A Message from the Chief The practice of Rheumatology has increased significantly in recent years with the gradual aging of the population and the heightened awareness of rheumatic disease due to improvements in case definition and diagnosis. The Division of Rheumatology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine has a long and distinguished history of providing the highest level of professional care to our patients in a climate of shared decision making, collaborative partnership and personalized care. The Division has practice sites that extend throughout the Bronx and the lower Hudson Valley providing patient-centered rheumatic care for a wide variety of rheumatic diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, myositis, vasculitis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and gout among others. With our rich history of cutting-edge research particularly in the field of systemic lupus erythematosus and the autoimmune diseases, we have established a research infrastructure that spans from the bench to the bedside and continues to advance our understanding of rheumatic diseases, bringing closer the promise of new and revolutionary treatments. Our lupus biorepository provides a powerful resource for groundbreaking biomarker research, cellular transcriptomics and the foundations for multi-institutional collaborative translational research. Given our well-earned reputation as a leading center for patient care and research, we have cultivated over the years, excellent education programs throughout the medical school, residency program and fellowship which serve as national models in attracting trainees to the field of rheumatology. We pride ourselves in training physicians in one of the most diverse regions of the nation. Our goals of instruction naturally aim to increase our trainee’s connection with their communities and environments, their intellectual curiosity, caring and humanism to meet the challenges of 21st -century rheumatology and medical practice. Our vision is to provide comprehensive patient care with our care-centers of excellence approach, strengthen our research base and prepare the next generation of rheumatologists in an environment of inquiry and diversity, that focuses on cultivating professionalism and humanism. Clement Tagoe, PhD, MBBCh Professor and Division Chief Division of Rheumatology