Tate Johnson, MD, PhD, assistant professor of rheumatology at UNMC, recently received a K23 award from the National Institutes of Health.
The five-year grant is for his research titled “Inflammatory Responses, Fibrotic Mediators, and Comorbidity Burden as Determinants of Myocardial Dysfunction and Heart Failure in Rheumatoid Arthritis.” Dr. Johnson’s research studies the determinants of cardiovascular disease risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, as well as strategies to reduce this risk through both translational studies and large, epidemiologic analyses.
K23 awards are mentored research grants that provide support for the career development of investigators who have made a commitment to patient-oriented research, helping to launch an academic research career prior to competing for R01-level, independent funding.
Dr. Johnson said the award provides funding and protected research time to complete his proposed research as well as training in the conduct of clinical and translational research.
“K23 awards are invaluable at this stage of a research career,” he said. “This is an important step toward establishing a research program at UNMC to improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with RA.”
Dr. Johnson completed his internal medicine residency at UNMC in 2019, went on to be chief resident and then completed UNMC’s rheumatology fellowship in 2022. He recently completed his PhD in Clinical and Translational Research through the UNMC Mentored Scholars Program.
“This award largely reflects the outstanding training environment and mentorship I have benefited from at UNMC,” Dr. Johnson said. “I see it as an important recognition of the entire team and community that have guided and supported me through my research efforts and in developing this study.”
Bryant England, MD, PhD, associate professor of rheumatology at UNMC and a mentor to Dr. Johnson, said he has been a highly productive clinician-investigator with a growing national reputation in cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis.
“Dr. Johnson’s prior studies of heart failure, cardiovascular death, and aortic stenosis in rheumatoid arthritis have positioned him to evaluate the mechanisms linking rheumatoid arthritis to early cardiac dysfunction,” Dr. England said. “The results from his studies will advance the field toward the goal of early intervention and even prevention of cardiac dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis.”