Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Faculty Profiles
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photo Rohit Aggarwal, MD, MS

Rheumatology

Professor of Medicine

Co-Director, UPMC Myositis Center

Program Director, UPMC Myositis Fellowship Program

Email: aggarwalr@upmc.edu

Phone: 412-383-8123
Contact
Office: Falk Medical Building, Suite 2B
3601 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
 
Phone: 412-383-8123
Fax: 412-383-8864
E-mail: aggarwalr@upmc.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Mackenzie Martin
Address: 200 Lothrop Street – BST S711A
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email: mtm144@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-383-8123
Fax: 412-383-8753
Education and Training
Education
MD, University College of Medical Science, 2003
CRTP (clinical research), University of Pittsburgh, 2007
MS - clinical research, Rush University, 2009
Training
Residency - Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 2007
Fellowship - Rheumatology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 2009
Research Interest
Dr. Aggarwal is a professor of medicine at University of Pittsburgh and medical director of Arthritis and Autoimmunity Center at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is the co-director of UPMC Myositis Center. His research and clinical areas of interest are clinical and translational research in inflammatory muscle diseases (myositis) and associated interstitial lung disease. He is the past-chair of the medical advisory board of The Myositis Association (TMA) as well as past-chair of the scientific committee of IMACS, which are the largest patient and physician groups working in the field of myositis, respectively.

Dr. Aggarwal is an established independent clinical investigator with significant funding from NIH, foundations and industry and currently leading several collaborations internationally with other key leaders in the world. He has maintained an extremely high publication record and received national and international recognition of his work. He continues to be a leader in disease criteria and outcomes measures in myositis as well as in clinical trials of novel therapeutic agents for myositis. He is currently the principal investigator or member of the steering committee for several international phase 2/3 clinical trials in the area of myositis and associated ILD. Dr. Aggarwal is also mentoring future generation of rheumatologist with great success and attracting younger rheumatologist towards myositis research for the advancement of the field. Dr. Aggarwal lectures at various international conferences and promotes patient education through his YouTube channel.
Clinical Interest
Dr. Aggarwal's primary clinical interest includes all forms of myositis such as Polymyositis (PM), Necrotizing myopathy (NM), Dermatomyositis (DM), anti-syntheses syndrome (ASSD), inclusion body myositis (IBM), Overlap Myositis (OM). Dr. Aggarwal specializes in Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) or pulmonary fibrosis associated with various autoimmune diseases or connective tissue disease. Dr. Aggarwal also runs a general rheumatology clinic including patients with
rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjogren syndrome, vasculitis, psoriatic arthritis, sarcoidosis, etc.
Educational Interest
Myopathies including Polymyositis, Dermatomyositis, Inclusion body myositis and overlap syndrome and mixed connective tissue disease. Also autoimmune or connective tissue disease related interstitial lung disease or pulmonary fibrosis.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Kocoloski, A., Aggarwal, R., Lienesch, D. Successful management of secondary cryofibrinogenaemia using bosentan therapy. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018.
Schiffenbauer, A., Faghihi-Kashani, S., O'Hanlon, T. P., Flegel, W. A., Adams, S. D., Targoff, I. N., Oddis, C. V., Ytterberg, S. R., Aggarwal, R., Christopher-Stine, L., Shamim, E. A., Dellaripa, P. F., Danoff, S. K., Mammen, A. L., Miller, F. W. The effect of cigarette smoking on the clinical and serological phenotypes of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018; pii: S0049-0172(17): 30630-30633.
Aggarwal, R., Indiran, V., Maduraimuthu, P. Different etiologies of an unusual disease: Colouterine fistula - Report of two cases. Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2018; 28(1): 37-40.
Rider, L. G., Aggarwal, R., Machado, P. M., Hogrel, J. Y., Reed, A. M., Christopher-Stine, L., Ruperto, N. Update on outcome assessment in myositis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2018; 14(5): 303-318.
Doyle, T. J., Dhillon, N., Madan, R., Cabral, .F, Fletcher, E. A., Koontz, D. C., Aggarwal, R., Osorio, J. C., Rosas, I. O., Oddis, C. V., Dellaripa, P. F. Rituximab in the Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease Associated with Antisynthetase Syndrome: A Multicenter Retrospective Case Review. J Rheumatol. 2018; 45(6): 841-850.
Oddis, C. V., Aggarwal, R. Treatment in myositis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2018; 14(5): 279-289.
Aggarwal R, Marder G, Koontz DC, Nandkumar P, Qi Z, Oddis CV. Efficacy and safety of adrenocorticotropic hormone gel in refractory dermatomyositis and polymyositis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018; 77(5): 720-727.
Tjärnlund, A., Tang, Q., Wick, C., Dastmalchi, M., Mann, H., Tomasová Studýnková, J., Chura, R., Gullick, N. J., Salerno, R., Rönnelid, J., Alexanderson, H., Lindroos, E., Aggarwal, R., Gordon, P., Vencovsky, J., Lundberg, I. E. Abatacept in the treatment of adult dermatomyositis and polymyositis: a randomised, phase IIb treatment delayed-start trial. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018; 77(1): 55-62.
Schneider, F., Yousem, S. A., Oddis, C. V., Aggarwal, R. Pulmonary Pathologic Manifestations of Anti-Alanyl-tRNA Synthetase (Anti-PL-12)-Related Inflammatory Myopathy. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2018; 142(2): 191-197.
Aggarwal, R., Gautam, R., Jhamb, D., Sivasankar, R. Diagnosing thoracic venous aneurysm: A contemporary imaging perspective. Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2017; 27(3): 350-353.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Myositis Patient Centered Tele-Research (My PACER)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Arthristis, Muscoskel, & Skin Disease
Grant Number: R01 AR071659
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2021
Title: Abatacept for the Treatment of Myositis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease (Attack My-ILD)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Bristol Meyers-Squibb
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2020
Notable Achievements
Institute for “Clinical Research Education Distinguished Mentor Award”, 2018
UPMC ACES award for “Commitment and Excellence in Service, 2018
Hind Ratan “Jewel of India” Award. For scientific contribution by person of Indian Origin. Non-Resident Society, in association with Government of India, 2017
The Pacemaker Award as Medical Director for Excellence in Patient Care by Arthritis and Autoimmunity Center, 2013
Best Junior Faculty Investigator Award, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 2012
Top Rheumatologist in Pittsburgh, PA by International Association of Health Care Professionals (IAHCP), 2011
Faculty honor recognition at Annual Honors Convocation by Provost, University of Pittsburgh, 2010
American College of Rheumatology Research Workshop, Top Rank, Scholarship, Chicago, 2008

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

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Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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