John Atkinson, M.D. is chief of the division of rheumatology and Samuel B. Grant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Washington University at St. Louis, MO.
John is a leading expert in rheumatology and innate immunity. His work on the role of the complement system in maintaining homeostasis and in human disease has been the subject of over 270 peer reviewed publications, spanning the fields of immunology, cell biology, molecular biology and genetics. Pivotal discoveries include identification and characterization of membrane-bound complement regulatory proteins, immune evasion mechanisms used by pathogens and genetic mutations in complement regulatory proteins predisposing patients to atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, age-related macular degeneration and other diseases. He has received numerous awards, including from the NIH, the AAI and ACR and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
John received his undergraduate degree and medical degree from University of Kansas and underwent his clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital, NIH and Washington University.