American College of Rheumatology Announces 2026 Award Recipients
November 7, 2026 | ACR ConvergenceACR News
ORLANDO – The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) proudly recognize 47 recipients of its 2026 Master of the ACR and ARP designations, ACR Awards of Distinction, and ARP Awards of Merit and Appreciation during ACR Convergence 2026, the ACR’s annual meeting. These awards are presented annually to members who are leading researchers, thought leaders and practitioners making outstanding contributions to the ACR, the ARP, and the field of rheumatology.
The Presidential Gold Medal
The Presidential Gold Medal, the highest award that the ACR can bestow, is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements in rheumatology over an entire career. Established by the past presidents of the ACR, candidates will have made important contributions in multiple areas such as clinical medicine, research, education, or administration. Funding support for this award of distinction is provided by the Rheumatology Research Foundation.
Recipient: Awarded posthumously to Daniel L. Kastner, MD, PhD, MACR, National Human Genome Research Institute
ACR Awards of Distinction
The ACR Awards of Distinction recognize leading researchers, clinicians, mentors, and other professionals exhibiting superior commitment to the advancement of the field of rheumatology. Winners of this year’s awards are as follows:
The Distinguished Basic/Translational Investigator Award
The Distinguished Basic/Translational Investigator Award is awarded to a basic or translational investigator making outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology.
Recipient: Carolina Jane E. Salmon, MD, Weill Cornell Medicine
The Distinguished Clinician Scholar Award
The Distinguished Clinician Scholar Award is awarded to a rheumatologist who has made outstanding contributions in clinical medicine, clinical scholarship, or education.
Recipient: John J. Cush, MD, RheumNow.com
The Henry Kunkel Early Career Investigator Award
The Henry Kunkel Early Career Investigator Award is awarded to an early career physician scientist who is 12 years post Rheumatology certifying examination eligibility and who has made outstanding and promising independent contributions to basic, translational, or clinical research in the field of rheumatology.
Recipient: David B. Beck, MD, PhD, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
The Pauling Phelps Award
The Pauling Phelps Award is awarded to a clinical rheumatologist for outstanding service to patients, community, and the practice of medicine.
Recipient: James J. (Jay) Nocton, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin/Children's Wisconsin
The Distinguished Clinical Investigator Award
The Distinguished Clinical Investigator Award is awarded to a clinical scientist making outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology. This award was known as the Clinical Research Award prior to 2006.
Recipient: Janet Elizabeth Pope, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University
The Distinguished Fellowship Program Director Award
The Distinguished Fellowship Program Director Award is awarded to a current or former rheumatology program director who has made outstanding contributions to the mentoring and training of future rheumatologists. Eligible candidates are ACR members in good standing who are current or former rheumatology program directors for a minimum of five years and who participate in related ACR educational activities.
Recipient: Anisha B. Dua, MD, MPH, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
The Distinguished International Rheumatology Professional Award
The Distinguished International Rheumatology Professional Award is awarded to a rheumatologist or rheumatology health professional outside of the US and Canada for exceptional contributions in public service and advocacy to the global rheumatology community.
Recipient: Anselm Hennis, MBBS, MSc, PhD, FRCP(UK), FACP, Pan American Health Organization
The Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award is awarded to an ACR member for outstanding and sustained service to the ACR.
Recipient: Zsuzsanna H. McMahan, MD, MHS, UTHealth Houston
The Excellence in Investigative Mentoring Award
The Excellence in Investigative Mentoring Award recognizes the importance of the mentor/mentee relationship. A dedicated mentor can significantly influence the successful development and career of a mentee. This award honors an active ACR or ARP member for their contributions to the rheumatology profession through outstanding and ongoing mentoring. Funding support for this award of distinction is provided by the Rheumatology Research Foundation.
Recipient: Jinoos Yazdany, MD, MPH, University of California, San Francisco
The Innovation in Clinical Care Award
The Innovation in Clinical Care Award is awarded to a community rheumatologist who has significantly advanced the practice of rheumatology through novel clinical initiatives. This may be accomplished through innovation in clinical practice design or quality, development of cutting-edge methods to improve health equity in rheumatology, cost-saving initiatives, creative approaches to mentoring in community practice, or other innovations that improve the care of patients with rheumatic disease and/or advance the rheumatology subspecialty.
Recipient: Karleen Su, MD, Rheumatology Private Practice Alliance/Amicus Arthritis & Osteoporosis Center
Master of the ACR Designation
The Master of the ACR designation is one of the highest honors that the College bestows on its distinguished members. The designation of Master is conferred on ACR members, age 65 or older, who have made outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology through scholarly achievement and/or service to their patients, students, and the rheumatology profession. These honorees have devoted their long careers to furthering rheumatology research and improving clinical standards in the treatment of rheumatic diseases.
The 2026 recipients of the Master of the ACR designation are:
- Atul A. Deodhar, MD, MACR, Oregon Health & Science University
- Bonnie L. Bermas, MD, MACR, UT Southwestern
- Chaim Putterman, MD, MACR, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University
- Cornelia M. Weyand, MD, PhD, MACR, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
- Costantino Pitzalis, MD, PhD, FRCP, MACR, Queen Mary University of London/Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry
- David I. Daikh, MD, PhD, MACR, Oregon Health & Science University
- Gregory C. Gardner, MD, MACP, MACR, University of Washington
- Gwenesta Barnum Melton, MD, MACR, Association of Women in Rheumatology
- Lisa G. Rider, MD, MACR, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health
- Madelaine "Mattie" Feldman, MD, FACR, MACR, Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations and The Rheumatology Group
- Michael H. Pillinger, MD, MACR, NYU Grossman School of Medicine/NYU Langone Health
- Paul R. Fortin, MD, MPH, FRCPC, MACR, Université Laval
- Peter A. Merkel, MD, MPH, MACR, Division of Rheumatology, University of Pennsylvania
- Richard M. Keating, MD, MACP, MACR, Scripps Clinic/Scripps Green Hospital, La Jolla, CA
- Robert Fuhlbrigge, MD, PhD, MACR, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine/Children's Hospital Colorado
- Terri H. Finkel, MD, PhD, MACR, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
- Victoria Patricia Werth, MD, MACR, University of Pennsylvania and Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VAMC
- Wael N. Jarjour, MD, MACR, The Ohio State University
The Distinguished Fellow Award
The Distinguished Fellow Award recognizes up to 10 clinical and research fellows who are in a rheumatology fellowship training program and who have performed meritoriously. The 2026 recipients of the Distinguished Fellow Award are:
- Aakash V. Patel, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Alana Haussmann, MD, MS, UCLA
- Aradhna Agarwal, MD, MPH, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
- Benjamin Turturice, MD, PhD, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health
- Brendan Denvir, MD, MHS, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Griffin Reed, MD, Rheumatology Associates/Maine Medical Center
- Ilana Usiskin, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Manush Sondhi, MD, University of Washington
- Philip Carlucci, MD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
- Samantha Coss, MD, PhD, Nationwide Children's Hospital
ARP Awards of Appreciation
The ARP President's Award
The ARP President's Award is awarded to the ACR/ARP member or team performing outstanding service within the present year in advancing the goals, ideals, and standards of the ARP. This year, the ARP President’s Award is presented to all members of the ARP Governance Task Force.
Recipient: Barbara A. Slusher, DMSc, MSW, PA-C, DFAAPA, DipACLM, HopeHealth
ARP Awards of Merit
The ARP Awards of Merit recognize the following: Lifetime Achievement Award, President’s Award, Addie Thomas Service Award, Distinguished Scholar Award, Outstanding Student in Rheumatology Award, and Master Designation. Winners of this year’s awards are as follows:
The ARP Addie Thomas Service Award
The ARP Addie Thomas Service Award is presented to an ARP member in honor of our Association's first president and recognizes individuals who have been active volunteers involved with local, regional/state, national, and/or international arthritis-related activities.
Recipient: Barbara A. Slusher, DMSc, MSW, PA-C, DFAAPA, DipACLM, HopeHealth
The ARP Distinguished Scholar Award
The ARP Distinguished Scholar Award is presented to an ARP member who demonstrates exceptional achievements in scholarly activities pertinent to arthritis and rheumatic diseases.
Recipient: Edith Williams, PhD, MS, University of Rochester Medicine
The ARP Distinguished Clinician Award
The ARP Distinguished Clinician Award is presented to an ARP member who is engaged in clinical practice and demonstrates outstanding clinical expertise in arthritis and rheumatic diseases.
Recipient: Annelle B. Reed, MSN, CPN, CPNP, UAB Division of Pediatric Rheumatology at Children's of Alabama
The ARP Distinguished Educator Award
The ARP Distinguished Educator Award is presented to an ARP member who has demonstrated sustained excellence in the teaching of patients and students/trainees, including health professional students, medical students, residents, graduate students, and/or fellows, with their primary focus being rheumatology-related content.
Recipient: Benjamin J. Smith, DMSc, PA-C, Florida State University College of Medicine School of Physician Assistant Practice
The Designation of the ARP Master
The Designation of the ARP Master is one of the highest honors that the College bestows. The designation of Master is conferred on ARP members, age 65 or older, who have made outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology through service to the ACR/ARP and advancements in research, practice, education, and/or advocacy.
The 2026 recipients of the Master of the ARP designation are:
- Basia Belza, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, MARP, University of Washington
- Maura Daly Iversen, PT, DPT, SD, MPH, FNAP, FAPTA, MARP, Section of Clinical Sciences, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and College of Health Professions, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI
The Outstanding Student in Rheumatology Award
The Outstanding Student in Rheumatology Award recognizes outstanding students and residents who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research.
Recipient: Joel Robert Thompson, PT, DPT, MA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
All nomination submissions are reviewed by the ACR’s Membership and Awards Committee, a joint committee composed of both ACR and ARP volunteers. Nominees are considered for an award based on criteria that range from their academic and scholarly representation to their rheumatology service record both inside and outside the College.
See more information about the awards and view past recipients >
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About ACR Convergence
ACR Convergence, the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, is where rheumatology meets to collaborate, celebrate, congregate, and learn. With hundreds of sessions and thousands of abstracts, it offers a superior combination of basic science, clinical science, business education and interactive discussions to improve patient care and advance the specialty. For more information about the meeting, visit the ACR Convergence page, or join the conversation on X by following the official hashtag (#ACR26).
About the American College of Rheumatology
Founded in 1934, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is a not-for-profit, professional association committed to advancing the specialty of rheumatology that serves nearly 10,500 physicians, health professionals, researchers and scientists worldwide. In doing so, the ACR offers education, research, advocacy and practice management support to help its members continue their innovative work and provide quality patient care. Rheumatology professionals are experts in the diagnosis, management and treatment of more than 100 different types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases.
About the Association of Rheumatology Professionals
The Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) is a division of the American College of Rheumatology built by rheumatology professionals, for rheumatology professionals. Our goal is to empower rheumatology professionals by providing education, advocacy, and practice management tools. For more information, visit rheumatology.org/about.
About the Rheumatology Research Foundation
The Rheumatology Research Foundation is one of the largest private funding sources of rheumatology research and training programs in the U.S. Established in 1985, the Foundation is focused on advancing patient care and accelerating discoveries in rheumatic diseases. More information about the Foundation can be found at rheumresearch.org.