The Bristol-Myers Squibb Pediatric Rheumatology Center at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is a leading, state-of-the-art rheumatology center for children and adolescents.

Pediatric rheumatic diseases comprise a diverse array of chronic diseases with fluctuating courses that often are challenging to diagnose and manage. These diseases may lead to significant morbidity in children, affect differnt - aspects of growth, development, physical function and quality of life. Early diagnosis and treatment can be essential to control rheumatic diseases and prevent long-term complications.

Our child-friendly and family-focused center provides comprehensive treatment, education and follow-up for pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases in New Jersey.

Our Mission:

1. Provide the best possible care for children with rheumatic diseases
2. Teach trainees about caring for children with rheumatic diseases
3. Develop new research insights related to the cause and treatment of rheumatic diseases

Our C.O.R.E. Focus

C = Clinical Care Services

The center is involved in the diagnoses and management of complex rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis, reactive arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), vasculitis, mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), spondyloarthropathy hypermobility disorders, reactive arthritis, polymyositis, juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), juvenile dermatomyositis fever syndromes, amplified musculoskeletal pain syndromes, and other rare rheumatic diseases of childhood.

O = Outreach (Community Outreach)
The division serves the community by teaching in Community Medical Education programs for local pediatricians and at other hospitals.

R = Research
Division faculty are actively involved in research projects in pediatric rheumatology with a focus on studies of systemic lupus erythematosus and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, some in collaboration with the Pediatric Clinical Research Center (PCRC).

Dr. L. Nandini Moorthy, the division chief, has focused on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and physical function outcomes in pediatric lupus and improving awareness of lupus. Dr. Moorthy has qualitatively explored the impact of lupus on HRQOL of children and parents, and developed and validated the Simple Measure of the Impact of Lupus Erythematosus in Youngsters (SMILEY), a measure of HRQOL, through a multi-center study. She has conducted translation and cross-cultural adaptation of SMILEY in several languages. Her work toward improving awareness among providers, patients and the community was made possible by funding OMH/OASH Minority Health Community Programs. Dr. Moorthy has recently published her results from the OMH project. She is currently working to understand the psychosocial impacts of COVID-19. She participates in collaborative research in different areas of pediatric rheumatology, including juvenile arthritis and vasculitis.

Dr. Daniel Horton is also a member of the Population Health, Quality and Implementation Sciences (PopQuIS) division in the Department of Pediatrics; a pediatric pharmacoepidemiologist in the Rutgers Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Sciences at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research; and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health. His research focuses on the uses, effectiveness and safety of medications in children, and the origins and management of childhood arthritis. He has funding from the National Institutes of Health to study the role of antibiotics and the microbiome on the development and activity of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, in collaboration with multiple pediatric rheumatology centers in the region, along with support from the PCRC and the Division of General Pediatrics. Dr. Horton’s other research interests include deprescribing medicines for well-controlled juvenile idiopathic arthritis, the uses and effects of off-label medicines in children, and the epidemiology, biology, and consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 in children and adults.

Dr. Cynthia Salvant, who joined the practice in October 2019 and provides clinical services in Edison and at CHEMED, is in the process of building on her involvement in continuing the education of the pediatric community in New Jersey, as well as medical students and residents. She is finalizing a welcome packet for general pediatricians in the community that provides basic knowledge on management of children with rheumatic disease.

E = Education
Our faculty is committed to teaching medical students, residents and adult rheumatology fellows about caring for patients with pediatric rheumatic diseases. Faculty members give lectures, precept case discussions, teach physical diagnosis and mentor trainees. Dr. Moorthy also mentors junior faculty, residents and students, and facilitates the Patient-Centered Medicine (PCM) course for first-year medical students. Dr. Horton mentors several medical students on a variety of research projects.

Dr. Moorthy was nominated for membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society last year. She also leads the wellness art session for residents. Dr. Salvant has been involved in medical student and resident teaching and has been co-facilitating the PCM2 course for second-year medical students.

For Appointments: 732-235-8700

Chief

Lakshmi N. Moorthy, MD, MS