Rayford June

Dr. Rayford June is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, specializing in Rheumatology at the College of Medicine. His research focuses on autoimmune diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA), with expertise in T-cell biology, including Th17 and regulatory T-cell differentiation, and cytokine signaling pathways such as IL-6 and TNFα.

• Key Research Areas: Autoimmune Disorders, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Treg/Th17 Dynamics, IL-6 Inhibition, Pharmacologic Arthritis Treatments

His recent work involves analyzing arthritis progression in young patients, exploring vitamin D's therapeutic potential, and comparing treatment efficacy between sJIA and rheumatoid arthritis. He has contributed to 10 peer-reviewed publications since 2012, including studies in Frontiers in Immunology and Cell Death and Disease. Notably, he received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2019.

In clinical research, he utilizes national databases and in vitro/in vivo models to advance understanding of arthritis pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions. His collaborations span interdisciplinary teams focusing on rheumatology, immunology, and pharmacology.