May is Arthritis Awareness Month, and an excellent time to learn more about the exciting and innovative work we’re doing to help address a disease that now affects 1 in 4 Americans, and which continues to become more prevalent. Our scientists and physicians are also working hard to find new ways to help people who are affected by Allergies and Autoimmune diseases.

A little known, yet increasingly reported food allergy named “alpha-gal” (referring to a sugar in mammalian meat) is believed to result from tick bites. Physician-scientist Scott Commins, MD, PhD, is one of the leading experts in the U.S. regarding this often undiagnosed allergy, and through the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center, he is conducting research to help better understand alpha-gal. Dr. Commins was interviewed by CBS Morning News regarding the allergy, which for some patients can result in serious allergic reactions.

Dr. Beth Jonas, Dr. Bill Yount, Dr. Saira Sheikh, and Dr. Scott Commins are recipients of the 2018 “Carolina Care Excellence” Award. When recent surveys asked patients if they would recommend their physician to their friends and family, over 95% checked a box indicating, “Yes, Definitely,” for these outstanding doctors. Our congratulations and thanks to these and all of our Thurston physicians for being exemplary in delivering Carolina Care with great empathy and expertise.

The Wall Street Journal has published an article in which Dr. Amanda Nelson and Dr. Leigh Callahan provide expert perspectives regarding the incidence of arthritis as well as osteoarthritis, the reasons for the increasing number of Americans who are affected, and steps people can take to help reduce development and/or disease progression.

Being inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s (AIMBE) “College of Fellows,” is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to medical and biological engineers, and serves as a distinction that honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice, or education.”

Dr. Amanda Nelson’s invited Year in Review paper explores the osteoarthritis literature from 2017, including prevalence as well as epidemiologic data related to a number of comorbidities such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Her paper also focuses on the critical need to identify novel strategies to reduce the impact of this highly prevalent and debilitating condition. Dr. Nelson’s review paper followed her presentation at the 2017 Osteoarthritis Society International Meeting.

AARP Magazine recently published an article detailing the many ways in which walking can improve health, specifically related physical and psychological conditions ranging from osteoporosis to depression and insomnia. For the “Arthritis” section of the article, nationally recognized expert Leigh Callahan, PhD — with the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center — provided insights related to the benefits of walking. Dr. Callahan was also quoted in a separate story published in Arthritis Today regarding the benefits of outdoor exercise.

For over 25 years, the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project in NC has been one of the premier longitudinal research studies world-wide regarding the causes and implications of osteoarthritis. Long term research studies can be challenging to maintain, as it takes considerable dedication from participants to remain involved over a period of years. That’s one reason why this study — which has yielded over 200 publications — is so unique, and was recently profiled by Arthritis Today. Read on to learn about the research team that continues to achieve important insights from this study, as they work closely with participants from the local community.

UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center epidemiologist Leigh Callahan, PhD, recently provided Arthritis Today with expert insights regarding an important new CDC study that explored the reasons why too few people with arthritis are engaging in physical exercise – even though physical activity is considered an important and first approach for people with arthritis symptoms.

UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center scientist Lara Longobardi, PhD, is conducting research designed to yield important new insights into the causes of osteoarthritis, with the goal of helping identify better ways to diagnose and treat the disease. Her work is largely focused on the role played by chemokines (pro-inflammatory molecules) in cartilage and bone degeneration after an injury, and how they affect the pain response.