Saira Sheikh, MD, is the first recipient of the Linda Coley Sewell Distinguished Professorship in Medicine.
Endowed professorships are one of the highest honors to recognize the University’s most accomplished scientists and educators. In addition to honoring exceptional achievement, these professorships help the University in recruiting, retaining, and supporting the highest quality faculty for its Department of Medicine.
Dr. Sheikh, who is Director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center Clinical Trials Program, is a nationally recognized clinician researcher whose work focuses on answering scientific questions that directly impact the care of patients with complex immunologic diseases, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Sjogren’s syndrome.
She holds leadership roles at both the American College of Rheumatology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. She is the incoming Vice-Chair of the Lupus Clinical Investigators Network (which is the largest lupus clinical trials network of academic institutions in the U.S. and Canada), and is working on a national level to help address racial disparities, and to promote inclusion and diversity in lupus clinical trials.
Beth Jonas, MD, Chief of the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology also recognized Dr. Sheikh’s contributions to her field. “Saira Sheikh is a natural choice as first recipient of the Sewell Professorship because she has contributed nationally to the development and implementation of innovative research programs in rheumatology designed to enhance the care of patients with autoimmune disease. This is a well-deserved distinction for an outstanding faculty member, and we are grateful to the Sewells for making this honor possible.”