Edward M. Behrens, MD
Locations: Main Building
About Edward M. Behrens, MD
Titles
Chief, Division of Rheumatology
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Certifications
Pediatric Rheumatology – American Board of Pediatrics
Pediatrics – American Board of Pediatrics
Awards and Honors
2022, Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors in Pediatric Rheumatology
2014, Joseph L. Hollander Endowed Chair in Pediatric Rheumatology, University of Pennsylvania
2013, American Society for Clinical Investigators – Young Physician-Scientist Award
2012, Nezelof Award in Basic Science – Histiocyte Society
2012, Stuart McKracken Award for Research – Arthritis Foundation
2011, Nezelof Award in Basic Science – Histiocyte Society
2011, Arthritis Foundation Profession Education Award
2010, University of Pennsylvania Department of Medicine Austrian Award
2009, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Physician Scientist Early Career Award
2007, American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Fellow Award
2007, Clinical Immunology Society School of Autoimmune Diseases Travel Grant
2006, MedImmune Inflammation and Autoimmunity Abstract Competition Finalist
2006, Earl J. Brewer Research Travel Grant Award in Pediatric Rheumatology
2006, American College of Rheumatology REF Pediatric Rheumatology Research Award
2005-2008, National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program Recipient
2005, Philadelphia Rheumatism Society Fellows Research Forum Award
2005, Clinical Immunology Society Travel Grant Award – FOCIS meeting
2004, AMGEN Rheumatology Fellowship Award
2003, Seymour Warshaw Distinguished First Year Resident Award – The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
2002, Judy S. Finkelstein Memorial Symposium Award
2001, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Student Continued Support Award
2000, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Student Research Training Fellowship
2000, Four Schools Physician Scientist Fellowship
1998, National Institutes of Health Short Term Research Grant
Leadership and Memberships
Memberships in Professional Organizations
International
International Macrophage Activation Syndrome Study Group, Founding Member
National
American Association of Immunologists
American Board of Pediatrics
- Rheumatology Sub-board Member
American College of Rheumatology
- 2011 & 2013, Abstract Reviewer for Scientific Meeting
American Society of Hematologists
- 2012, Abstract Reviewer for Scientific Meeting
Clinical Immunology Society
Histiocyte Society
National Arthritis Foundation
- Grant Review Study Section
Rheumatology Research Foundation
- Grant Review Study Section
Editorial and Academic Positions
Editorial Positions
Review Editor
Frontiers in Primary Immunodeficiencies
Peer Reviewer
Up To Date – Allergy and Immunology Section
Book Reviewer
Neonatology Secrets: 1st Edition
Ad-Hoc Reviewer
Arthritis & Rheumatism Clinical and Vaccine Immunology Clinical Immunology European Journal of Pediatrics Immunology International Archives of Allergy and Immunology Journal of Clinical Immunology Journal of Clinical Investigation Journal of Clinical Rheumatology Journal of Rheumatology Nature Clinical Practice Rheumatology Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal Pediatrics RheumatologyInstitutional Committees
2013-present, University of Pennsylvania Institute for Immunology – Autoimmunity Program, Director
2011-present, Clinical Data Reporting and Quality Subcommittee, Member
2011-present, Center for Protective Immunity and Immunopathology Affinity Group, Co-Director
2011-2012, 2013-present, Rheumatology T32 Executive Committee
2009-present, School of Medicine MD/PhD Admission Committee
Education & training
Medical Degree
MD - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Internship
Pediatrics -The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Residency
Pediatrics - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Fellowship
Pediatric Rheumatology - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Additional Training
Medical Student Research Training Fellowship - Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Publications
Publications
2020
Gordon SM, Nishiguchi MA, Chase JM, Mani S, Mainigi MA, Behrens EM. IFNs Drive Development of Novel IL-15–Responsive Macrophages. 2020. JImmunol.https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.2000184.
2014
Weaver LK, Behrens EM. Hyperinflammation, rather than hemophagocytosis, is the common link between macrophage activation syndrome and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2014 Sep 26(5):562-9.
Zhang M, Behrens EM, Atkinson TP, Shakoory B, Grom AA, Cron RQ. Genetic defects in cytolysis in macrophage activation syndrome. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2014;16(9):439.
Karimi MA, Lee E, Bachman MH, Salicioni AM, Behrens EM, Kambayashi T, Baldwin CL. Measuring cytotoxicity by bioluminescence imaging outperforms the standard chromium-51 release assay. PLOS One. 2014 Feb 19;9(2):e89357.
Canna SW, Costa-Reis P, Bernal WE, Chu N, Sullivan KE, Paessler ME, Behrens EM. Alternative activation of laser-captured murine hemophagocytes. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014 Jun;66(6):1666-71.
2013
Joshi RP, Schmidt AM, Das J, Pytel D, Riese MJ, Lester M, Diehl JA, Behrens EM, Kambayashi T, Koretzky GA. The ζ isoform of diacylglycerol kinase plays a predominant role in regulatory T cell development and TCR-mediated ras signaling. Sci Signal. 2013 Nov 26;6(303).
Costa-Reis P, Weaver LK, Behrens EM, Sullivan KE. Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency. Joint Bone Spine. 2014 Mar;81(2):193-4. Epub 2013 Sep 20..
Canna SW, Wrobel J, Chu N, Kreiger P, Paessler M, Behrens EM. Interferon-γ mediates anemia but is dispensable for Fulminant Toll-Like Receptor 9-induced Macrophage Activation Syndrome and Hemophagocytosis. Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2013 Jul;65(7):1764-75.
Rao S, Liu X, Freedman BD, Behrens EM. Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) dependent calcium signals mediate efficient CpG-induced exocytosis of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) in innate immune cells. J Biol Chem. 2013 May 3;288(18):12448-58,
Weaver LK, Behrens EM. How to use... antinuclear antibodies in paediatric rheumatic diseases. Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed. 2013 Apr;98(2):64-70.
2012
Sriram U, Varghese L, Bennett HL, Jog NR, Shivers DK, Ning Y, Behrens EM, Caricchio R, Gallucci S. Myeloid Dendritic Cells from B6.NZM Sle1/Sle2/Sle3 Lupus-prone Mice express an Interferon Signature that Precedes Disease Onset. J Immunol. 2012 Jul 1;189(1):80-91. Epub 2012 Jun 1.
Lieberman SM, Kim JS, Corbo-Rodgers E, Kambayashi T, Maltzman JS, Behrens EM, Turka LA. Site-specific accumulation of recently activated CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells following adoptive transfer. Eur J Immunol. 2012 Jun;42(6):1429-35.
Canna SW, Behrens EM. Making sense of the cytokine storm: a conceptual framework for understanding, diagnosing and treating hemophagocytic syndromes. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2012 Apr;59(2):329-44.
Ravelli A, Grom AA, Behrens EM, Cron RQ. Macrophage activation syndrome as part of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: diagnosis, genetics, pathophysiology and treatment. Genes Immun. 2012 Jun;13(4):289-98. Epub 2012 Mar 15.
Canna SW, Behrens EM. Not all hemophagocytes are created equally: appreciating the heterogeneity of the hemophagocytic syndromes. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2012 Jan;24(1):113-8.
2011
Repeated TLR9 stimulation results in macrophage activation syndrome-like disease in mice. Behrens EM, Canna SW, Slade K, Rao S, Kreiger PA, Paessler M, Kambayashi T, Koretzky GA. J Clin Invest. 2011 Jun;121(6):2264-77.
Not all hemophagocytes are created equally: appreciating the heterogeneity of the hemophagocytic syndromes. Behrens EM, Canna SW, Slade K, Rao S, Kreiger PA, Paessler M, Kambayashi T, Koretzky GA. J Clin Invest. 2011 Jun;121(6):2264-77.
Abstracts (includes Posters and Scientific Presentations)
2012
Canna SW, Wrobel J, Kreiger PA, Paessler ME, Behrens EM. "Interferon-gamma independent hemophagocytosis in a Murine model of MAS," Histiocyte Society Meeting, Oct. 2012.
Lectures by Invitation
2015
Behrens EM. “New Thoughts on the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Cytokine Storm Syndromes: Moving Beyond the T-cell”, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; May 2015.
Behrens EM. “Rheumatology in Primary Care: Decision Making in Your Practice,” 16th Annual APN Conference, Philadelphia, PA; April 2015.
2014
Behrens EM. “You’ve Just Been Diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis, Now What?” Keynote Speaker, JA Family Day, Arthritis Foundation, Philadelphia, PA; November 2014.
Behrens EM. “Macrophage Activation Syndrome: Insights into Pathogenesis,” Pennsylvania Rheumatology Society Scientific Meeting, Hershey, PA; September 2014.
Behrens EM. “The Antigen Presenting Cell – Link Between Innate and Adaptive Immunity,” American Association of Immunology Course in Immunology, Long Beach, CA; July 2014.
Behrens EM. “Pathogenesis of Macrophage Activation Syndrome: Lesson from Murine Models,” Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium (PRSYM), Orlando, FL; April 2014.
Behrens EM. “Meet the Professor: Macrophage Activation Syndrome,” Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium (PRSYM), Orlando, FL; April 2014.
Behrens EM. “Lymphopoiesis in Systemic Inflammation: To B or not to B”, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; February 2014.
2013
Behrens EM. “Early Career Funding Opportunities for Physician Scientists,” American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting, San Diego, CA; October 2013.
Behrens EM. “Macrophage Activation Syndrome: A State of the Art Review,” American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting, San Diego, CA; October 2013
Behrens EM. “The Antigen Presenting Cell – Link Between Innate and Adaptive Immunity”, American Association of Immunology Course in Immunology, Philadelphia, PA; July, 2013.
Behrens EM. “Another Piece of the pY: Novel Tyrosine Phosphorylation Events in Toll-like Receptor Signaling”, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; March, 2013.
2012
Behrens EM. “The Role of IL-10 in Macrophage Activation Syndrome,” American College of Rheumatology Macrophage Activation Syndrome Study Group, Washington DC; November, 2012.
Behrens EM. “Macrophage Activation Syndrome Update,” Central Pennsylvania Rheumatology Meeting, Harrisburg, PA; September, 2012.
Behrens EM. “The Antigen Presenting Cell – Link Between Innate and Adaptive Immunity”, American Association of Immunology Course in Immunology, Philadelphia, PA; July, 2012.
Behrens EM. “The Expanding Spectrum of Macrophage Activation Syndrome,” CIS Annual Primary Immunodeficiency Meeting, Chicago, IL; May, 2012.
Behrens EM. “Lyme Disease” Separating Fact from Myth.” Advanced Pediatric Nursing National Conference, Philadelphia, PA; May, 2012.
Behrens EM. “Dissecting the Cytokine Network of the Macrophage Activation Syndrome,” Distinguished Speaker Series – Humigen, Hamilton, NJ; January, 2012.