Andrew Mammen, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Andrew Mammen and researchers at the Muscle Disease Unit (MDU) study myositis, a family of autoimmune diseases that affect skeletal muscle and, in many cases, other organs such as the skin, lungs, and joints. These diseases include dermatomyositis, polymyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, and inclusion body myositis. Members of the MDU direct their efforts towards understanding the classification, natural history, and pathologic mechanisms of these diseases with the goal of improving diagnostic and treatment strategies. Current projects include the following:

• Defining the different subtypes of autoimmune muscle disease based on muscle histology, autoantibodies, and other biomarkers.
• Elucidating the role of myositis autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of myositis.
• Developing animal models of myositis that are relevant to the human diseases.
• Understanding how environmental exposures, including medications such as statins and cancer immunotherapies, can trigger autoimmune muscle disease.
• Using novel therapeutic strategies to treat myositis patients at the NIH Clinical Center.

After obtaining his M.D. and Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Mammen completed his neurology residency and neuromuscular fellowship at the same institution. He co-founded the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center in 2007. He and his colleagues discovered a novel form of autoimmune myopathy associated with statin use and autoantibodies recognizing HMG-CoA reductase, the pharmacologic target of statins. In 2014, Dr. Mammen moved to the NIH, where he is an Investigator and Leader of the Muscle Disease Unit. In addition to seeing myositis patients at the NIH Clinical Center, he maintains an appointment as Adjunct Professor of Neurology and Medicine at Hopkins, where he continues to see patients at the Myositis Center.