Clinical practice in rheumatology is focused around early arthritis clinics, osteoarthritis (OA) hand clinics, vasculitis clinics (including Behçet’s syndrome), joint rheumatology/plastics hand clinics, and biologics clinics. The campus at Charing Cross Hospital also accommodates the Clinical Trials Unit, although a new clinical research facility is available on the Hammersmith Hospital campus.
The clinical department is a tertiary referral unit for complex rheumatic disease with specialist interests in inflammatory arthritis (on the Charing Cross Hospital campus) and systemic connective tissue and vascular diseases (Hammersmith Hospital campus). The Charing Cross Hospital campus is a tertiary referral centre for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) hand surgery, led by Professor J Nanchahal (Plastic Surgeon). There is also an active vascular biology programme at the Institute, which seeks to explore the links between chronic inflammatory disease and risks of cardiovascular disease.
The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology is one of the largest rheumatology research units in Europe and is a designated EULAR Centre of Excellence. Its research focusses on basic pathogenic mechanisms of RA and OA, with emphasis on immunobiology, cell signalling, cytokine biology, vascular biology and matrix biology. In vivo models underpin much of its work. The Institute is in the process of expanding its translational research programme. The clinical trials unit initiated the first trials of TNF blockade in RA in 1992. Since that time the Institute has been actively involved in PI-led clinical trials of TNF inhibitors, IL-10, anti-IL-6R and, more recently, small molecule inhibitors of various signalling pathways. At Imperial College, Professor J Cobb has been actively involved in computer-assisted knee joint arthroplasties.

1. Animal models of OA
2. Investigation of pathways of autoimmune arthritis in the SKG mouse
3. Post-transcriptional regulation of inflammatory cytokine gene expression
4. Understanding basic mechanisms of cartilage matrix degradation
5. Exploring pain pathways in models of inflammatory arthritis

The Institute would welcome clinical fellows with a particular interest in exploring basic pathogenic mechanisms of chronic inflammatory disease in vitro and in vivo. In view of the breadth of topics studied, fellows should gain experience in a broad range of experimental techniques. Imperial College offers a wide range of teaching programmes. In addition, there is a wide range of programmes for higher education in rheumatology, including seminars, tutorials, postgraduate clinical and local workshops.

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