Headshot of Dr. Gourh

Contact Information

301-496-9773
9000 Rockville Pike
10 Center Drive
Building 10
Bethesda MD 20892

Media Resources

Summary

Pravitt Gourh, M.D. is a board-certified rheumatologist with a long-standing interest in scleroderma and autoimmunity. He currently directs a translational research program focused on understanding the genetics of pediatric and adult scleroderma, biomarker discovery, and disease classification.

Dr. Gourh received his medical degree in India, after which he conducted postdoctoral research in genetics at the McGovern Medical School, part of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He then joined the faculty and went on to become Assistant Professor of Medicine. Dr. Gourh completed his medical training at Houston, followed by an adult rheumatology fellowship at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). He became a Henry Metzger Scholar in Translational Medicine at the NIAMS and began studying the genetics of African American scleroderma patients. Dr. Gourh was appointed as an Assistant Clinical Investigator in 2019 and is also an attending physician on the NIH Rheumatology Consultation Service.

Research Statement

Dr. Gourh’s research has focused on unraveling the genetic risk factors involved in scleroderma pathogenesis. One of his current projects, the Genome Research in African American Scleroderma Patients (GRASP), is researching the largest cohort of African American scleroderma patients to identify genetic differences that increase the prevalence and severity of scleroderma in the African American population. Another major area of interest is understanding autoimmunity and the role that autoantibodies, human leukocyte antigen (HLA), and T cells play in autoimmune diseases.

In addition to his research activities, Dr. Gourh is an active clinician and teacher. He has served in various roles at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and received multiple awards, including the Carwile Leroy/Joseph Korn Prize for Research in Scleroderma, the Young Investigator Award at the 10th International Systemic Sclerosis Workshop, the ACR Research and Education Foundation Abbott Medical and Pediatric Resident Research Award, the ACR Rheumatology Research Workshop Outstanding Abstract Award, the 33rd European Workshop for Rheumatology Research Travel Award, the ACR Distinguished Fellow Award, and the NIH Genome Recognition of Employee Accomplishments and Talents (GREAT) Award. He has given presentations both nationally and internationally.

Scientific Publications

HLA and autoantibodies define scleroderma subtypes and risk in African and European Americans and suggest a role for molecular mimicry.

Gourh P, Safran SA, Alexander T, Boyden SE, Morgan ND, Shah AA, Mayes MD, Doumatey A, Bentley AR, Shriner D, Domsic RT, Medsger TA Jr, Ramos PS, Silver RM, Steen VD, Varga J, Hsu V, Saketkoo LA, Schiopu E, Khanna D, Gordon JK, Kron B, Criswell LA, Gladue H, Derk CT, Bernstein EJ, Bridges SL Jr, Shanmugam VK, Kolstad KD, Chung L, Kafaja S, Jan R, Trojanowski M, Goldberg A, Korman BD, Steinbach PJ, Chandrasekharappa SC, Mullikin JC, Adeyemo A, Rotimi C, Wigley FM, Kastner DL, Boin F, Remmers EF
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
2020 Jan 7;
117(1).
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1906593116
PMID: 31871193

Brief Report: Whole-Exome Sequencing to Identify Rare Variants and Gene Networks That Increase Susceptibility to Scleroderma in African Americans.

Gourh P, Remmers EF, Boyden SE, Alexander T, Morgan ND, Shah AA, Mayes MD, Doumatey A, Bentley AR, Shriner D, Domsic RT, Medsger TA Jr, Steen VD, Ramos PS, Silver RM, Korman B, Varga J, Schiopu E, Khanna D, Hsu V, Gordon JK, Saketkoo LA, Gladue H, Kron B, Criswell LA, Derk CT, Bridges SL Jr, Shanmugam VK, Kolstad KD, Chung L, Jan R, Bernstein EJ, Goldberg A, Trojanowski M, Kafaja S, Maksimowicz-McKinnon KM, Mullikin JC, Adeyemo A, Rotimi C, Boin F, Kastner DL, Wigley FM
Arthritis Rheumatol.
2018 Oct;
70(10).
doi: 10.1002/art.40541
PMID: 29732714

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II alleles, haplotypes and epitopes which confer susceptibility or protection in systemic sclerosis: analyses in 1300 Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic cases and 1000 controls.

Arnett FC, Gourh P, Shete S, Ahn CW, Honey RE, Agarwal SK, Tan FK, McNearney T, Fischbach M, Fritzler MJ, Mayes MD, Reveille JD
Ann Rheum Dis.
2010 May;
69(5).
doi: 10.1136/ard.2009.111906
PMID: 19596691

Association of TNFSF4 (OX40L) polymorphisms with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis.

Gourh P, Arnett FC, Tan FK, Assassi S, Divecha D, Paz G, McNearney T, Draeger H, Reveille JD, Mayes MD, Agarwal SK
Ann Rheum Dis.
2010 Mar;
69(3).
doi: 10.1136/ard.2009.116434
PMID: 19778912

Plasma cytokine profiles in systemic sclerosis: associations with autoantibody subsets and clinical manifestations.

Gourh P, Arnett FC, Assassi S, Tan FK, Huang M, Diekman L, Mayes MD, Reveille JD, Agarwal SK
Arthritis Res Ther.
2009;
11(5).
doi: 10.1186/ar2821
PMID: 19799786

Polymorphisms in TBX21 and STAT4 increase the risk of systemic sclerosis: evidence of possible gene-gene interaction and alterations in Th1/Th2 cytokines.

Gourh P, Agarwal SK, Divecha D, Assassi S, Paz G, Arora-Singh RK, Reveille JD, Shete S, Mayes MD, Arnett FC, Tan FK
Arthritis Rheum.
2009 Dec;
60(12).
doi: 10.1002/art.24958
PMID: 19950257

Association of the PTPN22 R620W polymorphism with anti-topoisomerase I- and anticentromere antibody-positive systemic sclerosis.

Gourh P, Tan FK, Assassi S, Ahn CW, McNearney TA, Fischbach M, Arnett FC, Mayes MD
Arthritis Rheum.
2006 Dec;
54(12).

Education

Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, India
M.D.

Experience

Internal Medicine Residency
McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX

Rheumatology Fellowship
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health

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