The Aldo V. Londino Jr., MD, Endowed Chair in Pediatrics

Raphael Hirsch, MD, is the Aldo V. Londino Jr., MD, Professor of Pediatrics and chief of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He came to Pittsburgh in 2002, bringing a rich background in research, clinical care and teaching to the hospital, its patients and the university. Under his direction, Children’s pediatric rheumatology program has grown from a one-physician division to one of the largest and most comprehensive programs in the United States, with six full-time faculty, an experienced clinical staff and a National Institutes of Health (NIH) -funded research laboratory.

The NIH has continuously funded Dr. Hirsch since 1992. At Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Dr. Hirsch leads an NIH-funded research program focused on answering fundamental questions about arthritis. His areas of expertise include gene transfer, modulation of T-cell immune responses and therapy of autoimmune diseases. Current NIH-funded research projects include work on gene expression in pediatric arthritis, adeno-associated virus-mediated synovial gene transfer and proteomic analysis in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

His work also has received support from the Arthritis Foundation and the American College of Rheumatology.

Dr. Hirsch is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Society for Pediatric Research, American Pediatric Society, American Association of Immunologists, American College of Rheumatology, American Society of Gene Therapy and American Society for Clinical Investigation. He also serves on the editorial board of Modern Rheumatology.