Dear Colleagues,

In our first newsletter of 2026, I have the privilege of sharing a few updates from across our section.

First, I am delighted to welcome three new faculty members who have recently joined the Section of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology. Shivani Garg, MD, PhD, is our new director of Lupus Clinical Research and will serve as the co-director of the Yale Lupus Program. Dr. Garg comes to us from the University of Wisconsin, where she directed their lupus clinical program. Dr. Garg will lead our clinical research toward more precision, or individualized, approaches to managing this chronic disease. Puja Mehta, MBBS, PhD, is a new assistant professor of medicine in rheumatology who we recruited from University College in London. She has pioneered efforts in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of autoimmune lung disease, which has become a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in our patients. She will focus her research on autoimmunity and inflammatory lung injury. Ami Belmont, MD, was promoted to assistant professor of medicine in allergy and immunology and will continue her work as the clinical director for the penicillin allergy in pregnancy program, among other initiatives. Her recent paper on antibiotic allergy labels is one of several research advances highlighted below. Each of these faculty members brings unique strengths that will enhance our clinical, research, and educational missions, and we are grateful to have them on our team. Please join me in welcoming them!

In addition, I am pleased to share that we have selected five new fellows who will be joining our fellowship programs this fall. Thank you to everyone who reviewed applications, interviewed candidates, and provided valuable feedback and insights during the process.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate Deborah Desir, MD, who was recognized by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) as an ACR Master for her outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology and for her service to her patients, students, and profession. Congratulations, Dr. Desir, on this well-deserved recognition.

I hope you enjoy reading about some of the other news and initiatives happening across the section. If you have other news to share about your work, please reach out to us.

Thank you for all of your dedication and support!

Rick Bucala, MD, PhD
Chief, Section of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology
Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) and professor of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, and of Epidemiology (microbial diseases), Yale School of Public Health