First-Year Fellows
Michelle Butts, M.D.
I chose a BCM/TCH fellowship because: As a Baylor resident, I knew that staying at TCH would allow me to learn from a large and diverse patient population and see a wide range of diseases. I also wanted to continue to work with the amazing attendings and fellows in Rheum who are all great teachers and mentors.
Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, Ill.
Residency: ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Academic Interests: health disparities research and advocacy in rheumatology
Favorite Houston spot or thing to do: I love to try new restaurants and check out live music and theater!
Hometown: Northbrook, Ill.
Maria Clara Correa, M.D.
Why I chose the BCM/TCH Fellowship: I chose BCM/TCH because of the incredible variety and complexity of patients—you really get to see everything in rheumatology here. I was lucky to do an away rotation during residency, and that experience made me fall in love with the program even more. The faculty were so welcoming, and the learning environment felt like the perfect fit for me.
Medical School: Universidad CES
Residency: Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital/Corewell Health
Academic Interests: Vasculitis and lupus
Favorite thing about Houston: I’ve come to enjoy running at Memorial Park, and I love the city’s incredible food scene—there’s something for every craving. Houston’s large airport and easy flight access are also a huge plus for travel.
Hometown: MedellÃn, Colombia
Joshua L Marrs, M.D.
I chose a BCM/TCH fellowship because: I get to learn from an amazing, diverse, and complex patient population as well as receive mentorship from faculty who specialize in a variety of niches within pediatric rheumatology.
Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Residency: USC/Los Angeles General Medical Center Pediatrics
Academic Interests: Right now, I'm interested in pretty much everything related to rheumatology. But I have a particular interest in MedEd and social determinants of health.
Favorite Houston spot or thing to do: I love food and have been deprived of good BBQ for the past 4 years, so I'd have to say all the amazing BBQ restaurants.
Hometown: Norman, Ok.
Second-Year Fellows
Dawn Gist, M.D.
I chose a BCM/TCH fellowship because: the people in the department made me feel like I was at home. I also knew I would see an interesting variety of cases and receive unparalleled training to best prepare me to be the most competent pediatric rheumatologist I can be.
Medical School: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas
Residency: ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Academic Interests: clinical research in lupus and juvenile dermatomyositis, as well as public health in rheumatology.
Favorite Houston spot or thing to do: take my dog, June, and my 1-year-old son on walks in Buffalo Bayou and Memorial Park, or sit on a patio somewhere to watch a sports game with my husband.
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Sarah Molina, M.D.
I chose a BCM/TCH fellowship because: of the diverse clinical exposure, patient volume, and strong mentorship opportunities from amazing faculty members!
Medical School: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas
Residency: ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Academic Interests: Med Ed and JIA, but I love everything Rheumatology!
Favorite Houston spot or thing to do: Try new restaurants and coffee shops - top favorites right now are Traveler’s Table, Oporto, Pavon Coffee Den and Un Caffe!
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Meredith Rae, M.D.
I chose a BCM/TCH fellowship because: as a resident, I witnessed the wide spectrum of rheumatologic diseases managed here and wanted to continue my training at a place that would provide the clinical experience necessary to prepare me well. I truly enjoy learning from attendings who are passionate about rheumatology, bring a diverse range of experiences, and foster a collaborative and supportive learning environment.
Medical School: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Residency: ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Academic Interests: Right now I am interested in everything and am working on narrowing it down! I really enjoyed recently working on a study about cardiac imaging in patients with Lupus and Scleroderma spectrum disorders.
Favorite Houston spot or thing to do: Walking my Bernedoodle puppy in Memorial Park, finding the best spot for queso.
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Third-Year Fellows
Rasha Elrefai, M.D.
Medical School: Cairo University Faculty of Medicine
Residency: University of Oklahoma, School of Community Medicine
Juan Carlos Torres, M.D.
I chose a BCM/TCH fellowship because: it’s strong reputation in pediatric rheumatology, the diverse and complex patient population, and the opportunity to train with leading experts in the field.
Medical School: University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
Residency: University of Puerto Rico Pediatric Residency Program
Academic Interests: I am interested in Juvenile Dermatomyositis
Favorite Houston spot or thing to do: Moving to Houston from an Island, I really enjoy walking around Bayou Park and going to "Common Bond" for its pastries.
Hometown: Caguas, Puerto Rico
Fellow Publications
- Bautista-Castillo, A., Chun, A., Vogel, T.P., Kakadiaris, I., AI-MET: A Deep Learning-based Clinical Decision Support System for Distinguishing Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children from Endemic Typhus. Comput Biol Med. 2025 Apr; 188:109815. Doi: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2025.109815. Epub 2025 Feb 22.
- Beil E, DeGuzman M, Ramirez A, et al. The Impact of Social Inequities on Presentation of Juvenile-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus at a Large Tertiary Center. J Clin Rheumatol. 2025 Mar 19. Doi: 10.1097/RHU.0000000000002228.
- Chun A, Bautista-Castillo A, Osuna I, Nasto K, Munoz FM, Schutze GE, Devaraj S, Muscal E, de Guzman MM, Sexson Tejtel K, Vogel TP, Kakadiaris IA. Distinguishing Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children From Typhus Using Artificial Intelligence: MIS-C Versus Endemic Typhus (AI-MET). J Infect Dis. 2025 Apr 15;231(4):931-939. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf004. PMID: 39761811; PMCID: PMC11998560.
- Guhan M, Pina Y, Lambert E, et al. Autoimmune etiologies in pediatric recurrent parotitis: A retrospective analysis of patients referred to rheumatology. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2025 Jan:188:112192. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2024.112192
- Altaffer AL, Burrage LC, Kamdar A, et al. The Matter at Hand: A Case of Difficult-to-Treat Arthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2025 Mar;77(3):291-296. doi: 10.1002/acr.25488.
- Nguyen J, DeGuzman M, Muscal E, et al. Case 3: Fatigue, Ankle Pain, and a Murmur in a 6-year-old Girl. Pediatr Rev. 2025 Jan 1;46(1):31-36. doi: 10.1542/pir.2023-006111.
- Nguyen J, Kim CF, Ramirez AA, Vogel TP. Failure to Close: An Unexpected Surgical Complication Reveals OTULIN Haploinsufficiency. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2025 Mar;7(3):e11800. doi: 10.1002/acr2.11800. PMID: 40084498; PMCID: PMC11907234.
- Orozco J, Nguyen J, Yasrebi SM, Blalock M, Grisales SL, Jensen CL, DeGuzman MM. Severe gastrointestinal manifestations in childhood-onset lupus: A single-center cohort and review of the literature. Lupus. 2025 Jun;34(7):721-741. doi: 10.1177/09612033251345020. Epub 2025 May 21. PMID: 40398633; PMCID: PMC12123055.
- Barbadora J, Chun A, Yarimi J, et al. A 6-year-old girl with fever, weakness, and ataxia. Pediatrics. 2024 Mar 1;153(3):e2023064171. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-064171.
- Branton S, Stubbs LA, Havrilla H, Torok K. National Registry for Childhood Onset Scleroderma I: Insights from the first 341 juvenile localized scleroderma patients. J Scleroderma Relat Disord. 2024 Sep 23:23971983241272460. doi: 10.1177/23971983241272460
- Chan S, Chun A, Nguyen L, et al. Associations between epilepsy, respiratory impairment, and minor ECG abnormalities in children. Seizure. 2024 Nov:122:39-44. Doi 10.1016/j.seizure.2024.09.011. Epub 2024 Sep 20.
- Stubbs LA, Ogunbona O, Beil E, et al. Juvenile eosinophilic fasciitis: a single center case series. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2024 Feb 24;22(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s12969-024-00960-w.
- Lapite A, Sanchez LM, Altaffer AL, Rae M, et al. Concomitant sickle cell disease and systemic lupus erythematosus: A single-center case series. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2024 Oct;71(10):e31194. doi: 10.1002/pbc.31194.
- Altaffer, A.L., Weiss, P. Clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of celiac-associated arthritis: a retrospective cohort study. Pediatr Rheumatol 21, 43 (2023).
- Janysek D, Joginpalli S, Thanawala M, et al. 13-year-old female with new onset multifocal pulmonary ground-glass opacities. Pediatrics. 2023 Nov 1: 152(5):e2023061486.doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-061486.
- Stubbs LA, Ferry AM, Guffey D, et al. Barriers to care in juvenile localized and systemic scleroderma: an exploratory survey study of caregivers' perspectives. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2023;21(1):39
- Patel P, de Guzman M, Hicks MJ, Maliakkal JG, Rheault MN, Selewski DT, et al. Utility of the 2018 revised ISN/RPS thresholds for glomerular crescents in childhood-onset lupus nephritis: a Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium study. Pediatr Nephrol. 2022 Mar 28. Online ahead of print.
- Stubbs LA, Saliba CK, Schallert EK, John SD, Khatua S, Valencia Deray KG, et al. A Lucky Break: A Case of a 3-Month-Old Female With a Pathologic Fracture. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2022 Jan;61(1):76-80. Epub 2021 Nov 26.
- Stubbs LA, Szafron V, Forbes LR, Musick MA, Gillispie AE, Sauer HE, Smith VR, Fasipe TA, Munoz FM, Tejtel KS, Silva-Carmona M, Vogel TP, Muscal E. Severe Pediatric COVID-19 Pneumonia Treated With Adjuvant Anakinra. Hosp Pediatr. 2022 Mar 3. Epub ahead of print.
- Wisniewski M, Chun A, Volpi S, et al. Outcomes After SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Among Children With a History of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(3):e224750.
- Weisnicht AM, Byrne R, Henkel EB, Harding SA, Stefan P. Kostelyna SP, Schady D, Lai J, Stubbs LA; Recurrent Rash in an 11-Year-Old Boy With Pericardial and Pleural Effusions. Pediatrics November 2022; 150 (5): e2021055524.
- De La Cruz A, Hargrave A, Magadi S, Courson JA, Landry PT, Zhang W, Lam FW, Bray MA, Smith CW, Burns AR, Rumbaut RE. Platelet and Erythrocyte Extravasation across Inflamed Corneal Venules Depend on CD18, Neutrophils, and Mast Cell Degranulation. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jul 8;22(14):7360.
- Patel PN, Hunt R, Pettigrew ZJ, Shirley JB, Vogel TP, de Guzman MM. Successful treatment of chronic atypical neutrophilic dermatosis with lipodystrophy and elevated temperature (CANDLE) syndrome with tofacitinib. Pediatr Dermatol. 2021 Mar;38(2):528-529. Epub 2021 Jan 29.
- Stubbs LA, Russo SN, Goldberg BR, Kamdar AA. Altered Mental Status, Ataxia, and Ophthalmoplegia in an 8-year-old Girl. Pediatr Rev. 2021 Jan;42(Suppl 1):S78-S81.
- Stubbs LA, Price M, Noland D, Fuchs J, Filkins L, McElvania E, Luu HS, Sebert M, Waters A, Hsiang MS. Transfusion-Transmitted Malaria: Two Pediatric Cases From the United States and Their Relevance in an Increasingly Globalized World. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2021 Sep 24:piab083. Epub ahead of print.
- Bray MA, Sartain SE, Gollamudi J, Rumbaut RE. Microvascular thrombosis: experimental and clinical implications. Transl Res. 2020 Nov;225:105-130. Epub 2020 May 23.
- Courson JA, Hanlon SD, Bray MA, Lam FW, Burns AR, Rumbaut RE. Serial block-face scanning electron microscopy: A provocative technique to define 3-dimensional ultrastructure of microvascular thrombosis. Thromb Res. 2020 Dec;196:519-522. Epub 2020 Oct 12.
- Moran EJ, Lapin WB, Calame D, Bray M, Wright LN, Desai NK, Stein F, Marcus M. Degos disease: A radiological-pathological correlation of the neuroradiological aspects of the disease. Ann Diagn Pathol. 2020 Aug;47:151545. Epub 2020 May 30.
- Rubinstein TB, Ogbu EA, Rodriguez M, Waqar L, Woo JMP, Davis AM, Lapin WB, Ng L, Treemarcki E, von Scheven E, Knight AM; CARRA Mental Health Workgroup. Prioritized Agenda for Mental Health Research in Pediatric Rheumatology from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Mental Health Workgroup. J Rheumatol. 2020 Nov 1;47(11):1687-1695. Epub 2020 Jan 15.
- Singer TG, Bray MA, Chan A, Ikeda S, Walters B, Fuller MY, Falco C. Chronic Ulcers and Malnutrition in an African Patient. Pediatrics. 2020 Nov;146(5):e20201717.
- Nguyen J. TM59, Case 1. Thieves Market Case Presenter. ACR Convergence, Nov 2024.
- Nguyen J, Guffey D, Ramirez A, Lai J, Vogel T, Sexson Tejtel S, Yildirim-Toruner C, De Guzman M. Description of Patients with Kawasaki Disease Shock Syndrome at a Large Tertiary Center [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024; 76 (suppl 9).
- Nguyen J, Guffey D, Ramirez A, Lai J, Vogel T, Sexson Tejtel S, Yildirim-Toruner C, DeGuzman M. Description of Patients with Refractory Kawasaki Disease at a Large Tertiary Center [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024; 76 (suppl 9).
- Rae M, Beil E, Torres J, Fisher K, Muscal E. Acute Transverse Myelitis in Pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024; 76 (suppl 9).
- Torres J. Under Pressure. Thieves Market Poster. ACR Convergence, Nov 2024.
- Altaffer A, Orjuela A, De Guzman M. Clinical Manifestations and Management of Takayasu Arteritis: A Single Center Pediatric Cohort [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 4).
- Altaffer A, Pereira M, De Guzman M, Ramirez A. Presentation, Management, and Outcomes of Systemic JIA-Associated Lung Disease: A Single Center Experience [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 9).
- Beil. Not a Linear Dilemma. Thieves Market poster. ACR Convergence, November 2023.
- Beil E, Muscal E, Guffey D, Deguzman M, Peckham-Gregory E. The Impact of Social Inequities on Presentation of Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (cSLE) at a Large Tertiary Center [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 4).
- Chun A, Nguyen M, De Guzman M, Ramirez A. Safety Outcomes of Combined Biologics Use in Pediatric Rheumatology: A Single Center Experience [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 4).
- Joginpalli S. Skin Deep. Thieves Market oral presentation. ACR Convergence, November 2023.
- Nguyen J. A Bewildering Case of Bone Pain. Thieves Market poster. ACR Convergence, Nov 2023.
- Nguyen J, Gillispie-Taylor M, Muscal E, Deguzman M. Systemic Sclerosis Overlap Syndrome: A Case Series from a Single Large Pediatric Center [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 4).
- Nguyen J, Ramirez A, Pereira M, Muscal E, Silva-Carmona M, De Guzman M. Clinical Characteristics and Longitudinal Outcomes of Patients with Childhood-Onset Systemic Sclerosis at a Tertiary Center [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 9).
- Pina Y, Janysek D, Guffey D, Pereira Palacios M, De Guzman M. Clinical Significance of SSA and SSB Antibodies in Pediatric SLE Patients: A Single Center Cohort [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 4).
- Pina Y, Lambert E, Pereira M, De Guzman M. An Analysis of Recurrent Parotitis Patients Referred to Rheumatology Clinic [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 9).
- Stubbs L, Ferry A, Guffey D, Loccke C, Moriarty Wade E, Pour P, Ardalan K, Chiraseveenuprapund P, Ganske I, Glaser D, Higgins G, Luca N, Moore K, Sivaraman V, Stewart K, Vasquez Canizares N, Hunt R, Maricevich R, Torok K, Li S. Caregivers’ Perspectives on Barriers to Care in Juvenile Localized and Systemic Scleroderma [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 4).
- Stubbs L, Hashemi A, Hunt R, Maricevich R. Craniofacial Localized Scleroderma: A Single Center Retrospective Cohort [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 4).
- Theisen A, Ogbu E, Beil E, Harry O, Appenzeller S, Kammeyer R, Van der Heijen H, Knight A, Craven H, Rodriguez M. Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Children: A Scoping Review [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 9).
- Chun A, Odom J, De Guzman M, Bray M, Larkin K, Blieden L, et al. Farber Disease Revealed after Reevaluation of Refractory Inflammatory Disease. Selected Abstracts from the 13th Annual Meeting of the Clinical Immunology Society: 2022 Annual Meeting: Immune Deficiency and Dysregulation North American Conference. J Clin Immunol. 2022.
- Altaffer A, Weiss P. Celiac-Associated Arthritis: Clinical Features, Treatment, and Outcomes [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2022; 74 (suppl 9).
- Chun A, Vogel T, Ramirez A, De Guzman M, Muscal E, Silva-Carmona M. Idiopathic Pulmonary Capillaritis Within the Spectrum of Pediatric Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2022; 74 (suppl 9).
- Joginpalli S, Orjuela A, De Guzman M, Frierson E. Safety of Plasmapheresis as an Adjuvant Therapy in Severe Pediatric Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody Associated Vasculitis: A Single Center Cohort [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2022; 74 (suppl 9).
- Pereira M, Chun A, Stubbs L, De Guzman M. Eculizumab Is Safe as an Adjunctive Therapy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Severe Refractory Nephritis with or Without Thrombotic Microangiopathy in Children [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2022; 74 (suppl 9).
- Stubbs L, Kirk S, Ditzler D, Rapini R, Awa U, Ramirez A. Early onset chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis and fluctuating neutropenia in a patient with Majeed syndrome. Selected Abstracts from the 13th Annual Meeting of the Clinical Immunology Society: 2022 Annual Meeting: Immune Deficiency and Dysregulation North American Conference. J Clin Immunol. 2022.
- Stubbs L, Ogunbona O, Adesina A, Anvari S, Beil E, Lai J, Ramirez A, Szafron V, Ditzler M, DeGuzman M. Juvenile Eosinophilic Fasciitis: A Single-Center Cohort [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2022; 74 (suppl 9).
- Bray M, Nguyen M. Severe Congenital Neutropenia due to G6PC3 Deficiency with Autoinflammatory Complications. J Clin Immunol. 2021; 41: 80.
- Chun A, Bernini JC, Vogel T, Nicholas S. Hypogammaglobulinemia, Macrocytosis, and Pancytopenia in a Patient with LIG-1 Deficiency. J Clin Immunol. 2021; 41: 183.
- Stubbs LA, Grimes AB, Forbes LR, Vogel TP, Pereira MM. Immune-mediated chronic macrothrombocytopenia, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and dysmorphic features in a patient with Takenouchi-Kosaki Syndrome. J Clin Immunol. 2021; 41:150.
- Awa U, Bray M, De Guzman M. Cyclophosphamide as Rescue Therapy for Kawasaki Disease with Peripheral Vascular Disease: A Single Center Experience [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 4).
- Bray MA, De Guzman M. The Bruise that does Not Disappear. Pediatrics. July 2020, 146 (1 MeetingAbstract) 445-446.
- Bray MA, De La Cruz A, Courson J, Magadi S, Landry PT, Lam FW, Hanlon SD, Smith CW, Burns AR, and Rumbaut RE. (2020), Platelet extravasation across inflamed venules depends on CD18, mast cells and neutrophils. The FASEB Journal. 2020;34: 1-1.
- Bray M, Rammel J, Ramirez A, Sexson K, Lam F, Muscal E, De Guzman M. Kawasaki Disease Shock Syndrome: A Single Center Cohort [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 4).
- Danna B, Maher M, DeGuzman M, Ramirez A, Muscal E, Brown A, Curry M, Pereira M, Nelson M, Patel P, Awa U, Huang L, Sanchez-Fournier B, Rogers J, Coleman A, Dykes A, Gillispie-Taylor M, Vogel T. Use of a Best Practice Alert to Encourage Transition Planning and Readiness [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 10).
- Jiang Y, Yuan B, DeGuzman M, Poli M, Branch J, Ramirez A, Curry M, Pereira M, Brown A, Lapin W, Nicholas S, Forbes L, Rider N, Watkin L, Rammel J, Kamdar A, Mizesko M, Becerra J, Lim E, Muscal E, Reyes A, Coban-Akdemir Z, Lupski J, Chinn I, Vogel T. Exome Sequencing for Early Pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Standard of Care in 2020? [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 4).
- Nelson M, Correa N, Butler A, De Guzman M, Van Horne B, Greeley C. Parental Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Exposure Is Predictive of Active Lupus in Pediatric Patients [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 4).
- Patel P, Orman G, Silva Carmona M, Pereira M, De Guzman M, Guffey D, Wenderfer S, Guillerman R. Chest Computed Tomography Manifestations in Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Single-Center Cohort Study [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 4).
- Pereira M, Gillispie-Taylor M, Patel P, Nelson M, Awa U, Bray M, Brown A, Ramirez A, Nguyen M, Singla S, Vogel T, Muscal E, De Guzman M, Hastings E, Russell A, Lakenmacher K. Impact of a Nutrition-Focused Quality Improvement Intervention on Hospital Readmission Rates in Henoch-Schönlein Purpura with Gastrointestinal Involvement [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 4).
- Stubbs L, Osuna I, Bigley T, Cidon M, Mengwasser K, Helfgott S, DeGuzman M, Silva-Carmona M, Vogel T. Use of Rituximab to Treat COPA Syndrome: A Multi-Institutional Cohort [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 10).