Welcome

to the

Vanderbilt Psoriatic Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis Center

Located at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Psoriatic Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis Center is directed by Dr. Paras Karmacharya.  

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis affecting approximately 25% of patients with psoriasis and approximately half a million Americans. PsA is part of a larger group of disorders called spondyloarthritis affecting approximately 3 million people in the U.S.

Spondyloarthritis also includes ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory bowel disease-associated arthritis, reactive arthritis, and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis.  

Our multidisciplinary team, experienced in the management of psoriatic disease and spondyloarthritis, provides patient-centric care for these complex, multifaceted diseases.

Our Goals

  • Improve clinical outcomes in psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis by developing personalized treatment strategies

  • Understand the factors that lead to the development of psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis enabling early intervention

Our Mission

  • Provide outstanding multidisciplinary care to patients with psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis 

  • Increase awareness of psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis through various educational programs 

  • Advance patient-centered research in psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis 

Research

We are currently studying clinical and genetic factors that lead to the development of psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis, and which combination of these factors are associated with better therapy responses. We are also studying associated chronic diseases, and their association with long-term outcomes in these patients. These studies utilize the electronic health record (EHR) from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Synthetic Derivative (SD), a de-identified electronic clinical data warehouse, which is linked to one of the world’s largest biobanks, BioVU. The SD and BioVU allow the use of novel methods to examine phenotype and genotype associations. 

Vanderbilt is also part of the Psoriatic Arthritis Research Consortium (PARC) and NEtwork for Research and Development in Spondyloarthritis (NERDS), which include psoriatic arthritis and SpA-dedicated clinics at different institutions in the U.S. aimed at improving patient-centered care and advancing personalized medicine in psoriatic arthritis.

Together, these studies pave way for novel clinical trial designs, support a more personalized approach to the management, and inform therapeutic strategy trials in psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis.

Patient Care

The providers work extensively with Vanderbilt dermatologists who focus on the care of patients with psoriasis, as well as other specialty clinics such as inflammatory bowel disease and uveitis clinics, to provide the best care for our patients with psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis from a multidisciplinary perspective. 

Patient Resources

Find out more about psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis at:

Location

Vanderbilt Psoriatic Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis Center

2501 The Vanderbilt Clinic (TVC)
1301 Medical Center Drive
Nashville, TN 37232 

Email: inflammatoryarthritis@vumc.org 


For Patient Appointments

Phone: 615-322-1900
Fax: 615-343-3813

vanderbilthealth.com/rheumatology