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Office
300 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT 06520Phone+1 203-785-2314Fax+1 203-785-5415
Summary
- Richard Bucala, MD, PhD, is Chief, Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology and the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Endowed Professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Epidemiology & Public Health. He studies the regulation of the immune system with a focus on how protective responses can lead to immunopathology and disease. His laboratory’s main emphasis is MIF-family cytokines, their role in genetic susceptibility to disease, and their therapeutic targeting for different clinical conditions. The Bucala group is credited with the molecular cloning of MIF and discovery of its critical role in regulating glucocorticoid immunosuppression, which opened novel approaches to therapy in autoimmune inflammatory conditions. His lab also identified the MIF receptor and discovered common polymorphisms in the MIF gene, which show global population stratification. Depending on the nature of the immune or invasive provocation, variant MIF alleles protect from disease or contribute to immunopathology in autoimmunity and in different infections and chronic conditions. His laboratory developed biochips for application to genetic epidemiology studies of malaria and tuberculosis in resource-limited settings and his research is leading efforts to develop MIF-based therapies tailored to an individual’s genetic makeup. The laboratory has developed new therapies such as the anti-MIF antibody (Imalumab) and contributed to the FDA-approved anti-MIF receptor antibody (Milatuzumab). Research partnerships in structure-based drug design have led to novel small molecule MIF modulators for use in autoimmune, oncologic, and infectious diseases. The function of the MIF-like genes expressed by the parasites responsible for malaria, leishmaniasis, and helminthic infection also are under investigation. As these proteins were discovered to uniquely suppress immunologic memory, they offer new targets for vaccination against these infections.
Education & Training
- New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus)Fellowship, Rheumatology, 1988 - 1991
- Brigham and Women's HospitalResidency, Internal Medicine, 1986 - 1988
- Weill Cornell MedicineClass of 1986
Certifications & Licensure
- CT State Medical License 2002 - 2025
- NY State Medical License 1988 - 2002
- American Board of Internal Medicine Rheumatology
Awards, Honors, & Recognition
- Elected Member The American Society for Clinical Investigation, 1996
Publications & Presentations
PubMed
- 71 citationsThe Tumor-Like Phenotype of Rheumatoid Synovium: Molecular Profiling and Prospects for Precision Medicine.Sungyong You, Jung Hee Koh, Lin Leng, Wan-Uk Kim, Richard Bucala
Arthritis & Rheumatology. 2018-05-01 - 35 citationsDifferential expression of the small inducible cytokines GRO α and GROβ by synovial fibroblasts in chronic arthritis: Possible role in growth regulationMargaret Hogan, Barbara Sherry, Christopher T. Ritchlin, Myriam Fabre, Robert Winchester
Cytokine. 1994-01-01 - 472 citationsMacrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) sustains macrophage proinflammatory function by inhibiting p53: Regulatory role in the innate immune responseRobert A. Mitchell, Hong Liao, Jason Chesney, Gunter Fingerle-Rowson, John A. Baugh
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2002-01-08
Journal Articles
- Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Mediates Metabolic Dysfunction Induced by Atypical Antipsychotic TherapyJia Li, Lawrence Young, Richard Bucala, The Journal of Clinical Investigation
- Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Regulates U1‐snRNP Immune Complex Mediated Activation of the NLRP3 InflammasomeRossitza Lazova, Richard Bucala, Insoo Kang, Arthritis & Rheumatology
Press Mentions
- An End to Malaria?August 22nd, 2022
- Yale Researchers Pave Way to Target Autoimmune Disease-Associated Gene VariantJuly 9th, 2024
- Yale Team Creates Rheumatology Curriculum in RwandaMay 2nd, 2023
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Grant Support
- Pilot ProjectsNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2011
- Innate And Adaptive Immune Mechanisms In ArthritisNational Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases2009–2011
- Mechanisms Of Rheumatoid Synovial Fibroblast ActivationNational Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases2002–2011
- MIF And The Host Response To InfectionNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2002–2011
- Innate And Adaptive Mechanisms In ArthritisNational Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases2004–2008
- Suppression Of Erythropoiesis In Malaria InfectionNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases2004–2008
- MIF And The Host Response To InfectionNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases1998–2001
- MIF And Parasitic DiseasesNational Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases1994–1997
Professional Memberships
- Clinical Member
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