MEDICAL BOARD

Dr. Steven Spalding – Medical Advisor (AD HOC MEMBER)

Steven Spalding, MD has a dual appointment in the Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Disease and in the Section for Pediatric Medical Subspecialties. He is also a member of the Center for Vasculitis Care and Research. Dr. Spalding earned his medical degree from Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton and completed his pediatric residency and pediatric rheumatology fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in general pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology. He is a member of several professional societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Rheumatology, Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance and Northeast Ohio chapter of the Arthritis Foundation.

Dr. Spalding has presented, published and participated in research on a variety of pediatric rheumatology subjects, including pediatric vasculitis, juvenile arthritis, recurrent fever syndromes, and neonatal lupus. His current research involves examining the effect of age on presentation and treatment of Periodic Fever, Aphthous stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Adenopathy (PFAPA) Syndrome as well as the manifestations and treatment of airway disease in pediatric Wegener’s Granulomatosis. Dr. Spalding is also involved in several national clinical trials in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and recurrent fever syndromes. His clinical interests include pediatric vasculitis, recurrent fever syndromes, treatment of JIA, and treatment of pediatric uveitis

Dr. Chi Van Dang, M.D., Ph.D. Medical Advisor

Is presently the Professor Director at thhe Abramson Cancer Center at the Unniversity of Pennsylvania

Was the Vice Dean for Research, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

A professor of medicine, pathology, oncology and cell biology, with joint appointments in molecular biology and genetics, Dr. Dang directs the school of medicine research enterprise. In that capacity, he oversees the offices for research administration, policy coordination and technology transfer; directs the Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering; explores funding opportunities for interdisciplinary research; and creates an environment conducive to innovative and collaborative inquiries. He ensures that Johns Hopkins has state-of-the-art research facilities and policies that foster the advance of basic research discoveries to the marketplace and bedside.

A practicing hematologist-oncologist, Dr. Dang has written more than 180 scientific papers. He is senior editor of the medical journal Cancer Research and serves on the editorial boards of eight other scientific publications, including the Journal of Molecular Medicine, Current Cancer Therapy Reviews, Drug Discovery Today: Disease Mechanisms, Journal of Clinical Investigations, Neoplasia, Clinical and Translational Science and The Vietnamese Medical Journal.

Elected to the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine in 2006, Dr. Dang has received the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute MERIT award and numerous other accolades. He has sponsored 10 NIH physician-scientist awardees and mentored more than a dozen Ph.D. candidates as well as dozens of postdoctoral fellows. He oversees his own research lab with more than $1 million in research grants. In 2005, in honor of his achievements and the fact that he is the highest ranking physician of Vietnamese descent in academic medicine, not just in the United States but in the world, the Vietnamese American National Gala gave him its Gold Torch Award for medicine and education.

Shailesh Chavan, MD -Medical Advisor

Dr. Chavan brings more than a decade of leadership and management experience within the bio-pharma industry. Dr. Chavan’s expertise is in deploying innovative strategies and developing new business relationships. He brings a record of successful clinical development, drug safety, medical affairs and regulatory affairs experience currently at Biotest Pharmaceuticals (since last 3 years) and previously at ClinTec International, Tengion, Cephalon, academic research at University of Florida and clinical trial projects in Scotland and India. Currently he is responsible for managing product development projects with focus on Immunology, Oncology and Transplantation. Among his major achievements has been to head clinical development and operations for a major international Clinical Research Organization and as Chief Medical Officer for a oncology biotech venture. He has managed clinical trial operations in more than 30 countries and was involved with biotech business development, licensing, due diligence process, commercial strategies, strategic alliances and partnerships. His expertise spans drug and device development in multiple therapeutic areas including Immunology, Oncology, Transplantation, Neurology, Cardiology, Regenerative Medicine, etc. Dr. Chavan received his M.B.B.S degree from Seth G.S. Medical College, India followed by residency in Internal Medicine at the Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences, India.

Oliver J. Lawless, MD FACR, Col USAR
Title: Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology Georgetown University
Director, Center for Arthritis Immunology & Environmental Disorders
Immunostasis Research Company

APPOINTMENTS HELD:
1962-1964 Senior House Officer in Rheumatology and Physical Medicine
St. Vincent’s Group Hospitals, Dublin, Ireland
1964-1966 Resident in Medicine Seton Hall University Jersey City NJ.
1966-1967 Senior Registrar in Medicine to Professorial Unit,
St. Vincent’s Hospital and University College, Dublin, Ireland
1967-1969 Assistant in Medicine, Boston University, Boston City and
University Hospitals
1969-1971 Chief, Allergy/Immunology Laboratory Walter Reed Army Medical
Center
1972-1981 Chief Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology Walter Reed Army
Medical Center.
1975-1976 Member National Arthritis C omission of NIH
1975-1981 Member Arthritis Interagency Committee of the NIH
1977-1981 Associate Professor of Medicine Uniformed Services University of
Health Science Bethesda MD
1977-1981 Assistant Professor of Medicine Georgetown University
1980 -1983 Member International Affairs Committee of the ARA
1982 -1992 Director National Rheumatology Diagnostic Laboratory
1987-1992 Director of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation of the Greater
Washington Rehabilitation Center Silver Spring MD

AWARDS
Colonel MC USAR
1971 Army Commendation Medal
1976 Arthritis Foundation Award for role in the National Arthritis Commission
1979 Hench Award for Distinguished Rheumatologist working in the Federal
Government
1981 Army Meritorious Service medal
2011 US Patent on a DNA Vaccine to up-regulate suppressor
Dr Lawless received the Patients’ Choice Award a few years in a row
Patients’ Choice recognition reflects the difference a particular physician has made in the lives of their patients. The honor is bestowed to physicians who have received near perfect scores as voted by patients.

Every month, more than 100,000 patients across the U.S. provide online feedback about their experiences with their doctors. They rate various components such as bedside manner, doctor-patient face time, degree of follow-up, courtesy of office staff, and overall opinions.

Over the course of 2010, these reviews have totaled hundreds of thousands patient opinions. While physicians generally receive positive reviews from their patients, only a select few receive uniformly rave reviews across the board. Of those who have received rave reviews with near perfect scores by their patients are awarded this honor.

In fact, of the nation’s 720,000 active physicians, less than 6% were accorded this honor by their patients in 2010.

Dr Rink-Jan Lohman~ Medical Board from Australia, specializes in inflammatory diseases and inflammation in the brain