Dr. Shelef is a faculty member in the Division of Rheumatology within the Department of Medicine. Most of her professional activities are centered on leading her research team in the study of the pathophysiology of autoimmunity. Towards this goal and to support the broader community, she has also established biorepositories that include data and biological samples from individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, COVID-19, and related conditions. Dr. Shelef cares for rheumatology patients and is a recipient of the UW Health Patient and Family Experience Provider Champion Award in recognition of her outstanding clinical care. Finally, she is actively involved in education, mentoring graduate students and undergraduates as well as training physicians at multiple career stages.
Dr. Shelef’s clinical interests include rheumatoid arthritis and systemic autoimmune disorders, and she cares for patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Because of her comprehensive and scientific approach, Dr. Shelef is often specifically requested by UW colleagues as well as non-UW providers throughout Wisconsin and Illinois who are referring their patients for rheumatology care.
View Dr. Miriam Shelef’s publications on NCBI My Bibliography
Dr. Shelef leads a basic translational research program focused on solving the mysteries of how and why systemic autoimmunity develops and persists in order to guide the discovery of better clinical tests and improved treatments. To this end, there are currently two major research directions in her lab. First, her research group aims to define the role of citrullination and the citrullinating peptidylarginine deiminase enzymes in immunity, inflammation, and arthritis. Second, her research team is discovering new autoantibody targets as well as novel features of antibody and autoantibody reactivity in rheumatoid arthritis, COVID-19, systemic lupus erythematosus, and other diseases. Her research is and has been supported by the Rheumatology Research Foundation, the NIH NIAMS, the Wisconsin Partnership Program, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, and the University of Wisconsin.