Wendy De La Pena

Wendy De La Pena, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Pediatric Rheumatology Division of Loma Linda University School of Medicine, specializing in complex pediatric rheumatic diseases including juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and juvenile myositis. Her clinical expertise bridges rheumatology and immunology with a focus on therapeutic innovation and disease mechanism research.

Education:

• MD (2000)

Dr. De La Pena's research program centers on autoantibody-driven pathogenesis in juvenile myositis and targeted biologic therapies for JIA. She investigates how specific autoantibody profiles correlate with clinical phenotypes and immunogenetic markers, while leading clinical trials evaluating JAK inhibitors like tofacitinib. Her work reveals critical insights into treatment durability, safety profiles, and risk stratification for severe disease manifestations.

Analysis of her 11 publications (2012-2024) shows evolving emphasis from infectious complications in immunocompromised children toward sophisticated autoantibody research and high-impact clinical trials. Recent work through PRINTO/PRCSG demonstrates leadership in multi-center collaborative science, with 2024 studies establishing tofacitinib's long-term safety and identifying novel autoantibody-disease associations.

She actively participates in major research networks including the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO), Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group (PRCSG), and Childhood Myositis Heterogeneity Study Group. These collaborations enable large-scale investigations into rare pediatric rheumatic conditions through standardized protocols and shared biorepositories.