In addition to his rheumatology practice, Dr. Erkan has a long-standing research interest in Antiphospholipid Syndrome (an autoimmune clotting disorder) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or “lupus”). After his Internal Medicine residency at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, he completed his Rheumatology fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Dr. Erkan has a medical doctor (MD) degree from Hacettepe University School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey and a master of public health (MPH) degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. Learn more.

Dr. Knight received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Michigan, and completed his molecular biology Ph.D. research in the laboratory of Dr. Erle Robertson at the University of Pennsylvania. His fellowship in rheumatology was at the University of Michigan, where he received the prestigious American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Fellow Award, as well as a Rheumatology Research Foundation Scientist Development Award. As a faculty member, he has been awarded a Young Physician Scientist Award by the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and a Vic and Kelly Braden Memorial Grant for Lupus Research by the Arthritis National Research Foundation.

Dr. Knight is a leader nationally in the clinical care of APS patients, and especially the role of inflammation in APS. His NIH-funded research laboratory is working to better understand the triggers and effectors of autoimmunity in lupus and the related antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Contact Dr. Knight if you are interested in participating in APS research studies. Learn more.

Dr. Ortel’s research interests focus on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with bleeding and clotting disorders. He is particularly interested in the immune-mediated clotting disorders, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Dr. Ortel has participated in multiple studies investigating new anticoagulants (blood thinners) and the use of these therapies in high-risk clinical situations (for example, in the perioperative state and in patients with cancer). His laboratory investigates the mechanisms of clotting and evaluating new anticoagulants. Learn more.

Dr. Roubey’s laboratory focuses on the antiphospholipid syndrome, an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies with an apparent specificity for anionic phospholipids are associated with arterial and venous thrombosis, pregnancy failure, and certain other manifestations. Dr. Roubey is also the Principle Investigator of the Antiphospholipid Syndrome Collaborative Registry (APSCORE), an NIH-funded multicenter disease registry based here at UNC-CH. APSCORE is collecting detailed clinical data and tissue specimens from 2,000 patients with antiphospholipid antibodies and the antiphospholipid syndrome. Registry data and resources will support numerous immunological studies, genetic analyses, and clinical trials.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Repetsky attended the University of Akron for his undergraduate studies. He is a summa cum laude graduate of the American University of Antigua College of Medicine. His professional interests include Primary Care, Neurology, and the application of science-based medicine.