co-authored multiple published papers and case reports, which can be accessed through PubMed. She is also a regular contributor of Burmese-language health care articles, particularly in rheumatology, published in the Myanmar Gazette.
With her extensive and diverse background, Dr. Aung brings a unique international perspective to her practice, having cared for patients from the UK, the US, Burma, and beyond throughout her career.
Dr. Aung has been recognized as a Top Doctor by Los Angeles Magazine for 2023, 2024, and 2025 and has been included in the Southern California Super Doctors list for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Aung enjoys spending time with her family, including their four beloved cats. She is passionate about tennis and plays frequently to stay active and refreshed. Her other hobbies include crochet, meditation, swimming, traveling, and writing.
Languages
Education
Medical Board Certifications
Fellowships
Residencies
Internship
Degrees
Recognitions
- Super doctors, Southern California, 2025
-
Top doctors, Los Angeles Magazine's Top Doctors 2025
- Super Doctors® Southern California 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine, 2021, 2024, 2025
- Member of Royal College of Physicians, United Kingdom (MRCP)
- See More
Locations
Hospital Affiliations
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
Areas of Focus
Research
Interests
- General rheumatology
- Crystal Arthropathy (gout, pseudo-gout)
- Osteoporosis
- Inflammatory eye diseases (uvetiis, scleritis, ocular pemphigoid)
Publications
Dr. Aung has authored and co-authored multiple published papers and case reports, which can be accessed through PubMed.
- Worse COVID Outcomes Seen With Gout, Particularly in Women - Mdedge - Oct 24, 2022. (Dr Thanda Aung's comments)
- Monica Zell, Thanda Aung, Marian Kaldas, Ann Rosenthal, and John Fitzgerald. Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystal Size and characteristics. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2021
- Ben Tiong, Bevra Hahn, Thanda Aung. Chapter 71 Treatment of autoimmune diseases The autoimmune diseases (6th edition) published October 2019 (Book Chapter)
- Thanda Aung, Myung G, Fitzgerald JD. Treatment approaches and adherence to urate-lowering therapy for patients with gout. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2017 Apr 19; 11:795-800. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S97927. eCollection 2017
- Thanda Aung, L. Sahakian, B. Skaggs, J. Grossman, M. McMahon. Fatigue is associated with HS-CRP in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. EULAR, June 2017.
- Thanda Aung, G Miller, G Karpouzas. Anti beta 2 glycoprotein IG A antibodies independently and differentially contribute to thrombotic risk in systemic lupus erythematosus above and beyond anti-cardiolipin and lupus anticoagulant, from a contemporary multiethnic patient cohort. Ann Rheum Dis 2016; 75:316-
UCLA Proceedings, Department of medicine
- Thanda Aung, MD, MS and Kevin Sung, MS, MS4. Olfactory hallucination in a young woman. Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare Volume 23 (2019)
- Thanda Aung, MD, MS. Headache and blurry vision in a patient with uncontrolled gout. Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare Volume 24 (2020)
- Thanda Aung, MD, MS. A challenging case: Rapidly progressive vision loss in an elderly man. Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare Volume 24 (2020)
- Thanda Aung, MD, MS. A Challenging Patient with Prolonged Nightly High Fever. Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare. Volume 25 (2021)
- Yaqoot Khan DO, Thanda Aung MD MS. Blue toes-unusual presentation after covid-19 vaccination. Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare. Volume 26 (2022).
- Thanda Aung, MD, MS, Yaqoot Khan, DO. A Rare Cause of Shoulder Pain. Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare. Volume 27 (2023)
In the News
Does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis? (Source: HealthDay News)
Dr. Thanda Aung, an assistant clinical professor in UCLA’s Division of Rheumatology, explains there haven’t been enough studies to explain the mechanism behind the cracking noise. However, she says there are two hypotheses. The first is the popping noise “could be from the movement of all the structures” in the finger such as the bones, tendons and ligaments.
Insurance
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield of California
- Centivo
- Cigna
- First Health
- Health Net of California
- Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
- Medicare Advantage
- MultiPlan
- UFCM Health System
- Prime Health Services
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- TRICARE
- UnitedHealthcare
The list of health care plans above may not be comprehensive and could change.
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Recognitions
- Super Doctors® Southern California 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine, 2021, 2024, 2025
- Member of Royal College of Physicians, United Kingdom (MRCP)
- Fellow of Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, Scotland (FRCP)
- Fellow of American College of Physicians (FACP)