Pioneering Physician-Scientist Timothy B. Niewold, MD, FACR Appointed Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)
Will help lead the nation’s largest staff of Rheumatologists to advance basic and translational research in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world’s leading academic medical center specialized in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, today announced the appointment of Timothy B. Niewold, MD, FACR, as Vice Chair for Research in the HSS Department of Medicine. Since completing his Rheumatology Fellowship under the research mentorship of Mary (Peggy) Crow, MD, at HSS in 2007, Dr. Niewold has led pioneering research in human autoimmune diseases, particularly lupus, and has been well-funded for research throughout his career. He has received the Mary Betty Stevens Prize for Lupus Research from the Lupus Foundation of America and the Henry Kunkel Young Investigator Award from the American College of Rheumatology. In addition to being an outstanding investigator and serving leadership roles in prominent national organizations, Dr. Niewold is a renowned mentor to young investigators pursuing translational and clinical research.
Dr. Niewold is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Immunological Methods, serves on the Board of Directors of the Lupus Research Foundation and the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation, and is a standing member of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program. He has recently served as a standing member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Arthritis, Connective Tissue, and Skin (ACTS) Study Section. He is a former Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Rheumatology Research Foundation, and a past President of the Central Society for Clinical and Translational Research.
“We are delighted that Dr. Niewold will help lead the next generation of groundbreaking translational and clinical research for the Department of Medicine at HSS,” said S. Louis Bridges, Jr., MD, PhD, physician-in-chief and chair of the Department of Medicine at HSS. “We are at a historic intersection of knowledge, cutting edge technology and patient need. We are poised to accelerate impactful patient oriented research that will improve the lives of our patients.”
Dr. Niewold returns to HSS from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, where he served as Judith and Stewart Colton Professor of Medicine and Director of the Colton Center for Autoimmunity.
Dr. Niewold, a world leader in lupus research, moves to HSS together with outstanding rheumatology investigators Theresa Wampler Muskardin, MD; Ruth Fernandez-Ruiz, MD; and Ashira Blazer, MD. At HSS Dr. Niewold and his colleagues will continue their current research, including three studies supported by the NIH, and one supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Research is foundational to HSS excellence, and scientific leadership in rheumatic diseases is among the ways we achieve reliably better outcomes for patients with any musculoskeletal condition,” said Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA, HSS surgeon-in-chief and medical director. “Dr. Niewold and I both had the privilege of training at HSS, and I’m very happy to now share with him also the privilege of leading HSS to improve quality of life for future generations.”
“HSS has the privilege and responsibility to help people get back to what they need and love to do better than any other place in the world,” added HSS President & CEO Louis A. Shapiro. “Since our founding 158 years ago, that begins and ends with the most talented, most committed specialists, and so we are especially pleased to welcome Dr. Niewold home and support his leadership forward.”
HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 14th consecutive year), No. 2 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2023-2024), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2023-2024). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a fourth consecutive year (2023). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.
