Rheumatology Research

The mission of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University’s Division of Rheumatology is to pursue research that will directly benefit patient care for rheumatic diseases and to educate future rheumatologists in this endeavor.

Go to: Current Research Funding | Recent Faculty Publications | Recent Fellow Publications

Current Research Projects

  • Senile and Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
  • Osteoporosis in Special Populations:
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Cardiovascular Disease
  • Health Care Disparities in Rheumatic Diseases

Current Research Funding

Principal Investigator: Laura Carbone, MD
Title: Development of a Novel Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitor as a Strategy for Treating Neuropathic Pain in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury
Source of Funding: Department of Defense
Funding Period: 9/30/2021-9/30/2026

Principal Investigator: Laura Carbone, MD
Title: FY2024 Rheumatology Foundation Fellowship Training Award for Workforce Expansion
Source of Funding: Rheumatology Research Foundation
Funding Period: 7/1/2024-6/30/2026

Principal Investigator: Laura Carbone, MD
Title: Calculator for Length of Use of Bisphosphonates (CLUB)
Source of Funding: NIH R09
Funding Period: 9/15/2022-6/30/2027

Principal Investigator:  Rachel Elam, MD ScM
Title: Appraising the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAXTM) in Persons with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Source of Funding: NIH K08 (NIAMS)
Funding Period: 9/1/2025 - 8/31/2030

Principal Investigator: Rachel Elam, MD ScM
Title: Fracture Risk Assessment in Persons with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Source of Funding: Rheumatology Research Foundation Scientist Development Award
Funding Period: 07/01/2023 - 06/30/2026

Principal Investigator: Hong Shi, MD
Title: Perivascular Adipose tissue in the pathogenesis of lupus vasculopathy
Source of Funding: NIH K08
Funding Period: I  01/2024-12/2028

 

Recent Faculty Publications

Note: Only key publications have been listed. Last updated: 6/15/2026 by Erin Canada

 Laura Carbone, MD

  • Carbone L, Buzkova P, Robbins JA, Fink HA, Barzilay JI, Elam RE, Isales C. Association of serum levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine with hip fractures and frailty in older adults: The cardiovascular health study. Arch Osteoporos. 2024;19(1):51. Epub 20240620. doi: 10.1007/s11657-024-01408-0. PubMed PMID: 38898169. FULL TEXT
  • Austin TR, Nethander M, Fink HA, Tornqvist AE, Jalal DI, Buzkova P, Barzilay JI, Carbone L, Gabrielsen ME, Grahnemo L, Lu T, Hveem K, Jonasson C, Kizer JR, Langhammer A, Mukamal KJ, Gerszten RE, Psaty BM, Robbins JA, Sun YV, Skogholt AH, Kanis JA, Johansson H, Asvold BO, Valderrabano RJ, Zheng J, Richards JB, Coward E, Ohlsson C. A plasma protein-based risk score to predict hip fractures. Nat Aging. 2024. Epub 20240527. doi: 10.1038/s43587-024-00639-7. PubMed PMID: 38802582. FULL TEXT
  • Austin TR, Fink HA, Jalal DI, Tornqvist AE, Buzkova P, Barzilay JI, Lu T, Carbone L, Gabrielsen ME, Grahnemo L, Hveem K, Jonasson C, Kizer JR, Langhammer A, Mukamal KJ, Gerszten RE, Nethander M, Psaty BM, Robbins JA, Sun YV, Skogholt AH, Asvold BO, Valderrabano RJ, Zheng J, Richards JB, Coward E, Ohlsson C. Large-scale circulating proteome association study (CPAS) meta-analysis identifies circulating proteins and pathways predicting incident hip fractures. J Bone Miner Res. 2024. Epub 20240104. doi: 10.1093/jbmr/zjad011. PubMed PMID: 38477735. FULL TEXT
  • Carbone, L.; Bůžková, P.; Fink, H.A.; Robbins, J.A.; Barzilay, J.I.; Elam, R.E.; Isales, C.; Connelly, M.A.; Mukamal, K.J. Plasma Levels of Branched Chain Amino Acids, Incident Hip Fractures and Bone Mineral Density of the Hip and Spine. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2023, doi:10.1210/clinem/dgad275. PMID: 37200158 FULL TEXT
  • Carbone L, Buzkova P, Fink HA, Robbins JA, Barzilay JI, Elam RE, Isales C. The Association of Tryptophan and Its Metabolites With Incident Hip Fractures, Mortality, and Prevalent Frailty in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study. JBMR Plus. 2023;7(10):e10801. Epub 20230818. doi: 10.1002/jbm4.10801. PubMed PMID: 37808397; PMCID: PMC10556266 FULL TEXT
  • Elam RE, Bůžková P, Delaney JAC, Fink HA, Barzilay J, Carbone LD, Saha R, Robbins JA, Mukamal KJ, Valderrábano RJ, Psaty BM, Tracy RP, Olson NC, Huber SA, Doyle MF, Landay AL and Cauley JA. Association of Immune Cell Subsets with Incident Hip Fracture: The Cardiovascular Health Study. (Aug 2023). Calcified Tissue International. PMID: 37650930 FULL TEXT
  • Craven BC, Cirnigliaro CM, Carbone LD, Tsang P, Morse LR. The pathophysiology, identification and management of fracture risk, sublesional osteoporosis and fracture among adults with SCI. Journal of Personalized Medicine Jun 2023. PMID: 37373955 FULL TEXT
  • Robbins JA, Buzkova P, Barzilay JI, Cauley JA, Fink HA, Carbone LD, Chen Z, Stein PK, Elam RE, Jalal D, Sheets K, and Mukamal K. Mortality following hip fracture in older adults with and without coronary heart disease. Am J Med. (2023 Apr 24);S0002-9343(23)00244-9. Doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2023.03.036. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37100188 FULL TEXT
  • Le B, Gonzalez B, Weaver F, Sinnott B, Ray C, Chu E, Premji S, Raiford M, Mayur O, Carbone L. Malunions following lower extremity fractures in veterans with a spinal cord injury/disorder. J Spinal Cord Med. 2024;47(2):293-9. Epub 20230328. doi: 10.1080/10790268.2023.2188391. PubMed PMID: 36977321; PMCID: PMC10885743. FULL TEXT
  • Shi H, Goo B, Kim D, Kress TC, Ogbi M, Mintz J, Wu H, Belin de Chantemèle EJ, Stepp D, Long X, Guha A, Lee R, Carbone L, Annex BH, Hui DY, Kim HW, Weintraub NL. Perivascular adipose tissue promotes vascular dysfunction in murine lupus. Front Immunol. 2023 Mar 16;14:1095034. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1095034. PMID: 37006244; PMCID: PMC10062185. FULL TEXT
  • Mohanty N, San T, Bell S, Jalla R, Williams J, Fordjour I, Siddiquee N, Gavrilova-Jordan L, Carbone L, Elam R. Initial presentation of granulomatosis with polyangiitis as urethral mass mimicking urethral cancer: A case report. Case Rep Womens Health. 2023;37:e00498. Epub 20230315. doi: 10.1016/j.crwh.2023.e00498. PubMed PMID: 36968550; PMCID: PMC10034382. FULL TEXT
  • Barzilay JI, Buzkova P, Fink HA, Cauley JA, Carbone L, Elam R, Robbins JA, Stein P, Sheets K, Jalal D, Mukamal KJ. The associations of markers of endothelial dysfunction with hip fracture risk. Arch Osteoporos. (2023 Mar 2);18(1):39. doi: 10.1007/s11657-023-01226-w. PMID: 36859726. FULL TEXT
  • Elam RE, Ray CE, Miskevics S, Weaver FM, Gonzalez B, Obremskey, W, Carbone LD. Predictors of lower extremity fracture-related amputation in persons with traumatic spinal cord injury: a case-control study. Spinal Cord. (2023 Feb 16). doi: 10.1038/s41393-023-00879-1. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36797477. FULL TEXT
  • Rice C, Ayyala DN, Shi H, Madera-Acosta A, Bell S, Qureshi A, Carbone LD, Coughlin SS, Elam RE. Sex and Racial Differences in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Among US Adults in the All of Us Research Program. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2023;75(10):2096-106. Epub 20230412. doi: 10.1002/acr.25093. PubMed PMID: 36705447; PMCID: PMC10372192. FULL TEXT
  • Gao H, Patel S, Fohtung RB, Cawthon PM, Newman AB, Cauley JA, Carbone L, Chaves PHM, Stein PK, Civitelli R, Kizer JR. Sex- and race-specific associations of bone mineral density with incident heart failure and its subtypes in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023 Mar;71(3):742-755. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18121. Epub 2022 Nov 5. PMID: 36334030; PMCID: PMC10023291.  FULL TEXT
  • Sheets KM, Bůžková P, Chen Z, Carbone LD, Cauley JA, Barzilay JI, Starks JL, Miller LM, Fink HA. Association of covert brain infarcts and white matter hyperintensities with risk of hip fracture in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study. Osteoporos Int 2023 Jan;34(1):91-99.DOI: 10.1007/s00198-022-06565-x PMID: 36355067.  FULL TEXT
  • Carbone LD, Ahn J, Adler RA, Cervinka T, Craven C, Geerts W, Hsu JR, Huang D, Karunakar MA, Kiratli BJ, Krause PC, Morse LR, Mirick Mueller GE, Nana A, Rogers E, Rivera JC, Spitler C, Weaver FM, Obremskey W. Acute Lower Extremity Fracture Management in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: 2022 Delphi Consensus Recommendations. JB JS Open Access. 2022;7(4). Epub 20221208. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.OA.21.00152. PubMed PMID: 36518619; PMCID: PMC9742097. FULL TEXT
  • Barzilay JI, Buzkova P, Kuller LH, Cauley JA, Fink HA, Sheets K, Robbins JA, Carbone LD, Elam RE, Mukamal KJ. The Association of Lipids and Lipoproteins with Hip Fracture Risk: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Am J Med. 2022;135(9):1101-8 e1. Epub 20220606. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.05.024. PubMed PMID: 35679877; PMCID: PMC9536862.  FULL TEXT
  • Elam RE, Buzkova P, Barzilay JI, Wang Z, Nemet I, Budoff MJ, Cauley JA, Fink HA, Lee Y, Robbins JA, Wang M, Hazen SL, Mozaffarian D, Carbone LD. Trimethylamine N-oxide and hip fracture and bone mineral density in older adults: The cardiovascular health study. Bone. 2022;161:116431. Epub 20220513. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2022.116431. PubMed PMID: 35577327; PMCID: PMC10712255. FULL TEXT

Hong Shi, MD

  • Shi H, Annex BH. Getting to the heart of cardiovascular complications associated with inflammatory arthritis. EMBO Mol Med. 2025;17(5):869–71. Epub 20250403. doi: 10.1038/s44321-025-00226-2. PubMed PMID: 40181185; PMCID: PMC12081766. FULL TEXT
  • Goo B, Ahmadieh S, Veerapaneni P, Shi H, Kim DS, Ogbi M, Chouhaita R, Cyriac N, Cave S, Liu L, Zhang Y, Du Q, Kim HW, Lei Y, Lu XY, Weintraub NL. Histone Deacetylase 9 Gene Deletion Ameliorates Aging-Related Adipose Tissue Senescence and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Mice. Aging Cell. 2026;25(5):e70519. doi: 10.1111/acel.70519. PubMed PMID: 42033095; PMCID: PMC13109657. FULL TEXT
  • Veerapaneni P, Goo B, Ahmadieh S, Shi H, Kim DS, Ogbi M, Cave S, Chouhaita R, Cyriac N, Fulton DJ, Verin AD, Chen W, Lei Y, Lu XY, Kim HW, Weintraub NL. Transgenic Overexpression of HDAC9 Promotes Adipocyte Hypertrophy, Insulin Resistance and Hepatic Steatosis in Aging Mice. Biomolecules. 2024;14(4). Epub 20240418. doi: 10.3390/biom14040494. PubMed PMID: 38672510; PMCID: PMC11048560. FULL TEXT
  • Ahmadieh S, Goo B, Zarzour A, Kim D, Shi H, Veerapaneni P, Chouhaita R, Yiew NKH, Dominguez Gonzalez C, Chakravartty A, Pennoyer J, Hassan N, Benson TW, Ogbi M, Fulton DJ, Lee R, Rice RD, Hilton LR, Lei Y, Lu XY, Chen W, Kim HW, Weintraub NL. Impact of housing temperature on adipose tissue HDAC9 expression and adipogenic differentiation in high fat-fed mice. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2024;32(1):107-19. Epub 20231023. doi: 10.1002/oby.23924. PubMed PMID: 37869960; PMCID: PMC10840750. FULL TEXT
  • Shi H, Goo B, Kim D, Kress TC, Ogbi M, Mintz J, Wu H, Belin de Chantemèle EJ, Stepp D, Long X, Guha A, Lee R, Carbone L, Annex BH, Hui DY, Kim HW, Weintraub NL. Perivascular adipose tissue promotes vascular dysfunction in murine lupus. Front Immunol. 2023 Mar 16;14:1095034. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1095034. PMID: 37006244; PMCID: PMC10062185. FULL TEXT

Rachel Elam, MD

  • Elam RE, Li J, Paul A, Kersey E, Schmajuk G, Leslie WD, and Carbone LD. Performance of U.S.- FRAXTM by Race and Ethnicity for Short-term Hip and Major Osteoporotic Fracture Prediction in U.S. Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2026;, zjag033, FULL TEXT
  • Weintraub NL, Guha A, Taskar V, Elam RE, Chiang AWT, Ley K, Sharma G, Hedrick CC. Cardiovascular Manifestations and Immunobiology of Sarcoidosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2026 Feb;46(2):e323111. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.125.323111. Epub 2025 Dec 18. PMID: 41410048. FULL TEXT
  • Elam RE, Lo JC, Schousboe JT, Adler RA, Fink HA, Ott SM, Barzilay J, Weaver F, Budde E, Huo Z, Reside J, and Carbone LD. Shifting bisphosphonate prescribing patterns for fracture prevention: a 24-year national surveillance of men in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration. Arch Osteoporos 21, 20 (2026). FULL TEXT
  • Cauley J, Bůžková P, Fink HA, Barzilay J, Elam RE, Lopez OI, Carlson L, Robbins J, Djousse L, and Mukamal K. Circulating Neurodegenerative Brain Injury Markers and Hip Fracture and Fall Hospitalizations: The Cardiovascular Health Study. JBMR,2025 Oct 24:zjaf155; doi: 10.1093/jbmr/zjaf155. PMID: 41334198 FULL TEXT
  • Shrestha P, Basida B, Elam RE, El Hajj J, Le B, Fink H, Bethel M, Tharrington SG, and Carbone LD. Disparities in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis in Persons with Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2025 Jul 9;23(1):31. doi: 10.1007/s11914-025-00924-3. PMID: 40634685 FULL TEXT
  • Barzilay JI, Bůžková P, Cauley JA, Fink HA, Carbone LD, Robbins JA, Elam RE, and Samelson EL. The Association of Albuminuria with Fracture Risk. Medical Research Archives. 2025 Apr; 13(4). doi: 10.18103/mra.v13i4.6473 FULL TEXT
  • Elam RE, Thompson K, Saha R, Qureshi A, Powell M, Elam JC, Carter G, and Kutlar A. Clinical Images: Vasculitic rash as a presenting symptom of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in a woman with primary antiphospholipid syndrome. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2025 Feb;7(2):e11793. doi: 10.1002/acr2.11793. PMID: 39964326 FULL TEXT
  • Miller E, Shue C, Bell S, Elam RE. Diffuse orbital inflammation: an atypical manifestation of Behcet's disease. BMJ Case Rep. 2025 Jan 31;18(1):e261942. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2024-261942. PMID: 39890421. FULL TEXT
  • Patel Y, Waller J, El Hajj J, Bollag W, Baer S, Elam JC, and Elam RE. Risk of Vertebral Fracture in Individuals with End-Stage Renal Disease Secondary to Vasculitis. Kidney360. 2025 Jan 15. doi: 10.34067/KID.0000000696. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39814407 FULL TEXT
  • Sarma S, Bůžková P, Elam RE, Fink HA, Cauley JA, Djoussé L, Barzilay J, Mukamal KJ. Weight change, variability, and trajectories and risk of hip fracture among older adults with Dysglycemia: the cardiovascular health study. J Bone Miner Res. 2024 Nov 29;39(12):1735-1743. doi: 10.1093/jbmr/zjae142. PMID: 39231279. FULL TEXT
  • Elam RE, Johnson KC, Xu H, Isales CM, Dong Y, Carbone LD. Predictors of fracture in middle-aged and older adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2024 Sep 11:dgae623. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgae623. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39259653. FULL TEXT
  • Carbone L, Bůžková P, Robbins JA, Fink HA, Barzilay JI, Elam RE, Isales C. Association of serum levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine with hip fractures and frailty in older adults: The cardiovascular health study. Arch Osteoporos. 2024 Jun 20;19(1):51. doi: 10.1007/s11657-024-01408-0. PMID: 38898169. FULL TEXT

Colton Hoffer, MD

  • Hoffer C, Obremskey W, Makker B, Basida B, Shah N, Huling JD, Huo Z, Budde E, Jacob R, Schousboe JT, Fink HA, Adler RA, Lo JC, Avidano R, Joshua Bs, Weaver F, Ott SM, Lien K, Carbone LD. Mortality Following Atypical Femoral Fractures in Men. J Bone Miner Res. 2026. Epub 20260223. doi: 10.1093/jbmr/zjag036. PubMed PMID: 41725401; PMCID: PMC13187953. FULL TEXT
  • Shrestha P, Popuri SB, Hoffer C, Qureshi A, Barzilay J, Dapaah EA, Carbone LD. Management of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in rheumatic diseases. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2026 Apr 29:102151. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2026.102151. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42062181. FULL TEXT
  • Makkar B, Obremskey W, Avidano R, Ott S, Basida B, Hoffer C, Schousboe JT, Lo J, Huling J, Ristau K, Fink HA, Adler RA, Barzilay JI, Carbone L. The definition of atypical femoral fractures should include periprosthetic femoral fractures (PAFFs). Osteoporos Int. 2025;36(3):539–46. Epub 20250207. doi: 10.1007/s00198-025-07401-8. PubMed PMID: 39920401; PMCID: PMC11905792. FULL TEXT
  • Weber M, Goss W, Hoffer C, Ogunsulire J, Schafer F. Rhabdomyolysis of Infectious Etiology with Creatine Kinase Above One Million: A Case Report. Am J Case Rep. 2025;26:e946364. Epub 20250131. doi: 10.12659/AJCR.946364. PubMed PMID: 39885682; PMCID: PMC11791690. FULL TEXT

Pritee Shrestha, MD

  • Shrestha P, Basida B, Elam RE, El Hajj J, Le B, Fink H, Bethel M, Tharrington SG, and Carbone LD. Disparities in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis in Persons with Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2025 Jul 9;23(1):31. doi: 10.1007/s11914-025-00924-3. PMID: 40634685 FULL TEXT
  • Shrestha P, Popuri SB, Hoffer C, Qureshi A, Barzilay J, Dapaah EA, Carbone LD. Management of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in rheumatic diseases. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2026 Apr 29:102151. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2026.102151. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42062181. FULL TEXT

 

Recent Fellow Publications

Note: Only key publications have been listed. Last updated: 6/15/2026 by Erin Canada

Sowmya Bashini Popuri, MD

  • Shrestha P, Popuri SB, Hoffer C, Qureshi A, Barzilay J, Dapaah EA, Carbone LD. Management of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in rheumatic diseases. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2026 Apr 29:102151. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2026.102151. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42062181. FULL TEXT

Joanna El Hajj, MD

  • Patel Y, Waller J, El Hajj J, Bollag W, Baer S, Elam JC, and Elam RE. Risk of Vertebral Fracture in Individuals with End-Stage Renal Disease Secondary to Vasculitis. Kidney360. 2025 Jan 15. doi: 10.34067/KID.0000000696. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39814407 FULL TEXT
  • Shrestha P, Basida B, Elam RE, El Hajj J, Le B, Fink H, Bethel M, Tharrington SG, and Carbone LD. Disparities in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis in Persons with Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2025 Jul 9;23(1):31. doi: 10.1007/s11914-025-00924-3. PMID: 40634685 FULL TEXT