Rennie L. Rhee, MD, MSCE
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Director of the Penn Giant Cell Arteritis Fast-Track Program, University of Pennsylvania, Penn Vasculitis Center
Program Director for the Penn Vasculitis Fellowship, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Department: Medicine
Contact information
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Dept. of Medicine/Rheumatology
3400 Spruce Street
5th Floor, White Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Dept. of Medicine/Rheumatology
3400 Spruce Street
5th Floor, White Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Education:
B.S.
Yale University, 2004.
M.D.
New York University School of Medicine, 2008.
M.S.C.E.
University of Pennsylvania, 2014.
Permanent linkB.S.
Yale University, 2004.
M.D.
New York University School of Medicine, 2008.
M.S.C.E.
University of Pennsylvania, 2014.
Description of Clinical Expertise
Dr. Rhee is part of the Penn Vasculitis Center and specializes in the diagnosis and management of vasculitis. She is also a member of the American College of Rheumatology/Vasculitis Foundation committee which developed national guidelines on the management of several forms of vasculitis.Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Rhee’s research program spans clinical and translational studies in humans that seek to understand disease pathogenesis and disease heterogeneity of multiple types of autoimmune vasculitis. Currently her research focuses on the investigation of the airway epithelium and microbiome in vasculitis and the identification of novel biomarkers in vasculitis.Dr. Rhee led the development of a biorepository of nasal swab samples from patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis, relapsing polychondritis, and healthy patients. This work combines both advanced molecular sequencing with culture-based approaches to understanding how changes in the epithelium and microbes interact with the immune system in autoimmune vasculitis.
Dr. Rhee is also part of a multi-disciplinary team that is studying the utility of vessel wall MRI in giant cell arteritis. She works with investigators in radiology and ophthalmology to develop novel imaging biomarkers for diagnosis and disease activity in giant cell arteritis. Dr. Rhee co-led the development of the Penn Giant Cell Arteritis Fast-Track Program.
Selected Publications
Langford CA, Khalidi N, Springer J, Friedman M, Hellmich B, Pagnoux C, Dehghan N, Gewurz-Singer O, Koening CL, Lin YC, Monach PA, Moreland LW, Fifi-Mah A, Flossmann O, Forbess LJ, Lanyon P, Molloy E, Specks U, Spiera R, Yacyshyn E, McAlear CA, Burroughs C, Jones RB, Rhee RL, Hajj-Ali R, Warrington KJ, Cuthbertson D, Krischer JP, Jayne D, Merkel PA; Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium and the European Vasculitis Society.: "A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of abatacept for the treatment of relapsing, non-severe, granulomatosis with polyangiitis" Arthritis Rheumatol Jun 2025 Notes: online.Ephrem RK, Mohan S, Rebello R, Liang R, Kurtz R, Song JW, Tamhankar MA, Rhee RL.: "Optic Nerve Sheath Enhancement on Orbital MRI in Giant Cell Arteritis." British Journal of Ophthalmology 109(6): 709-714, May 2025.
Yang R, Rhee RL, Quinn KA, Amudala NA, McAlear CA, Grayson PC, Merkel PA, Ferrada M, Banerjee S; Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium: "Clinical Manifestations and Treatment in Patients With Relapsing Polychondritis: A Multicenter Observational Cohort Study" ACR Open Rheumatol May 2025 Notes: online.
Kermani TA, Sreih AG, Cuthbertson D, Khalidi NA, Koening CL, Langford CA, McAlear CA, Monach PA, Moreland L, Pagnoux C, Rhee RL, Seo P, Warrington KJ, Merkel PA; Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium: "Assessment of Damage in Takayasu's Arteritis" Rheumatology (Oxford) 64(2): 682-689, Feb 2025.
Zeng R, Rebello R, Guggenberger K, Baker J, Banerjee S, Kurtz R, Amudala N, Merkel P, Rhee RL: "Longitudinal Changes on Cranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Relapsing Giant Cell Arteritis" Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism 2025 Notes: accepted.
Wang WX, Spiegelman D, Rao PK, Rhee RL, Ford AL, Miner JJ, Apte RS.: "Crizanlizumab for Retinal Vasculopathy With Cerebral Leukoencephalopathy in a Phase II Clinical Study." Journal of Clinical Investigation 134(24): e189023, Dec 2024.
Cunningham KY, Hur B, Gupta VK, Koster MJ, Weyand CM, Cuthbertson D, Khalidi NA, Koening CL, Langford CA, McAlear CA, Monach PA, Moreland LW, Pagnoux C, Rhee RL, Seo P, Merkel PA, Warrington KJ, Sung J.: "Plasma proteome profiling in giant cell arteritis." Ann Rheum Dis 83(12): 1762-1772, Nov 2024.
Rhee RL, Bathla G, Rebello R, Kurtz RM, Junek M, Warrington KJ, Khalidi N, Merkel PA, Guggenberger KV, Tamhankar MA, Bley TA: "Vessel wall MRI in giant cell arteritis: standardized protocol and scoring approach developed by an international working group." Rheumatology (Oxford) Sep 2024 Notes: Online ahead of print.
Romich E, Banerjee S, Amudala N, Chou S, Li R, Lee H, Cohen N, Merkel PA, Rhee RL: "Patient-reported sinonasal symptoms and risk of relapse in ANCA-associated vasculitis" Arthritis Care & Research 76(8): 1099-1108, Aug 2024.
Rhee RL, Rebello R, Tamhankar M, Banerjee S, Liu F, Cao Q, Kurtz R, Baker JF, Fan Z, Bhatt V, Amudala N, Chou S, Liang R, Burke M, Desiderio L, Loevner LA, Merkel PA, Song JW: "Combined orbital and cranial vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging for the assessment of disease activity in giant cell arteritis" ACR Open Rheumatology 6(4): 189-200, Apr 2024.