The Rheumatology Group is situated in the Department of Medicine (RMH/WH) at the Royal Melbourne Hospital campus, in Parkville.

Research Interests

• the effect of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and statins on vascular function (arterial stiffness) in rheumatoid arthritis patients;
• predictors and mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis;
• decision support tools for screening and management of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with arthritis;
• the effect of DMARDs and anti-inflammatory medications on mortality following myocardial infarction in rheumatoid patients;
• optimal post-myocardial infarction therapy in rheumatoid patients;
• early inflammatory arthritis; and
• biologic therapies in inflammatory arthritis.

Facilities

We have equipment available for measurement of arterial stiffness along with access to laboratories well equipped to carry out a full range of protein and molecular (DNA/RNA) analysis. The department has close links with the Royal Melbourne Hospital which allows for clinical studies.

There are shared office facilities for all staff and students and a computer lab with a number of networked terminals, scanner and printers. The hospital library has numerous online journals and computer facilities.

All staff have access to the nearby hospital carpark for secure off-street parking. There are banking and coffee shop/kiosk facilities close by on the hospital campus and across the road at the university.

Publications (last 5 years)

1. Van Doornum S, Brand C, King B & Sundararajan V (in press). Case fatality rates following a first acute cardiovascular event are increased in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Arthritis Rheum.
2. Van Doornum S, Jennings G & Wicks I (2006). Reducing the cardiovascular burden in rheumatoid arthritis. Med J Aust. March, 184:287–90.
3. Van Doornum S, McColl G & Wicks IP (2005). TNF antagonists improve disease Activity but not arterial stiffness in RA. Rheumatology (Oxford), Nov;44:1428–32.
4. Van Doornum S, McColl G & Wicks IP (2004). Atorvastatin reduces arterial stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis, 63:1571–5.
5. Van Doornum S, McColl G, Jenkins A, Green DJ & Wicks IP (2003). Screening for atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis: Comparison of two in-vivo tests of vascular function. Arthritis Rheum, 48:72–80.
6. Van Doornum S, McColl G & Wicks IP (2002). Accelerated atherosclerosis: an extra-articular feature of rheumatoid arthritis? Arthritis Rheum, 46:862–73.
7. Van Doornum S, McColl G, Walter M, Jennens I, Bhathal P & Wicks IP (2001). Prolonged prodrome, systemic vasculitis and deafness in Cogan's syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis, 60:69–71.
8. Van Doornum S, Barraclough D, McColl G & Wicks IP (2000). SAPHO: Rare, or just not recognized? Semin Arthritis Rheum, 30:70–7.
9. Van Doornum S & Ryan PFJ (2000). Clinical manifestations of gout and their management. Med J Aust, 172:493–7.