Rennie L. Rhee, MD, MSCE
Associate 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 a member of the Penn Vasculitis Center and specializes in the diagnosis and management of vasculitis. She leads the Penn Giant Cell Arteritis program and was 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. She performs deep tissue-level phenotyping using molecular and imaging techniques to understand and predict outcomes.Dr. Rhee uses genomic and transcriptomic profiling, cell culture, patient-reported outcomes, and deep immune phenotyping to understand upper airway epithelial changes associated with systemic relapse of ANCA-associated vasculitis. She collaborates with lab-based investigators and bioinformaticians to apply well-studied methods to the field of 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.
Selected Publications
Rai NS, Khosavirad A, Mbuagbaw L, Rhee RL, Rebello R, Khalidi N, Junek M.: "Correlation of vascular enhancement on MRI and clinical manifestations in patients with GCA" Rheumatol Adv Pract Jul 2026 Notes: online publication.Romich E, Baker J, Riley TR 4th, Green I, Rhee RL, McAlear C, Specks U, Smith R, Jayne D, Merkel PA: "Risk Factors for Relapse in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Among Patients with Relapse After Induction of Remission with Rituximab" Arthritis & Rheumatology 75(5): 1134-1144, May 2026.
Yang DL, Cao Q, Liu F, McWilliams T, Rebello R, Tamhankar MA, Banerjee S, Liang R, Kurtz RM, Baker JF, Amudala N, Fan Z, Song JW, Merkel PA, Morris J, Rhee RL: "Quantification of Vascular Burden on Cranial Vessel Wall Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ophthalmic Complications in Giant Cell Arteritis" ACR Open Rheumatol 8(5): e90066, May 2026.
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" Semin Arthritis Rheum 74: 152815, Oct 2025.
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 Page: 10.1002/art.43272, Jun 2025.
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.
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.