Transitional investigator, AnneMarie Brescia M.D. obtains NIH K23 Award

On September 9th 2014, AnneMarie Brescia, M.D. received a 5-year NIH K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23AR066724) for her project, “Synovial Biomarkers in Oligoarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.” This project focuses on causes of disability in oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), the most common rheumatic disease of childhood. This award enables Dr. Brescia to commit 75% effort to her development as a clinician scientist and is designed to enable her to focus on establishing here research program at Nemours/AIDHC. Carlos Rose, M.D. will continue as Dr Brescia’s career mentor, and Kathleen Sullivan, M.D., Ph.D. Chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, has been recruited as her scientific mentor. She will also benefit from an advisory committee, which includes Edward Behrens, M.D. and Birgit Kovacs, M.D. who have considerable experience in translational research in pediatric and adult rheumatology. Dr Brescia’s research will continue to make extensive utilization of the core facilities of the Center for Pediatric Research. With this award, it is anticipated that Dr. Brescia will be able to establish herself as an independent researcher and successfully compete for R01 funding for a prospective trial using synovial fluid biomarkers to predict course in new onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis.