معرفی
Dr. Leena Sharma is a Professor in the Department of Medicine (Rheumatology) and Preventive Medicine (Epidemiology) at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, holding the Chang-Lee Professorship of Preventive Rheumatology. She serves as Director of the Program in Preventive Rheumatology and Principal Investigator of the NIAMS-funded Core Center for Clinical Research, FIRST-DailyLife, while directing the Multidisciplinary Career Development Program (KL2) at the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.
Educational background:
- MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin (1984)
- Residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch Hospital (1987)
- Fellowship in Rheumatology at Northwestern University's McGaw Medical Center (1989)
Board certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Dr. Sharma's research pioneers preventive approaches to knee osteoarthritis through large-scale longitudinal studies of high-risk populations. Her work investigates biomechanical factors (varus-valgus alignment, joint instability), MRI tissue characteristics, muscle strength, and psychosocial elements like pain catastrophizing to prevent disability before osteoarthritis's irreversible downward spiral. She champions shifting intervention to pre-radiographic stages where patients remain functional enough for effective prevention.
Analysis of her 2024-2025 publications reveals consistent focus on MRI-defined osteoarthritis progression, cartilage loss prediction, joint replacement outcomes, and pain assessment methodologies. These studies emphasize early biomarker identification for clinically significant disease and validate tools for predicting disability risk in pre-osteoarthritis, demonstrating how mechanical and psychosocial factors interact in disease trajectories.
Scientific awards:
- Teaching Pin, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Office of Medical Education (2024)
- Highly Commended in Primary Health Care for Fast Facts: Osteoarthritis, British Medical Association Medical Book Awards (2010)
- OARSI Clinical Research Award (2009)
- Top 10 Arthritis Research Advances, Arthritis Foundation (2003)
Dr. Sharma leads the NIAMS-funded FIRST-DailyLife Core Center and NIH/NCATS-supported KL2 program, securing Northwestern's fourth continuous NIH grant for osteoarthritis research with expanded focus on underserved minorities' healthcare utilization. Her NIH R01-AR-52918 grant underpins foundational work using Osteoarthritis Initiative data to detect early MRI lesions predicting symptomatic disease.
As Director of the Program in Preventive Rheumatology, she cultivates interdisciplinary teams integrating rheumatology, epidemiology, biomechanics, and patient-centered outcomes. Her leadership established Northwestern's Preventive Rheumatology Symposium and the Chang-Lee Professorship, accelerating translation of discoveries like wearable sensor applications for obesity-related osteoarthritis into clinical practice.
