Arthur Kavanaugh MD is Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. In addition, he is the Director of the Center for Innovative Therapy in the UCSD Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology.

Dr. Kavanaugh earned his BS in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts and his MD at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine and then a fellowship in Clinical Immunology/Allergy at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston Texas. Dr Kavanaugh also completed a Rheumatology fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. In 1990, he joined the faculty at UT Southwestern before joining the Rheumatology, Allergy, Immunology Division at UCSD, where he has been since 1999.

Dr. Kavanaugh has authored more than 350 publications. He is on the editorial board for several journals, and has served as peer reviewer for more than a dozen scientific journals. Dr Kavanaugh is a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). He has been a member of and chaired a number of committees in these organizations.

Dr Kavanaugh’s main research interest has been in clinical research, particularly translational aspects of rheumatology research. This has included work delineating the pathophysiology of rheumatic diseases as well as defining changes associated with novel immunomodulatory therapies. The focus of many clinical projects has been rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, but Dr Kavanaugh has conducted many studies in other autoimmune conditions, including systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and others. In addition, he has performed studies focusing on novel imaging methods and also clinical outcomes. Dr Kavanaugh has been involved with helping to create guidelines for the treatment and optimal care of patients with rheumatic diseases. Dr Kavanaugh was involved with the formation of GRAPPA (group for research and assessment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis) and remains on the steering committee. He has been a board member of CORRONA (consortium of rheumatology researchers of north America) since its inception.