Physician Volunteers Help Advance Treatment for Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases

June 6, 2022

Neil Kramer, MD

At Overlook’s Institute for Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases (IRAD), three physician volunteers bring valuable insight into the diagnosis, treatment, and development of therapeutics for chronic disorders that are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

“These experienced rheumatologists dedicate several hours per month to our program and patients outside of their full-time positions,” comments Neil Kramer, MD, co-director of IRAD with Elliot D. Rosenstein, MD.

“There is a long history of physicians in research and the pharmaceutical industry volunteering time to maintain their clinical skills,” observes Dr. Rosenstein, who, along with Dr. Kramer, has decades of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic and other inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases.

Elliot Rosenstein, MD

“Since 2011, we’ve provided physicians an opportunity to maintain their clinical acumen and have clinical discourse in exchange for their clinical services. They have knowledge of drugs in development and the science behind them, clinical trial design and registry data — all of which helps keep us on the cutting edge of patient care.”

IRAD is the only hospital-based institute of its kind in New Jersey, providing a complete range of treatment options and a clinical research center with access to innovative therapies for rheumatic and autoimmune diseases.


IRAD Physician Volunteers

Nikolay Delev, MD

“Patients at IRAD have access to an academia-style hospital without going to a major university center,” observes Nikolay Delev, MD, a Johns Hopkins-trained rheumatologist who designs clinical trials for rheumatologic medications for Bristol-Myers Squibb and who has volunteered at IRAD for nine years.

“Having the knowledge of a clinician as well as how medications are developed, I can help fine-tune a patient’s medication dosage and regimen.”


Arathi Stety, MD

“I truly value and enjoy the patient care relationship,” says Arathi Setty, MD, a Harvard-trained rheumatologist developing rheumatologic medication as senior medical director at AbbVie, a research-based global biopharmaceutical company.

“It gives me perspective on what the needs are,” she adds, reflecting on her five years volunteering at IRAD. “Not all patients benefit from current therapeutics. It is vital that we develop newer and better drugs to address their needs.”


Jeffrey Greenberg, MD, MPH

“I’ve spent 20 years researching drug safety,” explains rheumatologist Jeffrey Greenberg, MD, MPH, a nine-year IRAD volunteer who trained at NYU School of Medicine and serves as chief medical officer at CorEvitas LLC, which manages clinical registries tracking long-term outcomes of patients prescribed therapeutics for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

“Connecting with patients can be very rewarding. I appreciate the opportunity to do this at IRAD, where the team and infrastructure are so strong.”