Paula Ramos

Department of Medicine
Associate Professor

Overview

In September 2024, Dr. Ramos joined the faculty of Emory University as an Associate Professor in the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine.

Dr. Ramos is a human geneticist whose research is aimed at understanding the genetic etiology of human autoimmunity and the reasons underlying its population disparities. Leveraging tools from molecular, statistical, and population genetics, genetic epidemiology, and social epigenomics, Dr. Ramos leads multidisciplinary studies that integrate genetic and social exposures to investigate the etiology of autoimmune diseases like lupus and scleroderma in heath disparity populations.

Dr. Ramos is actively engaged in advocacy, education, and community outreach and engagement, with much of her work being done in collaboration with community partners. She is a member of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Government & Public Advocacy Committee (GPAC), is an ELSI Scholar, and serves as a member of the NIH Genetics of Health and Disease (GHD) and DoD Autoimmune Disorders (AID) study sections. Her research goals are to improve autoimmune disease outcomes in health disparity populations by identifying genetic and non-genetic, modifiable risk factors that can inform therapeutic, behavioral, and policy interventions.

Please visit our HERO-GENE Lab website for more information on our current research.

Academic Appointment

Associate Professor, Emory University School of Medicine

Education

Degrees

PhD from University of Minnesota

Research

Publications

Breaking research silos to achieve equitable precision medicine in rheumatology.
Nat Rev Rheumatol Volume: 21 Page(s): 98 - 110
02/01/2025 Authors: Ainsworth HC; Baker Frost D; Lim SS; Ramos PS
The Explication of Race in Rheumatology Disparities.
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) Volume: 76 Page(s): 1447 - 1450
11/01/2024 Authors: Lim SS; Ramos PS; Williams EM
Racial variability in immune responses only partially explains differential systemic sclerosis disease severity.
Ann Rheum Dis Volume: 83 Page(s): 1513 - 1521
10/21/2024 Authors: Kuchinad KE; Kim JS; Woods A; Leatherman G; Gutierrez-Alamillo L; Mayes MD; Domsic R; Ramos PS; Silver RM; Varga J
The methodological and ethical concerns of genetic studies of same-sex sexual behavior.
Am J Hum Genet Volume: 111 Page(s): 2107 - 2116
10/03/2024 Authors: Ventresca C; Martschenko DO; Wedow R; Civelek M; Tabery J; Carlson J; Parker SCJ; Ramos PS
Clarity for the language of race, ethnicity and genetic ancestry in rheumatology.
Nat Rev Rheumatol Volume: 20 Page(s): 453 - 454
08/01/2024 Authors: Ramos PS; Lim SS
Establishing an infrastructure to optimize the integration of genomics into research: Results from a precision health needs assessment.
Transl Behav Med Volume: 14 Page(s): 386 - 393
06/27/2024 Authors: Allen CG; Bouchie G; Judge DP; Coen E; English S; Norman S; Kirchoff K; Ramos PS; Hirschhorn J; Lenert L
Using implementation science to evaluate a population-wide genomic screening program: Findings from the first 20,000 In Our DNA SC participants.
Am J Hum Genet Volume: 111 Page(s): 433 - 444
03/07/2024 Authors: Allen CG; Hunt KJ; McMahon LL; Thornhill C; Jackson A; Clark JT; Kirchoff K; Garrison KL; Foil K; Malphrus L
Epicardial deletion of Sox9 leads to myxomatous valve degeneration and identifies Cd109 as a novel gene associated with valve development.
J Mol Cell Cardiol Volume: 186 Page(s): 16 - 30
01/01/2024 Authors: Harvey AB; Wolters RA; Deepe RN; Tarolli HG; Drummond JR; Trouten A; Zandi A; Barth JL; Mukherjee R; Romeo MJ
Extending an Antiracism Lens to the Implementation of Precision Public Health Interventions.
Am J Public Health Volume: 113 Page(s): 1210 - 1218
11/01/2023 Authors: Allen CG; Olstad DL; Kahkoska AR; Guan Y; Ramos PS; Steinberg J; Staras SAS; Lumpkins CY; Milko LV; Turbitt E
Anticipating adaptation: tracking the impact of planned and unplanned adaptations during the implementation of a complex population-based genomic screening program.
Transl Behav Med Volume: 13 Page(s): 381 - 387
06/09/2023 Authors: Allen CG; Judge DP; Nietert PJ; Hunt KJ; Jackson A; Gallegos S; Sterba KR; Ramos PS; Melvin CL; Wager K
Distinct genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression signatures in classical monocytes from African American patients with systemic sclerosis.
Clin Epigenetics Volume: 15 Page(s): 25
02/17/2023 Authors: Allen PC; Smith S; Wilson RC; Wirth JR; Wilson NH; Baker Frost D; Flume J; Gilkeson GS; Cunningham MA; Langefeld CD
A comparison of joint dichotomization and single dichotomization of interacting variables to discriminate a disease outcome.
Int J Biostat Volume: 18 Page(s): 613 - 625
11/01/2022 Authors: Nelson SP; Ramakrishnan V; Nietert P; Kamen D; Ramos P; Wolf B
Lessons Learned from the Pilot Phase of a Population-Wide Genomic Screening Program: Building the Base to Reach a Diverse Cohort of 100,000 Participants.
J Pers Med Volume: 12
07/27/2022 Authors: Allen CG; Lenert L; Hunt K; Jackson A; Levin E; Clinton C; Clark JT; Garrison K; Gallegos S; Wager K
Social Factors, Epigenomics and Lupus in African American Women (SELA) Study: protocol for an observational mechanistic study examining the interplay of multiple individual and social factors on lupus outcomes in a health disparity population.
Lupus Sci Med Volume: 9
06/01/2022 Authors: Vara EL; Langefeld CD; Wolf BJ; Howard TD; Hawkins GA; Quet Q; Moultrie LH; Quinnette King L; Molano ID; Bray SL
A pragmatic implementation research study for In Our DNA SC: a protocol to identify multi-level factors that support the implementation of a population-wide genomic screening initiative in diverse populations.
Implement Sci Commun Volume: 3 Page(s): 48
04/28/2022 Authors: Allen CG; Judge DP; Levin E; Sterba K; Hunt K; Ramos PS; Melvin C; Wager K; Catchpole K; Clinton C
Antifibrotic factor KLF4 is repressed by the miR-10/TFAP2A/TBX5 axis in dermal fibroblasts: insights from twins discordant for systemic sclerosis.
Ann Rheum Dis Volume: 81 Page(s): 268 - 277
02/01/2022 Authors: Malaab M; Renaud L; Takamura N; Zimmerman KD; da Silveira WA; Ramos PS; Haddad S; Peters-Golden M; Penke LR; Wolf B
GPA-Tree: statistical approach for functional-annotation-tree-guided prioritization of GWAS results.
Bioinformatics Volume: 38 Page(s): 1067 - 1074
01/27/2022 Authors: Khatiwada A; Wolf BJ; Yilmaz AS; Ramos PS; Pietrzak M; Lawson A; Hunt KJ; Kim HJ; Chung D
Nucleic Acid-Sensing and Interferon-Inducible Pathways Show Differential Methylation in MZ Twins Discordant for Lupus and Overexpression in Independent Lupus Samples: Implications for Pathogenic Mechanism and Drug Targeting.
Genes (Basel) Volume: 12
11/26/2021 Authors: Marion MC; Ramos PS; Bachali P; Labonte AC; Zimmerman KD; Ainsworth HC; Heuer SE; Robl RD; Catalina MD; Kelly JA
Integrating genetic and social factors to understand health disparities in lupus.
Curr Opin Rheumatol Volume: 33 Page(s): 598 - 604
11/01/2021 Authors: Ramos PS
Genetic landscape of Gullah African Americans.
Am J Phys Anthropol Volume: 175 Page(s): 905 - 919
08/01/2021 Authors: Zimmerman KD; Schurr TG; Chen W-M; Nayak U; Mychaleckyj JC; Quet Q; Moultrie LH; Divers J; Keene KL; Kamen DL
GPA-Tree: Statistical Approach for Functional-Annotation-Tree-Guided Prioritization of GWAS Results

06/12/2021 Authors: Khatiwada A; Wolf BJ; Yilmaz AS; Ramos PS; Pietrzak M; Lawson A; Hunt KJ; Kim HJ; Chung D
Unravelling the complex genetic regulation of immune cells.
Nat Rev Rheumatol Volume: 17 Page(s): 131 - 132
03/01/2021 Authors: Ramos PS
Differential DNA Methylation Landscape in Skin Fibroblasts from African Americans with Systemic Sclerosis.
Genes (Basel) Volume: 12
01/20/2021 Authors: Baker Frost D; da Silveira W; Hazard ES; Atanelishvili I; Wilson RC; Flume J; Day KL; Oates JC; Bogatkevich GS; Feghali-Bostwick C
HLA and autoantibodies define scleroderma subtypes and risk in African and European Americans and suggest a role for molecular mimicry.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 117 Page(s): 552 - 562
01/07/2020 Authors: Gourh P; Safran SA; Alexander T; Boyden SE; Morgan ND; Shah AA; Mayes MD; Doumatey A; Bentley AR; Shriner D
Epigenetics of scleroderma: Integrating genetic, ethnic, age, and environmental effects.
J Scleroderma Relat Disord Volume: 4 Page(s): 238 - 250
10/01/2019 Authors: Ramos PS
Integrative analysis of DNA methylation in discordant twins unveils distinct architectures of systemic sclerosis subsets.
Clin Epigenetics Volume: 11 Page(s): 58
04/04/2019 Authors: Ramos PS; Zimmerman KD; Haddad S; Langefeld CD; Medsger TA; Feghali-Bostwick CA
GAIL: An interactive webserver for inference and dynamic visualization of gene-gene associations based on gene ontology guided mining of biomedical literature.
PLoS One Volume: 14 Page(s): e0219195
01/01/2019 Authors: Couch D; Yu Z; Nam JH; Allen C; Ramos PS; da Silveira WA; Hunt KJ; Hazard ES; Hardiman G; Lawson A
An Analytic Approach Using Candidate Gene Selection and Logic Forest to Identify Gene by Environment Interactions (G E) for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in African Americans.
Genes (Basel) Volume: 9
10/15/2018 Authors: Wolf BJ; Ramos PS; Hyer JM; Ramakrishnan V; Gilkeson GS; Hardiman G; Nietert PJ; Kamen DL
Brief Report: Whole-Exome Sequencing to Identify Rare Variants and Gene Networks That Increase Susceptibility to Scleroderma in African Americans.
Arthritis Rheumatol Volume: 70 Page(s): 1654 - 1660
10/01/2018 Authors: Gourh P; Remmers EF; Boyden SE; Alexander T; Morgan ND; Shah AA; Mayes MD; Doumatey A; Bentley AR; Shriner D
ShinyGPA: An interactive visualization toolkit for investigating pleiotropic architecture using GWAS datasets.
PLoS One Volume: 13 Page(s): e0190949
01/01/2018 Authors: Kortemeier E; Ramos PS; Hunt KJ; Kim HJ; Hardiman G; Chung D
Clinical and serological features of systemic sclerosis in a multicenter African American cohort: Analysis of the genome research in African American scleroderma patients clinical database.
Medicine (Baltimore) Volume: 96 Page(s): e8980
12/01/2017 Authors: Morgan ND; Shah AA; Mayes MD; Domsic RT; Medsger TA; Steen VD; Varga J; Carns M; Ramos PS; Silver RM
Impact of common genetic determinants of Hemoglobin A1c on type 2 diabetes risk and diagnosis in ancestrally diverse populations: A transethnic genome-wide meta-analysis.
PLoS Med Volume: 14 Page(s): e1002383
09/01/2017 Authors: Wheeler E; Leong A; Liu C-T; Hivert M-F; Strawbridge RJ; Podmore C; Li M; Yao J; Sim X; Hong J
Population Genetics and Natural Selection in Rheumatic Disease.
Rheum Dis Clin North Am Volume: 43 Page(s): 313 - 326
08/01/2017 Authors: Ramos PS
Transancestral mapping and genetic load in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Nat Commun Volume: 8 Page(s): 16021
07/17/2017 Authors: Langefeld CD; Ainsworth HC; Cunninghame Graham DS; Kelly JA; Comeau ME; Marion MC; Howard TD; Ramos PS; Croker JA; Morris DL
An evaluation of common methods for dichotomization of continuous variables to discriminate disease status.
Commun Stat Theory Methods Volume: 46 Page(s): 10823 - 10834
01/01/2017 Authors: Prince Nelson SL; Ramakrishnan V; Nietert PJ; Kamen DL; Ramos PS; Wolf BJ
GPA-MDS: A Visualization Approach to Investigate Genetic Architecture among Phenotypes Using GWAS Results.
Int J Genomics Volume: 2016 Page(s): 6589843
01/01/2016 Authors: Wei W; Ramos PS; Hunt KJ; Wolf BJ; Hardiman G; Chung D
Genetics of systemic sclerosis: recent advances.
Curr Opin Rheumatol Volume: 27 Page(s): 521 - 529
11/01/2015 Authors: Ramos PS; Silver RM; Feghali-Bostwick CA
Genetics of autoimmune diseases: insights from population genetics.
J Hum Genet Volume: 60 Page(s): 657 - 664
11/01/2015 Authors: Ramos PS; Shedlock AM; Langefeld CD
Lupus nephritis susceptibility loci in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.
J Am Soc Nephrol Volume: 25 Page(s): 2859 - 2870
12/01/2014 Authors: Chung SA; Brown EE; Williams AH; Ramos PS; Berthier CC; Bhangale T; Alarcon-Riquelme ME; Behrens TW; Criswell LA; Graham DC
Genes associated with SLE are targets of recent positive selection.
Autoimmune Dis Volume: 2014 Page(s): 203435
01/01/2014 Authors: Ramos PS; Shaftman SR; Ward RC; Langefeld CD
Variable association of reactive intermediate genes with systemic lupus erythematosus in populations with different African ancestry.
J Rheumatol Volume: 40 Page(s): 842 - 849
06/01/2013 Authors: Ramos PS; Oates JC; Kamen DL; Williams AH; Gaffney PM; Kelly JA; Kaufman KM; Kimberly RP; Niewold TB; Jacob CO
Brief report: enrichment of associations in genes with fibrosis, apoptosis, and innate immunity functions with cardiac manifestations of neonatal lupus.
Arthritis Rheum Volume: 64 Page(s): 4060 - 4065
12/01/2012 Authors: Ramos PS; Marion MC; Langefeld CD; International Consortium on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Genetics; Buyon JP; Clancy RM
Genome-wide association analysis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis identifies a new susceptibility locus at chromosomal region 3q13.
Arthritis Rheum Volume: 64 Page(s): 2781 - 2791
08/01/2012 Authors: Thompson SD; Marion MC; Sudman M; Ryan M; Tsoras M; Howard TD; Barnes MG; Ramos PS; Thomson W; Hinks A
Immune function genes CD99L2, JARID2 and TPO show association with autism spectrum disorder.
Mol Autism Volume: 3 Page(s): 4
06/09/2012 Authors: Ramos PS; Sajuthi S; Langefeld CD; Walker SJ
Identification of IRF8, TMEM39A, and IKZF3-ZPBP2 as susceptibility loci for systemic lupus erythematosus in a large-scale multiracial replication study.
Am J Hum Genet Volume: 90 Page(s): 648 - 660
04/06/2012 Authors: Lessard CJ; Adrianto I; Ice JA; Wiley GB; Kelly JA; Glenn SB; Adler AJ; Li H; Rasmussen A; Williams AH
Preferential transmission of genetic risk variants of candidate loci at 6p21 from asymptomatic grandparents to mothers of children with neonatal lupus.
Arthritis Rheum Volume: 64 Page(s): 931 - 939
03/01/2012 Authors: Saxena A; McDonnell E; Ramos PS; Sajuthi S; Marion MC; Langefeld CD; Buyon JP; Clancy RM
A comprehensive analysis of shared loci between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and sixteen autoimmune diseases reveals limited genetic overlap.
PLoS Genet Volume: 7 Page(s): e1002406
12/01/2011 Authors: Ramos PS; Criswell LA; Moser KL; Comeau ME; Williams AH; Pajewski NM; Chung SA; Graham RR; Zidovetzki R; Kelly JA
Genetic analyses of interferon pathway-related genes reveal multiple new loci associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Arthritis Rheum Volume: 63 Page(s): 2049 - 2057
07/01/2011 Authors: Ramos PS; Williams AH; Ziegler JT; Comeau ME; Guy RT; Lessard CJ; Li H; Edberg JC; Zidovetzki R; Criswell LA
Identification of candidate loci at 6p21 and 21q22 in a genome-wide association study of cardiac manifestations of neonatal lupus.
Arthritis Rheum Volume: 62 Page(s): 3415 - 3424
11/01/2010 Authors: Clancy RM; Marion MC; Kaufman KM; Ramos PS; Adler A; International Consortium on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Genetics; Harley JB; Langefeld CD; Buyon JP
The susceptibility loci juvenile idiopathic arthritis shares with other autoimmune diseases extend to PTPN2, COG6, and ANGPT1.
Arthritis Rheum Volume: 62 Page(s): 3265 - 3276
11/01/2010 Authors: Thompson SD; Sudman M; Ramos PS; Marion MC; Ryan M; Tsoras M; Weiler T; Wagner M; Keddache M; Haas JP
Genetic factors predisposing to systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis.
Semin Nephrol Volume: 30 Page(s): 164 - 176
03/01/2010 Authors: Ramos PS; Brown EE; Kimberly RP; Langefeld CD
Variation in the ATP-binding cassette transporter 2 gene is a separate risk factor for systemic lupus erythematosus within the MHC.
Genes Immun Volume: 10 Page(s): 350 - 355
06/01/2009 Authors: Ramos PS; Langefeld CD; Bera LA; Gaffney PM; Noble JA; Moser KL
Evidence of association for primary Sjogren's syndrome candidate genes.
Volume: 54 Page(s): S254 - S254
09/01/2006 Authors: Ramos PS; Emamian ES; Patel DC; Tobon LM; Behrens TW; Huang AJW; Rhodus NL; Segal B; Gaffney PM; Moser KL
Familial aggregation and linkage analysis of autoantibody traits in pedigrees multiplex for systemic lupus erythematosus.
Genes Immun Volume: 7 Page(s): 417 - 432
07/01/2006 Authors: Ramos PS; Kelly JA; Gray-McGuire C; Bruner GR; Leiran AN; Meyer CM; Namjou B; Espe KJ; Ortmann WA; Reichlin M
Progress towards understanding the genetic pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Novartis Found Symp Volume: 267 Page(s): 145 - 160
01/01/2005 Authors: Behrens TW; Graham RR; Kyogoku C; Baechler EC; Ramos PS; Gillett C; Bauer J; Ortmann WA; Hippen KL; Peterson E
Evidence of linkage to autoimmunity predisposing loci on chromosomes 4q35 and 16q23 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pedigrees.
Volume: 50 Page(s): S460 - S461
09/01/2004 Authors: Ramos PS; Kelly JA; Leiran AN; Meyer CM; Espe KJ; Ortmann WA; Brunner GR; Olson JM; Behrens TW; Harley JB
Genetic association of the R620W polymorphism of protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN22 with human SLE.
Am J Hum Genet Volume: 75 Page(s): 504 - 507
09/01/2004 Authors: Kyogoku C; Langefeld CD; Ortmann WA; Lee A; Selby S; Carlton VEH; Chang M; Ramos P; Baechler EC; Batliwalla FM
Linkage analyses using autoantibody traits as intermediate phenotypes in lupus pedigrees.
Volume: 73 Page(s): 501 - 501
11/01/2003 Authors: Ramos PS; Kelly JA; Meyer CM; Leiran AN; Ortmann WA; Espe KJ; Bruner GR; Olson JM; Harley JB; Moser KL
Familial aggregation and linkage analyses of autoantibody traits in lupus pedigrees.
Volume: 48 Page(s): S382 - S382
09/01/2003 Authors: Ramos PS; Kelly JA; Meyer CM; Leiran AN; Ortmann WA; Espe KJ; Bruner GR; Olson JM; Harley JB; Moser KL

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