John Varga, MD, FACP, MACR
Frederick G L Huetwell Research Professor of Rheumatology
Professor of Internal Medicine
Professor of Dermatology and Section Head
Division of Rheumatology

Available to mentor

John Varga, MD, FACP, MACR
Professor
  • About
  • Links
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications
  • About

    John Varga MD attended Columbia University in New York, and obtained his medical degree from New York University. He completed Internal Medicine Residency at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence and Rheumatology Fellowship at Boston University. Following post-doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania, he was on the faculty of the University of Illinois and Northwestern University in Chicago, and recently was recruited to Chief of Rheumatology at the University of Michigan. For the past three decades, Varga’s research has focused on fibrosis and the application of precision medicine approaches to improve patient outcomes. His lab, continuously funded by the NIH, investigates immunological and cellular mechanisms of fibrosis. He has served as a charter member of the NIH ACTS Study section and Co-Editor of Arthritis and Rheumatology, and is a member of the ACR Board of Directors. He is the author of more than 380 journal articles and book chapters and three textbooks. He has mentored over 20 post-doctoral MD and PhD trainees, many of whom have gone on to develop successful academic or industry careers.

    Links
    • John Varga Sclerolab
    Qualifications
    • Post-doctoral Research Fellow, T32
      University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1987
    • Rheumatology Fellow
      Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, 1985
    • Intern and Resident in Medicine
      Rhode Island Hospital/Brown, United States, 1983
    • MD
      New York University School of Medicine, New York, 1980
    • BA
      Columbia University, New York, 1975
    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics
    Research Overview

    My lab studies inflammation and metabolism in the context of chronic autoimmune and fibrotic diseases. We use mouse models, patient samples, genetics and genomics to identify mechanisms of disease and novel targets for therapy. Our research is patient-oriented and we embrace of a tight "bench-to-bedside-to bench" approach. Our Michigan Scleroderma Program afford unique access to patients including genetics and biological specimen, for our research, including early-stage clinical trials.

    Visit the John Varga Sclerolab website: https://medresearch.umich.edu/labs-departments/labs/sclerolab

    Recent Publications See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Elevated neutrophil extracellular traps in systemic sclerosis-associated vasculopathy and suppression by a synthetic prostacyclin analog.
      Kortam N, Liang W, Shiple C, Huang S, Gedert R, Clair JS, Sarosh C, Foster C, Tsou P-S, Varga J, Knight JS, Khanna D, Ali RA. Arthritis Res Ther, 2024 Jul 25; 26 (1): 139 DOI:10.1186/s13075-024-03379-6
      PMID: 39054558
    • Journal Article
      Protocol for the development of a tool to map systemic sclerosis pain sources, patterns, and management experiences: a Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network patient-researcher partnership.
      Dal Santo T, Golberg M, Nassar E-L, Carrier M-E, Hu S, Kwakkenbos L, Bartlett SJ, Fox RS, Lee YC, Varga J, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network Pain Patient Advisory Team . BMC Rheumatol, 2024 Jun 21; 8 (1): 28 DOI:10.1186/s41927-024-00398-3
      PMID: 38907303
    • Journal Article
      Systems-based identification of the Hippo pathway for promoting fibrotic mesenchymal differentiation in systemic sclerosis.
      Ma F, Tsou P-S, Gharaee-Kermani M, Plazyo O, Xing X, Kirma J, Wasikowski R, Hile GA, Harms PW, Jiang Y, Xing E, Nakamura M, Ochocki D, Brodie WD, Pillai S, Maverakis E, Pellegrini M, Modlin RL, Varga J, Tsoi LC, Lafyatis R, Kahlenberg JM, Billi AC, Khanna D, Gudjonsson JE. Nat Commun, 2024 Jan 3; 15 (1): 210 DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-44645-6
      PMID: 38172207
    • Journal Article
      Trimethylamine N-oxide: a meta-organismal axis linking the gut and fibrosis.
      Jang JW, Capaldi E, Smith T, Verma P, Varga J, Ho KJ. Mol Med, 2024 Aug 23; 30 (1): 128 DOI:10.1186/s10020-024-00895-8
      PMID: 39180015
    • Journal Article
      Experiences of telehealth during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and preferences for future care of people with systemic sclerosis: a cross-sectional study.
      Nassar E-L, Virgili-Gervais G, Carrier M-E, Kwakkenbos L, Henry RS, Hu S, Provencher S, Golberg M, Bartlett SJ, Mouthon L, Patten SB, Varga J, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) COVID-19 Patient Advisory Team, on behalf of the SPIN Investigators . Lancet Rheumatol, 2024 Oct; 6 (10): e660 - e663. DOI:10.1016/S2665-9913(24)00166-8
      PMID: 38944052
    • Journal Article
      Association of COVID-19 vaccination and anxiety symptoms: A Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) Cohort longitudinal study.
      Virgili-Gervais G, Henry RS, Kwakkenbos L, Carrier M-E, Patten S, Bartlett SJ, Mouthon L, Varga J, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, SPIN COVID-19 Patient Advisory Team , SPIN Investigators . J Psychosom Res, 2024 Sep; 184: 111852 DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111852
      PMID: 38936011
    • Journal Article
      2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Screening and Monitoring of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.
      Johnson SR, Bernstein EJ, Bolster MB, Chung JH, Danoff SK, George MD, Khanna D, Guyatt G, Mirza RD, Aggarwal R, Allen A, Assassi S, Buckley L, Chami HA, Corwin DS, Dellaripa PF, Domsic RT, Doyle TJ, Falardeau CM, Frech TM, Gibbons FK, Hinchcliff M, Johnson C, Kanne JP, Kim JS, Lim SY, Matson S, McMahan ZH, Merck SJ, Nesbitt K, Scholand MB, Shapiro L, Sharkey CD, Summer R, Varga J, Warrier A, Agarwal SK, Antin-Ozerkis D, Bemiss B, Chowdhary V, Dematte D'Amico JE, Hallowell R, Hinze AM, Injean PA, Jiwrajka N, Joerns EK, Lee JS, Makol A, McDermott GC, Natalini JG, Oldham JM, Saygin D, Lakin KS, Singh N, Solomon JJ, Sparks JA, Turgunbaev M, Vaseer S, Turner A, Uhl S, Ivlev I. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), 2024 Aug; 76 (8): 1070 - 1082. DOI:10.1002/acr.25347
      PMID: 38973729
    • Journal Article
      2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Screening and Monitoring of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.
      Johnson SR, Bernstein EJ, Bolster MB, Chung JH, Danoff SK, George MD, Khanna D, Guyatt G, Mirza RD, Aggarwal R, Allen A, Assassi S, Buckley L, Chami HA, Corwin DS, Dellaripa PF, Domsic RT, Doyle TJ, Falardeau CM, Frech TM, Gibbons FK, Hinchcliff M, Johnson C, Kanne JP, Kim JS, Lim SY, Matson S, McMahan ZH, Merck SJ, Nesbitt K, Scholand MB, Shapiro L, Sharkey CD, Summer R, Varga J, Warrier A, Agarwal SK, Antin-Ozerkis D, Bemiss B, Chowdhary V, Dematte D'Amico JE, Hallowell R, Hinze AM, Injean PA, Jiwrajka N, Joerns EK, Lee JS, Makol A, McDermott GC, Natalini JG, Oldham JM, Saygin D, Lakin KS, Singh N, Solomon JJ, Sparks JA, Turgunbaev M, Vaseer S, Turner A, Uhl S, Ivlev I. Arthritis Rheumatol, 2024 Aug; 76 (8): 1201 - 1213. DOI:10.1002/art.42860
      PMID: 38973714
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