Lindsey A. Criswell, M.D., M.P.H., D.Sc., has been named director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Dr. Criswell is currently vice chancellor of research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is a professor of rheumatology and a professor of orofacial sciences at UCSF. She expects to join NIH in early 2021, as the third director in the history of NIAMS. “Dr. Criswell has rich experience as a clinician, researcher and administrator. Her ability to oversee the research program of one of the country’s top research-intensive medical schools, and her expertise in

Dear Colleagues, When I last reached out back in April, we were all just beginning to navigate the unpredictable situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that time, you have all demonstrated great patience, strong resolve, and a tremendous amount of adaptability. NIH understands that the pandemic continues to upend lives and livelihoods, including those of its grantees and their institutions. To help you move through these uncertain times, the agency has provided the grantee community with a number of COVID-19 flexibilities. The agency will continue to monitor the situation and will post guide notices and updated FAQs on

NIH scientists developed and recently released a free, online data query tool called NeutGX. Researchers around the world can use NeutGX to explore the genetic basis of neutrophil-mediated inflammation in autoimmune diseases, cancer, infectious diseases and other conditions.

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Researchers found that diabetic foot ulcers don’t recruit the immune cells necessary for normal wound healing.

Dr. Kaplan has studied a number of autoimmune diseases, from rheumatoid arthritis to vasculitis, but most of her efforts have been focused on what she calls “the poster child” for autoimmune diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), more commonly referred to as ‘lupus.’