.png "V. Michael Holers, MD photo")
University of Colorado
Denver, CO, United States
Dr. Holers graduated from Purdue University and Washington University School of Medicine. Following an internship and residency at Barnes Hospital, he was a Rheumatology Fellow at the University of Colorado and then a research postdoctoral fellow at Washington University. After time as an Assistant and Associate Professor at Washington University, he was recruited in 1993 to the University of Colorado to be the first Smyth Professor of Rheumatology. In 2000 Dr. Holers became Division Head of Rheumatology, serving through 2021, and is currently Professor of Medicine and Immunology and the Scoville Professor of Rheumatology. The historical focus of the Holers’ Laboratory research efforts has been on the structure-function relationships and biologic roles of the complement system. Using molecular genetic tools developed through these studies, the key in vivo roles of these proteins in the development of murine models of human disease was demonstrated. These studies were recognized by his receiving the singular 2008 American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Basic Investigator Award. More recently the Holers’ Laboratory has moved a major focus of research activities to studying the natural history, preclinical pathogenesis and prevention of human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To accomplish this task, he co-founded SERA (Studies of the Etiology of Rheumatoid Arthritis), which is focused on mechanism-based and epidemiologic assessments of high-risk subject populations.