Dr. Naomi Rothfield, Professor of Medicine is a graduate of New York University School of Medicine. Chief of the UConn Rheumatic Disease Division for over 25 years and Master - American College of Rheumatology. She is well known for her expertise in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Scleroderma. Dr. Rothfield continues to do research and carries out clinical trials in Scleroderma, Raynaud’s, and SLE. Dr. Rothfield has published over 100 papers.
Dr. Santhanam Lakshminarayanan, Associate Professor of Medicine is a graduate of the University of Poona, India and a Board Certified Rheumatologist. He is the Director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Program . Dr. Lakshminarayanan areas of expertise are in lyme disease, gout and systemic rheumatic disease. He published papers on phospholipid antibody syndrome, Raynaud’s phenomenon, bone density and systemic lupus erythematous.
Dr. Micha Abeles, Professor of Medicine is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and is Acting Chief, Division of Rheumatology and Director of the Rheumatology Practice at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Dr. Abeles has done extensive research in the treatment of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis and has done extensive research on fibromyalgia. In addition, Dr. Abeles is known for his work on osteonecrosis in SLE . Other topics for publications are gout, lyme disease, myocytositis and vasculitis.
Dr. John Waterman, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatic Diseases, University of Connecticut Health Center and Rheumatologist and Academic Internist at the VA Medical Center, Associate Dean for Medical Education (VAH) as well as a Retired Colonel USAF MC FS. Dr Waterman is a graduate of the University of Vermont College of Medicine where he received his medical degree. Dr Waterman’s area’s of expertise are in rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, joint and soft tissue injections and fibromyagia. Dr. Waterman has published papers on biologics in the treatment of rheumatic disease, tender point injections in fibromyalgia, and B-cell lymphoma in Sjogren’s syndrome.
Dr. Aryeh Abeles, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine is a graduate of Emory School of Medicine and a Board Certified Rheumatologist receiving his degree from New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Abeles has published papers on RA Synovial Fibroblasts, Inflammation and Arthritis and Gout.
Dr. Ann Parke, Clinical Professor of Medicine (St Francis Hospital Medical Center) attended medical school in London at the Middlesex Hospital and completed her residency at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She then returned to complete a fellowship in Rheumatology at the Royal Post Graduate School in London before joining the faculty at the University of Connecticut Health Center, where she has been for over 20 years. Dr. Parke an expert in Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, antiphospholipid syndrome, systemic lupus erythematous, spondylitis as well as pregnancy in patients with connective tissue diseases and is very active in teaching the residents and fellows.
Faculty Teaching Every year the faculty involved in teaching medical and dental students as well as medical residents either during ward rotations or rheumatology electives. Rheumatology research months are also available for residents and students interested in pursing a career in rheumatology are encouraged to develop continuity clinics in rheumatology in order to gain more experience and to learn more about managing patients with chronic disease.
