Dr. Tuhina Neogi Named Alan S. Cohen Professor of Rheumatology in Virtual Ceremony

Tuhina Neogi, MD, PhD, was named the Alan S. Cohen Professor of Rheumatology. On Feb. 17, her colleagues, friends and family gathered over Zoom to witness the installation and celebrate her work in rheumatology.

Dr. Neogi is Section Chief of Rheumatology and Professor of Medicine at BUSM, Professor of Epidemiology at SPH, Chief of Rheumatology at Boston Medical Center, and an investigator at the Framingham Heart Study. She received her MD from the University of Toronto; and PhD from Boston University School of Public Health.

This professorship honors the late Dr. Cohen, who graduated from BUSM in 1953, trained at Boston City Hospital, and established the first arthritis section at BUSM in 1960. He served in various leadership roles until his retirement in 1998.

BUSM Dean Karen Antman, MD, kicked off the virtual event. “Installations are joyous academic events that celebrate two Boston University School of Medicine professors, one historic and the other a new, younger, outstanding professor,” she said.

Dr. Neogi with her husband Scott during Zoom installation.

David Coleman, MD, FAACP, Wade Professor and Chair of Medicine at BUSM, then introduced Dr. Neogi.

“Her many, many accomplishments are filled with descriptions of honors from a number of local and national service organizations where she has been involved in setting the standards of care and treatment for patients with rheumatic diseases, and in particular with osteoarthritis and gout,” said Dr. Coleman. “It is in these two areas – osteoarthritis and gout, where she is known throughout the world for the clarity of her thinking and her ability to bring methodological rigor to the important studies of these conditions.”

He added that Dr. Neogi has played a critical role in the establishment of career development programs and in growing efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion on the Medical Campus.

“She may be small, but she is mighty. Tuhina is an influencer; she is a key informant; she is a respected expert in our field,” said Gillian Hawker, MD, MSc, the Sir John and Lady Eaton Professor and Chair of Medicine at the University of Toronto and an internationally recognized leader in osteoarthritis research.

David Felson, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine at BUSM and Professor of Epidemiology at SPH, and thought leader in the field of rheumatology, then spoke about the importance of Dr. Neogi’s work in osteoarthritis. “It’s a big public health problem,” he said. “Throughout the world, it is one of the major causes of disability that we’re grappling with.”

He noted her important influence in the field, and that a lot of her work has refocused the field of osteoarthritis on what causes pain, and why patients come to seek care.

“That’s what matters to patients, and what we need to treat,” said Dr. Felson. “The NIH has recognized a lot of this work and has awarded Tuhina three RO1 [grants] in the last year to pursue a lot of this investigative work.”

Dr. Felson said Dr. Neogi has also been a major force in the treatment of gout – she has led efforts to encourage more comprehensive and aggressive treatment, led guidelines committees, written reviews of gout management in the New England Journal of Medicine, and more.

Drs. Neogi and Felson.

Then Dr. Neogi stepped into the spotlight to thank her many colleagues and supporters.

“I went and got a Kleenex just before I came into the room,” she said. “And sure enough, I’ve gotten teary eyed.”

Her family didn’t miss the chance to congratulate her on her incredible achievements. Cousins tuning in from India, her aunt and uncle on the West Coast, her in-laws and other family members all shared congratulatory remarks with Dr. Neogi.

Her husband Scott said, “Tuhina really embodies the role of being a caregiver but also a thought leader, a researcher and an all-encompassing practitioner.”

Her cousin also joined the Zoom, and recalled the time when her 14-year-old son needed neck surgery. The family consulted Tuhina, who worked her way through a thorough differential diagnosis.

“Her questions were so insightful and prompted a process that led everybody, including the surgeons, to think about it more deeply and approach the case in a way that ultimately led to a successful surgery,” she said.

Dr. Neogi’s mother also was able to attend and her immense pride for her daughter shone through, even over Zoom.

Congratulations!