Dr. Daniel Furst of the UCLA Division of Rheumatology and
Arthritis received the Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award for his
leadership and involvement in the fight against arthritis.
The award was presented to Furst by the Arthritis Foundation at
the “Commitment to a Cure” fundraising gala at the
Regent Beverly Wilshire Wednesday evening.
The award is named after Oscar-winning actress and arthritis
activist Jane Wyman.
Arthritis advocates Tom and Joyce Murphy received the award
along with Furst.
Furst, a major figure in arthritis research, was honored for his
pioneering work in arthritic patient care and research, and
particularly for his work in rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma,
a disease characterized by hardness in the skin.
He attributes his inspiration to those whose suffering he seeks
to alleviate.
“I owe most to my patients,” Furst said.
Jennifer Long, one of Furst’s patients, spoke at the award
ceremony and expressed her appreciation for Furst’s
compassion and caring.
“I am always a human in his office,” she said.
Furst received his medical training at Johns Hopkins Medical
School and completed his fellowship in rheumatology here at UCLA.
He has also studied clinical pharmacology at UCSF Medical
Center
Before his return to UCLA six months ago, Furst directed the
Arthritis Clinical Research Unit at the Virginia Mason Research
Center in Seattle. He has also authored over 250 peer-reviewed
articles, books, chapters and reviews.
Furst will return to UCLA in February to become the first Carl
Pearson Chair of Rheumatology.
“We were lucky to get him,” said Dr. Bevra Hahn,
head of UCLA Rheumatology and 1996 winner of the Jane Wyman
Humanitarian Award.
Furst described his UCLA coworkers and students as exciting,
smart and enthusiastic, and acknowledged the importance of
collaboration as an important reason for returning.
Having trained in pharmacology, Furst is particularly interested
in the more efficient and effective use of drugs.
“The future belongs to genetics,” he said, referring
to the hope doctors will soon be able to prescribe more effective
drugs to patients on the basis of their genetic makeup.
Furst enjoys clinical research because of the long-term patient
interaction and the ability to work on the cutting edge of an
unknown science.
This is not the first time Furst has been recognized by the
Arthritis Foundation.
Early on in his medical career, Furst received a scholarship
from the foundation.
“(The Foundation) does a fantastic job informing the
patient and giving support,” Furst said.
The Arthritis Foundation is the largest non-profit arthritis
organization in the nation, and in addition to funding research
interests, it is responsible for political advocacy, public
education and support for arthritis patients.
One of the primary goals of the foundation is to educate
patients and the public about the over one hundred arthritic
diseases that affect people of all ages.
“At some point in your life you will get arthritis or know
someone who has arthritis,” Furst said.
Some notable previous winners of the award were former Lakers
announcer Chick Hearn (1993), actress Kathy Ireland (2001) and
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (2001).