Join James Louie, MD ’65, Professor Emeritus of Medicine/Rheumatology at UCLA, for “The Art of Medicine Comes from Knowing Our Patients: Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Klee, Ruth Asawa.” Dr. Louie will highlight the life and work of these three artists with a focus on their rheumatic diseases—Pierre-Auguste Renoir with rheumatoid arthritis, Paul Klee with systemic sclerosis, and Ruth Asawa with lupus. Some of the artists were able to manage their diseases through the grit of their own determination, the support of family and friends, and the best medical advice and therapies available during their lives. Some used their art to express their pain and turmoil, while others preferred to ignore and transcend their pain through their art. Dr. Louie gives patients hope for coping with their rheumatic diseases by illustrating how famous artists managed.
This event is a part of WashU in the West programming. WashU in the West will highlight alumni and parents in the west while centering topics specific to their interests and industries. This will complement our existing Virtual Connections offered to the entire WashU community, and anyone interested in events hosted by WashU in the West are welcome to join no matter their location.
More about James Louie, MD
Jim was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended Tulane University and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. Jim was led into rheumatology during his internal medicine training with strong mentors at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He completed his rheumatology fellowship and served as Chief Resident in Medicine at UCLA. He joined the faculty at the Harbor–UCLA Medical Center, took a sabbatical in basic research at the NIH, and became Chief of Rheumatology.
With his colleagues Dr. Kenneth Nies, Dr. Michael Liebling, and Diane Dolan, RN, and a supportive attending faculty in rheumatology, Jim provided medical care to the indigent in Los Angeles and mentored Fellows, house staff, and students at Harbor–UCLA and other UCLA-affiliated public hospitals. Jim facilitated clinical research in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and infectious arthritis, investigating monocyte and T and B cell interactions, and he assisted Dr. Liebling in the molecular identification of Borrelia, Mycobacteria in clinical fluids by polymerase chain reaction methodology (PCR). To engage his students and patients, he lectured on the expressions of art and the lives of several artists who surpassed the challenges of their afflictions with different rheumatic diseases.
Jim participated in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Educational and other ACR subcommittees. He served on the FDA Arthritis Advisory committee, Arthritis Foundation Board of Trustees, and the American College of Physicians as a Laureate for outreach to medical students. Jim has received several lectureships from medical, scientific, and lay societies for his contemplative discourses on Renoir and other artists who persevered with their disabling rheumatic diseases. The Arthritis Foundation gave him the Russell Cecil Journalism and the Charles Harding Distinguished Service awards for his outreach.
From 2002–2005, Jim served as medical director at Amgen, where he conducted mechanism of action investigations, before returning to UCLA, where he sees patients and collaborates in clinical research and teaching. He has recently retired to enjoy tennis, traveling to study art, and family activities with his sons, their wives, and his grandchildren—John and Jenny, Andrew and Maribel, and Matthew and Nina.
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