Research Summary

I am a clinical rheumatologist who has done basic research in the area of innate immune receptors, myeloid and natural killer cells for the past 29 years. For the last 20 years we have focused much of our work on the role of innate immune receptors on osteoclasts and innate immune regulation of normal and pathological bone turnover. We were one of the early groups focusing our research in the area of osteoimmunology and one of the first to identify the role of innate receptors in osteoclast differentiation and function. Our current research interests continue to primarily focus on osteoclasts and macrophage in arthritis, bone repair and turnover. Our studies of myeloid cells and bone repair have led us to also examine the roles of myeloid cells in tissue repair more broadly involving studies of brain and cardiac injury and ischemia.

I am on the organizing committee for the 8th International Osteoimmunology meeting (2022) and was the lead organizer for the 7th (2018), previously served on the scientific advisory committee for the Rheumatology Research Foundation and completed a term as a regular member of the NIH study section: Skeletal Biology Development and Disease (SBDD). I am currently Director of PREMIER (Precision Medicine in Rheumatology, an NIH funded P30 center) at UCSF. Our PREMIER Cores focus on Clinical Informatics, Genomic Technology (particularly single cell transcriptomics) and Integrative Bioinformatics. I am experienced in basic and translational research. My ongoing research collaborations with rheumatology, immunology, endocrinology, orthopedics and bone biology investigators uniquely position me to participate in and support research in innate immunity, osteoimmunology and translational studies in rheumatology. Recently, I have been participating in clinical care and translational research regarding patients with immune related adverse events due to cnacer immunotherapy. am an experienced mentor and am Director of the mentoring program for rheumatology fellows in our division and assist fellows both within and outside our division in the development of their individual development plans and career advancement.

Research Funding

  • September 21, 2016 - August 31, 2026 - RESOURCE-BASED CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PRECISION MEDICINE IN RHEUMATOLOGY , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: P30AR070155
  • October 1, 2016 - March 31, 2021 - Immune Modulation and Cardiac Remodeling , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: I01BX002994
  • September 30, 2013 - May 31, 2018 - Effects of Aging on Macrophages and Bone Regeneration , Co-Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01AG046282
  • October 1, 2009 - March 31, 2014 - DAP12 and ITAM-signals in Osteoclastogenesis , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: I01BX000615

Education

Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, B.A., 1981, Biology
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, M.D., cum laude, 1986, Medicine
Intern and resident, Department of Internal Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, 1986-1989
Rheumatology Fellow, Div. Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins U., Baltimore, MD, 1990-1991
Rheumatology Fellow, Div. Rheumatology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, 1991-1994

Honors & Awards

  • 2015
    Excellence in Teaching Award in medical education, The Haile Debas Academy of Medical Educators
  • 2010
    CTSI Mentor Development Course Graduate, UCSF CTSI
  • 2005
    Ira M Goldstein Award for Outstanding Teaching in Rheumatology, UCSF
  • 2004
    Henry Kunkel Young Investigator Award, American College of Rheumatology
  • 2002
    Global Arthritis Research Network Travel Grant, GARN
  • 2000
    Presidential Early Career Award, President of the United States
  • 1998
    VA Career Development Award, Department of Veteran's Affairs
  • 1993
    Physician Scientist Development Award, American College of Rheumatology
  • 1989
    Jeffrey Weingarten Award for Housestaff, UCSF Residency Program
  • 1986
    Louis G Welt Prize for outstanding medical school thesis, Yale School of Medicine
  • 1986
    Janet M Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation for scholastic achievement, American Women's
  • Medical Association
  • 1984/85
    Lupus Foundation of America Summer Fellowship, Lupus Foundation
  • 1981
    Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, graduation with distinction in biology, Swarthmore College
  • 1977-81
    Pacific Regional Scholarship, Swarthmore College

Selected Publications

  1. Adams C, Nair N, Plant D, Verstappen SMM, Quach HL, Quach DL, Carvidi A, Nititham J, Nakamura M, Graf J, Barton A, Criswell LA, Barcellos LF. Identification of cell-specific differential DNA methylation associated with methotrexate treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023 Jan 30.  View on PubMed
  2. Greene SE, Huang Y, Kim W, Liebeskind MJ, Chandrasekaran V, Liu Z, Deepak P, Paley MA, Lew D, Yang M, Matloubian M, Gensler LS, Nakamura MC, O'Hallaran JA, Presti RM, Whelan SPJ, Buchser WJ, Kim AHJ, Weil GJ. A simple point-of-care assay accurately detects anti-spike antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. J Clin Virol Plus. 2023 Feb; 3(1):100135.  View on PubMed
  3. Pawar N, Taylor KE, Yang M, Deepak P, Kim W, Paley MA, Matloubian M, Carvidi A, Ciorba MA, Demissie E, El-Qunni A, Huang K, Kinnett B, McMorrow LE, Paez D, Poole M, Rose A, Schriefer RE, Kim AHJ, Nakamura M, Katz P, Gensler LS. Sleep disturbance improves with SARS-COV2 vaccinations in patients with Chronic Inflammatory Disease. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2022 Dec 07.  View on PubMed
  4. Clark D, Doelling J, Hu D, Miclau T, Nakamura M, Marcucio R. Age-related decrease in periostin expression may be associated with attenuated fracture healing in old mice. J Orthop Res. 2022 Sep 04.  View on PubMed
  5. Yang MM, Taylor KE, Paez D, Carividi A, Demissie E, Pawar N, El-Qunni AA, McMorrow LE, Schriefer RE, Huang K, Kinnett B, Klebert M, Haile A, O'Halloran JA, Presti RM, Kim W, Ellebedy AH, Ciorba MA, Paley MA, Deepak P, Kim AHJ, Katz P, Matloubian M, Nakamura M, Gensler LS. Reactogenicity of the Messenger RNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines Associated With Immunogenicity in Patients With Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disease. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2022 12; 74(12):1953-1960.  View on PubMed
  6. Patterson SL, Sun S, Rychkov D, Katz P, Tsitsiklis A, Nakamura MC, Serpa PH, Langelier CR, Sirota M. Physical Activity Associates With Lower Systemic Inflammatory Gene Expression in Rheumatoid Arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2022 12; 49(12):1320-1327.  View on PubMed
  7. Matsuo K, Lepinski A, Chavez RD, Barruet E, Pereira A, Moody TA, Ton AN, Sharma A, Hellman J, Tomoda K, Nakamura MC, Hsiao EC. Corrigendum to "ACVR1R206H extends inflammatory responses in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages" [Bone. 153 2021 Dec; 116129. doi:10.1016/j.bone.2021.116129. Epub 2021 Jul 24. PMID: 34311122]. Bone. 2022 May; 158:116325.  View on PubMed
  8. Kim AHJ, Nakamura MC. COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection Among Immunocompromised Persons. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 02 01; 182(2):163-164.  View on PubMed
  9. Somebang K, Rudolph J, Imhof I, Li L, Niemi EC, Shigenaga J, Tran H, Gill TM, Lo I, Zabel BA, Schmajuk G, Wipke BT, Gyoneva S, Jandreski L, Craft M, Benedetto G, Plowey ED, Charo I, Campbell J, Ye CJ, Panter SS, Nakamura MC, Eckalbar W, Hsieh CL. CCR2 deficiency alters activation of microglia subsets in traumatic brain injury. Cell Rep. 2021 09 21; 36(12):109727.  View on PubMed
  10. Deepak P, Kim W, Paley MA, Yang M, Carvidi AB, Demissie EG, El-Qunni AA, Haile A, Huang K, Kinnett B, Liebeskind MJ, Liu Z, McMorrow LE, Paez D, Pawar N, Perantie DC, Schriefer RE, Sides SE, Thapa M, Gergely M, Abushamma S, Akuse S, Klebert M, Mitchell L, Nix D, Graf J, Taylor KE, Chahin S, Ciorba MA, Katz P, Matloubian M, O'Halloran JA, Presti RM, Wu GF, Whelan SPJ, Buchser WJ, Gensler LS, Nakamura MC, Ellebedy AH, Kim AHJ. Effect of Immunosuppression on the Immunogenicity of mRNA Vaccines to SARS-CoV-2 : A Prospective Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med. 2021 11; 174(11):1572-1585.  View on PubMed
  11. Matsuo K, Lepinski A, Chavez RD, Barruet E, Pereira A, Moody TA, Ton AN, Sharma A, Hellman J, Tomoda K, Nakamura MC, Hsiao EC. ACVR1R206H extends inflammatory responses in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages. Bone. 2021 12; 153:116129.  View on PubMed
  12. Fraenkel L, Bathon JM, England BR, St Clair EW, Arayssi T, Carandang K, Deane KD, Genovese M, Huston KK, Kerr G, Kremer J, Nakamura MC, Russell LA, Singh JA, Smith BJ, Sparks JA, Venkatachalam S, Weinblatt ME, Al-Gibbawi M, Baker JF, Barbour KE, Barton JL, Cappelli L, Chamseddine F, George M, Johnson SR, Kahale L, Karam BS, Khamis AM, Navarro-Mill?n I, Mirza R, Schwab P, Singh N, Turgunbaev M, Turner AS, Yaacoub S, Akl EA. 2021 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2021 07; 73(7):924-939.  View on PubMed
  13. Fraenkel L, Bathon JM, England BR, St Clair EW, Arayssi T, Carandang K, Deane KD, Genovese M, Huston KK, Kerr G, Kremer J, Nakamura MC, Russell LA, Singh JA, Smith BJ, Sparks JA, Venkatachalam S, Weinblatt ME, Al-Gibbawi M, Baker JF, Barbour KE, Barton JL, Cappelli L, Chamseddine F, George M, Johnson SR, Kahale L, Karam BS, Khamis AM, Navarro-Mill?n I, Mirza R, Schwab P, Singh N, Turgunbaev M, Turner AS, Yaacoub S, Akl EA. 2021 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021 07; 73(7):1108-1123.  View on PubMed
  14. Vallania F, Zisman L, Macaubas C, Hung SC, Rajasekaran N, Mason S, Graf J, Nakamura M, Mellins ED, Khatri P. Multicohort Analysis Identifies Monocyte Gene Signatures to Accurately Monitor Subset-Specific Changes in Human Diseases. Front Immunol. 2021; 12:659255.  View on PubMed
  15. Clark D, Halpern B, Miclau T, Nakamura M, Kapila Y, Marcucio R. The Contribution of Macrophages in Old Mice to Periodontal Disease. J Dent Res. 2021 11; 100(12):1397-1404.  View on PubMed
  16. Deepak P, Kim W, Paley MA, Yang M, Carvidi AB, El-Qunni AA, Haile A, Huang K, Kinnett B, Liebeskind MJ, Liu Z, McMorrow LE, Paez D, Perantie DC, Schriefer RE, Sides SE, Thapa M, Gergely M, Abushamma S, Klebert M, Mitchell L, Nix D, Graf J, Taylor KE, Chahin S, Ciorba MA, Katz P, Matloubian M, O'Halloran JA, Presti RM, Wu GF, Whelan SPJ, Buchser WJ, Gensler LS, Nakamura MC, Ellebedy AH, Kim AHJ. Glucocorticoids and B Cell Depleting Agents Substantially Impair Immunogenicity of mRNA Vaccines to SARS-CoV-2. medRxiv. 2021 Apr 09.  View on PubMed
  17. Dietz BW, Nakamura MC, Bell MT, Lane NE. Targeting Nerve Growth Factor for Pain Management in Osteoarthritis-Clinical Efficacy and Safety. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2021 05; 47(2):181-195.  View on PubMed
  18. Calabrese DR, Aminian E, Mallavia B, Liu F, Cleary SJ, Aguilar OA, Wang P, Singer JP, Hays SR, Golden JA, Kukreja J, Dugger D, Nakamura M, Lanier LL, Looney MR, Greenland JR. Natural killer cells activated through NKG2D mediate lung ischemia-reperfusion injury. J Clin Invest. 2021 02 01; 131(3).  View on PubMed
  19. Vasudevan S, V?squez JJ, Chen W, Aguilar-Rodriguez B, Niemi EC, Zeng S, Tamaki W, Nakamura MC, Arjomandi M. Lower PDL1, PDL2, and AXL Expression on Lung Myeloid Cells Suggests Inflammatory Bias in Smoking and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2020 12; 63(6):780-793.  View on PubMed
  20. Wilfong EM, Croze R, Fang X, Schwede M, Niemi E, L?pez GY, Lee JW, Nakamura MC, Matthay MA. Proinflammatory cytokines and ARDS pulmonary edema fluid induce CD40 on human mesenchymal stromal cells-A potential mechanism for immune modulation. PLoS One. 2020; 15(10):e0240319.  View on PubMed

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