Education
- Fellowship Program
- Rheumatic Diseases Research Investigator Program
- Conferences
- Nathan J. Lectureship
Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lectureship
About the Lectureship
Dr. Nathan Zvaifler was a brilliant physician, researcher, teacher, mentor and beloved colleague who spent his 40-year career here in the division. Although he retired formally in 2008, he continued to shape our students and trainees via his teaching at our weekly Rheumatology Grand Rounds and other instructional venues.
Upon Dr. Zvaifler’s formal retirement, we established the annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lectureship at UC San Diego. Its purpose is to bring internationally recognized investigators to UC San Diego for seminars and teaching activities.
Now in its twelfth year, this program enhances training for our fellows, serves as a new educational venue that brings top scientists to San Diego and continues the tradition of excellence that exemplified Dr. Zvaifler’s career.
We launched the program in 2008 with seed money from the division, the Department of Medicine, the School of Medicine, and Drs. Gary Firestein and Harry Bluestein. The ongoing program is made possible by contributions from individuals.
Nathan Zvaifler Lectureship Fund
A gift of any amount celebrates Dr. Zvaifler’s work by investing in the careers of our current and future trainees.
Upcoming Lecture
Fourteenth Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2025
David Karp, MD., PhD.
Chief, Division of Rheumatic Diseases
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Medicine Grand Rounds (in peron/virtually)
Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Time: 12:00 - 12:55 pm
Location: ACTRI Auditorium (1W-210, first floor)
Zoom Webinar ID: 836 5576 2804
Topic:TBA
Past Lectures
Thirteenth Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2023
Christopher Buckley, MBBS
Kennedy Professor of Translational Rheumatology
Director of Clinical Research
Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology
University of Oxford
Medicine Grand Rounds (Virtually)
Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2023
12:00-1:00pm
Topic: "Is precision pathology more important than precision medicine?"
Twelfth Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2022
Daniel L. Kastner, MD., PhD.
NIH Distinguished Investigator
Medicine Grand Rounds (Virtually)
Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Topic: "The Systemic Autoinflammatory Diseases:Coming of Age with the Human Genome"
Eleventh Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2020
Ellen M. Gravallese M.D.
Chief, Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and
Harvard Medical School
Medicine Grand Rounds (Virtually)
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2020
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Topic: "Impact of Inflammation on Bone in Rheumatic Disease"
Tenth Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2019
John J. O'Shea, MD.
Chief, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch
NIAMS Scientific Directo
Medicine Grand Rounds
Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2019
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Topic: "From JAKs to Jakinibs and Beyond"
Ninth Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2018
Joan M. Bathon, MD
Director of the Division of Rheumatology
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Professor of Medicine
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Medicine Grand Rounds
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
UCSD La Jolla Campus Liebow Auditorium
Topic: Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Model of the Link Between Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease
Eighth Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2018
Mariana J. Kaplan, MD
Chief of the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch
NIH/NIAMS
Medicine Grand Rounds
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
UCSD La Jolla Campus Liebow Auditorium
Topic: “The heart of the matter in systemic autoimmunity”
Seventh Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2017
Mary K. Crow, MD
Chief, Division of Rheumatology
Joseph P. Routh Professor of Rheumatic Diseases in Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
Medicine Grand Rounds
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
UCSD La Jolla Campus Liebow Auditorium
Topic: "Type I Interferon in SLE: Pathogenic Mediator and Therapeutic Target".
Sixth Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2015
Lindsey A. Criswell, MD, MPH
Chief, Division of Rheumatology
UC San Francisco
Medicine Grand Rounds
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
UCSD La Jolla Campus Liebow Auditorium
Topic: "Refining genotype-phenotype associations in systemic lupus erythematosus".
Fifth Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2014
Arthur Weiss, MD, PhD
Ephraim P. Engleman Distinguished Professor
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UC San Francisco
Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology Seminar Series Lecture
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
UCSD Leichtag Building room 107
Topic: “Normal and pathologic T cell antigen receptor signaling in humans and mice”.
Fourth Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecturer - 2013
Betty Diamond, MD
Past President, American Association of Immunology and Member, Institute of Medicine
Head, Center for Autoimmune and Musculoskeletal Disorders
The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
North Shore – Long Island Jewish Health System
Manhasset, N
Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology Seminar Series Lecture
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
12 - 1 p.m.
Topic:“Understanding the contribution of susceptibility alleles to SLE pathogenesis”.
Medicine Grand Rounds
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Topic:“Antibodies and the brain: lessons from lupus”.
Third Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2012
V. Michael Holers, MD
Recipient of the American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Basic Investigator Award, 2008
Professor of Medicine
Head, Division of Rheumatology
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora
Topic: "Complement Therapeutics Come of Age in Hemolytic, Thrombotic Microangiopathic, and Potentially Ophthalmologic and Autoimmune Diseases".
Second Annual Nathan J. Zvaifler Rheumatology Lecture - 2011
Michael B. Brenner, MD
Elected to National Academy of Sciences, 2007
Theodore Bevier Bayles Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Chief, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy
Director, Lymphocyte Biology Section
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston MA
Topic: "Immunopathology of Rheumatoid Arthritis".
Ralph Steinman, MD (1943-2011)
Henry G. Kunkel Professor and Senior Physician
Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology
Director, Christopher H. Browne Center for Immunology and Immune Diseases
The Rockefeller University
New York, NY
Topic: "Controlling Your Dendritic Cells: A New Approach to Vaccine Science".