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About Gary S. Firestein, MD

Gary Firestein, MD, is a board-certified rheumatologist who diagnoses and treats patients with autoimmune conditions as well as diseases of the joints, muscles and bones. These conditions may include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, chronic back pain, tendinitis, and lupus.

A professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Firestein is distinguished for his research and serves as director of the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute and the senior associate vice chancellor for health sciences.

Dr. Firestein's research interest focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. He was among the first to map the cytokine profile of RA and demonstrate the dominance of macrophage and fibroblast products.

These studies played a pivotal role in the development of highly effective anti-TNF and other anti-cytokine therapies for RA. More recently his research group has defined a novel epigenetic signature in rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Firestein completed his fellowship in rheumatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. He did his residency training in internal medicine at UCLA School of Medicine and earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology.

Dr. Firestein is the recipient of many awards and honors, including the Arthritis Foundation's Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award in 2010 for his contributions to rheumatology; the Arthritis Foundation Lee C. Howley Sr. Prize for Arthritis Research; and the American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Investigator Award. He has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians.

UC San Diego Health Links
For more information, see Rheumatology.

Insurance Information
UC San Diego Health accepts most major health insurance plans, but you should verify that your plan covers this provider and all services and locations. The information in the link below does not apply to affiliate providers, who are not employed by UC San Diego Health.
Health Insurance Plans Accepted
Open Payments Program Notification
For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.
View Open Payments data for Dr. Firestein

Medical Degree

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

Fellowship

  • UC San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CA

Residency

  • UC Los Angeles, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

Gender

  • Male

Date Joined Staff

  • 1983-07-01

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Internal Medicine
  • Rheumatology

Conditions and Treatments

  • Rheumatic Diseases
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Arthritis
  • Osteoarthritis
Insurance Information
UC San Diego Health accepts most major health insurance plans, but you should verify that your plan covers this provider and all services and locations. The information in the link below does not apply to affiliate providers, who are not employed by UC San Diego Health.
Health Insurance Plans Accepted
Open Payments Program Notification
For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.
View Open Payments data for Dr. Firestein