Division of Rheumatology

The Rheumatology Division at the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) is a combined clinical and research unit that serves patients with rheumatologic and musculoskeletal conditions.

UCSF’s Division of Rheumatology spans four campuses and includes three hospital sites at UCSF: Parnassus Heights campus – including Moffitt-Long Hospital, Fort Miley Veterans Administration Center in San Francisco’s outer Richmond district, San Francisco General Hospital in the Mission district, and the Institute for Health Policy Studies at Laurel Heights.

Although physically separated, the clinical programs are highly integrated and interactive. The programs at these sites provide comprehensive and consultative clinical care to patients with rheumatologic diseases in the outpatient and inpatient settings. We provide care to patients with the wide spectrum of illnesses that characterize the rheumatologic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and the vasculitides.

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Faculty

	Gabriela Schmajuk, MD, MS, Section Chief Dr. Schmajuk is the Chief of the SFVAMC’s Rheumatology Section. She cares for patients in the Arthritis (Rheumatology) clinic and on the inpatient rheumatology consult service. Her research focuses on quality of care and medication safety.
	Krishna Chaganti, MD, MS Dr. Chaganti is the director of the Arthritis (Rheumatology) clinic. She cares for patients in the Arthritis (Rheumatology) clinic and on the inpatient rheumatology consult service. She is certified in musculoskeletal ultrasound and uses ultrasound as needed during routine visits onsite in the clinic.
	Brett Dietz, MD Dr. Dietz cares for patients in the Arthritis (Rheumatology) clinic and on the inpatient rheumatology consult service. His scholarly interest is in medical education, and he leads rheumatology and quality improvement sessions for fellows, residents, and medical students.
	Lianne S. Gensler, MD Dr. Gensler is the program director for UCSF's Rheumatology Fellowship. She cares for patients in the Arthritis (Rheumatology) clinic and on the inpatient rheumatology consult service. Her clinical research focus is on autoimmune inflammatory spine disease. She directs the UCSF Ankylosing Spondylitis Clinic and is a national leader in the care of patients with spondyloarthritis.
	Christine Hsieh, PhD Dr. Hsieh is a principal investigator in the VA Immunology Research Laboratory. She is interested in immunology, inflammation, and wound healing. Her laboratory primarily studies innate immune responses using an experimental model of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
	Mary C. Nakamura, MD Dr. Nakamura is a principal investigator in the VA Immunology Research Laboratory. She cares for patients in the Arthritis (Rheumatology) clinic and on the inpatient rheumatology consult service. She co-directs the mentoring program for the UCSF Clinical Rheumatology and Immunology Training Grant and the UCSF Rheumatology Board Review Course.
	Renuka Nayak, MD PhD Dr. Nayak cares for patients in the Arthritis (Rheumatology) clinic and on the inpatient rheumatology consult service. Her research focus is on the effects of the microbiome on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.