UAB Arthritis And Musculoskeletal Center Unveils Web Site

The UAB Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Center (AMC) recently launched its new Web site, located at www.uab.edu/arthritis. The streamlined site offers easy navigation of its seven modules: patient care, clinical trials, faculty, research, grants and funding, education and training, and news and outreach.

"The site was designed to serve several audiences including our patients; local, national, and international physicians and scientific colleagues; and trainees," says Jennifer Croker, PhD, AMC program manager/Web site administrator.

The patient care section offers basic information such as clinic locations, descriptions of conditions treated, how to make appointments, support groups, and links to related Web sites.

Education and training encompasses the center's outreach development program, summer science institutes for high school students, undergraduate educational programs, internships, fellowships, and postgraduate training, all designed to prepare students for medical and research careers, as well as continuing medical education. The grants and funding section includes information on AMC grants, collaborative UAB grants, and opportunities to fund research and education.

AMC faculty names and contact information are found in the site's faculty module, while the research area informs users of the center's diverse scientific investigations.

Established in 1977, AMC is one of the first comprehensive arthritis research centers in the nation supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. A university-wide interdisciplinary research center, it serves as a focal point for basic science and clinical research in arthritis, autoimmunity, and musculoskeletal diseases, with an emphasis on generating and applying new knowledge to diagnosis and treatment of patients with rheumatic diseases.

Questions or comments may be addressed to Dr. Croker at 996-4478 or via e-mail at jcroker@uab.edu.