Kaleb Michaud, PhD, honored by ACR

Kaleb Michaud, PhD, professor in the UNMC Division of Rheumatology, was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 3.

He has never let the diagnosis define him. But during one health setback, when he stepped away from his PhD program in physics, he discovered rheumatology was his calling.

“In graduate school, my health declined, and I went through a lot,” he said. “I decided to take a break — and my break was to help my rheumatologist with his research project.”

He enjoyed it so much that he changed fields.

“That was my ‘a ha!’ moment, that this was what I was going to spend my life doing,” he said. “So many people helped me out when I was a kid – and to this day still do. I decided I would like to contribute to other patients, and to the people who actually help those patients improve outcomes, improve their quality of life and who really make a difference in preventing and stopping these diseases.”

This month, Dr. Michaud – whose PhD is in, yes, physics – was awarded the American College of Rheumatology’s Association of Rheumatology Professionals’ President’s Award during ACR’s annual meeting, known as the ACR Convergence.

The ARP recognizes leading researchers, clinicians, mentors and other professionals exhibiting superior commitment to the advancement of the field of rheumatology. The ARP President’s Award is given to the ACR/ARP member or team performing outstanding service within the present year in advancing the goals, ideals and standards of ARP.

Dr. Michaud called the ARP an organization for everybody in rheumatology who is not rheumatologists – such as researchers, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, coordinators and pharmacists.

“Basically, anybody that might touch a patient’s life,” he said.

Dr. Michaud certainly has done that. He serves as director of Forward, The National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases, a long-term open-cohort observational study with more than 50,000 enrolled participants. He leads the UNMC Rheumatoid Arthritis Investigational Network clinical database and collaborates with VA Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry, the ACR’s RISE registry and other registries. He is a scholar in pharmacoepidemiology, health informatics and cost-effectiveness who said he prioritizes mentoring and volunteering as a way to grow the next generation of healers, scientists and difference-makers.

Dr. Michaud received the award at the ACR’s event in November.

“I am truly honored to receive this award,” he said. “My volunteer journey in the ARP has been to ultimately make our rheum patient’s lives better through research, mentoring and having an organization responsive and responsible for our professionals’ needs. Being recognized like this along the way comes as a wonderful surprise.”

Dr. Michaud’s volunteering with the ACR began in 2004 and includes work on two dozen committees and work groups. At UNMC, he is a faculty member and director of the Rheumatology Research Fellowship Program, as well as a 2017 UNMC Distinguished Scientist.

“With Kaleb’s Midwest ties, we were lucky to win the international battle to recruit him to UNMC in 2007,” said James O’Dell, MD, chief of the UNMC Division of Rheumatology. “He has played and continues to play a huge role in elevating the research efforts of our students, residents, fellows and faculty. This award recognizes the ongoing national and international impact of his work.”