Erica Lawson, MD

Dr. Lawson is a pediatric rheumatologist and medical educator at the University of California, San Francisco, where she joined the faculty in 2013. She provides care to children, teens and young adults with chronic rheumatic disease. Dr. Lawson’s main research interest is the improvement of long-term outcomes and access to care for individuals with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases, with a focus on health disparities. She serves as Program Director for the UCSF Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship, and the Pediatric Clerkship Director for the UCSF School of Medicine.
Education
2018 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
Certificate in Implementation Science, 2014 - Epidemiology, UCSF
Fellowship training, 2012 - Pediatric Rheumatology, UCSF
Certificate in Clinical Research, 2011 - Epidemiology, UCSF
Residency training, 2008 - Pediatrics, University of Washington / Seattle Children's Hospital
MD, 2005 - Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis
BA, 2001 - English Language & Literature, University of Michigan
Honors and Awards
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, UCSF School of Medicine, 2020
  • The Caring Tree Award, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, 2016
  • Jessica Saul Award for Exceptional Service to Youth and their Families, Arthritis Foundation, 2013
  • Distinguished Fellow Award, American College of Rheumatology, 2012
  • George F. Gill Prize in Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, 2005
  • Distinguished Student Scholarship, Washington University School of Medicine, 2001

  1. Fawole OA, Reed MV, Harris JG, Hersh A, Rodriguez M, Onel K, Lawson E, Rubinstein T, Ardalan K, Morgan E, Paul A, Barlin J, Daly RP, Dave M, Malloy S, Hume S, Schrandt S, Marrow L, Chapson A, Napoli D, Napoli M, Moyer M, Delgaizo V, Danguecan A, von Scheven E, Knight A, CARRA Investigators. Correction: Engaging patients and parents to improve mental health intervention for youth with rheumatological disease. Pediatric rheumatology online journal 2024. PMID: 38365775


  2. Soulsby WD, Lawson E, Okumura M, Pantell MS. Socioeconomic Factors are Associated with Severity of Hospitalization in Pediatric Lupus: An Analysis of the 2016 Kids' Inpatient Database. Arthritis care & research 2023. PMID: 36971263


  3. Van Citters AD, Taxter AJ, Mathew SD, Lawson E, Eseddi J, Del Gaizo V, Ahmad J, Bajaj P, Courtnay S, Davila L, Donaldson B, Kimura Y, Lee T, Mecchella JN, Nelson EC, Pompa S, Tabussi D, Johnson LC. Enhancing Care Partnerships Using a Rheumatology Dashboard: Bringing Together What Matters Most to Both Patients and Clinicians. ACR Open Rheumatology 2023. PMID: 36852527


  4. Chang JC, Sears C, Bitencourt N, Peterson R, Alperin R, Goh YI, Overbury RS, Sadun R, Smitherman E, White PH, Lawson EF, Carandang K, CARRA Transition Workgroup. Implementation of rheumatology health care transition processes and adaptations to systems under stress: a mixed methods study. 2021. PMID: 34806346


  5. Soulsby WD, Lawson E, Pantell MS. Cumulative Social Disadvantage is Associated with Childhood Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the National Survey of Children's Health. Arthritis care & research 2022. PMID: 35904964


  6. Smitherman EA, Chahine RA, Bitencourt N, Rahman AKMF, Lawson EF, Chang JC, CARRA Registry Investigators and CARRA Transition Workgroup. Patient-Reported Outcomes Among Transition-Age Young Adults With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry. The Journal of rheumatology 2022. PMID: 36109074


  7. Bitencourt N, Lawson E, Bridges J, Carandang K, Chintagunta E, Chiraseveenuprapund P, DeQuattro K, Goh YI, Lee TC, Moore KF, Peterson RG, Roberts JE, Ronis T, Sadun RE, Smitherman EA, Stringer E, White PH, Chang JC, Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Transition Workgroup. Pediatric to Adult Transition Literature: Scoping Review and Rheumatology Research Prioritization Survey Results. The Journal of rheumatology 2022. PMID: 35914787


  8. Taxter A, Johnson L, Tabussi D, Kimura Y, Donaldson B, Lawson E, Del Gaizo V, Vitelli D, Pinter C, Van Citters A, Nelson E, Lee T. Co-Design of an Electronic Dashboard to Support Coproduction of Care in Pediatric Rheumatic Disease: Human-Centered Design and Usability Testing. 2022. PMID: 35133283


  9. Soulsby WD, Balmuri N, Cooley V, Gerber LM, Lawson E, Goodman S, Onel K, Mehta B, CARRA Registry Investigators. Social determinants of health influence disease activity and functional disability in Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. 2022. PMID: 35255941


  10. Yildirim-Toruner C, Pooni R, Goh YI, Becker-Haimes E, Dearing JW, Fernandez ME, Morgan EM, Parry G, Burnham JM, Ardoin SP, Barbar-Smiley F, Chang JC, Chiraseveenuprapund P, Del Gaizo V, Eakin G, Johnson LC, Kimura Y, Knight AM, Kohlheim M, Lawson EF, Lo MS, Pan N, Ring A, Ronis T, Sadun RE, Smitherman EA, Taxter AJ, Taylor J, Vehe RK, Vora SS, Weiss JE, von Scheven E, MAS for the CARRA Implementation Science Workgroup. Translating research into practice-implementation recommendations for pediatric rheumatology; Proceedings of the childhood arthritis and rheumatology research alliance 2020 implementation science retreat. 2022. PMID: 35130904


  11. Sadun RE, Covert LT, Lawson EF. Transitioning to Adulthood with a Rheumatic Disease: A Case-Based Approach for Rheumatology Care Teams. 2022. PMID: 34798943


  12. Balmuri N, Soulsby WD, Cooley V, Gerber L, Lawson E, Goodman S, Onel K, Mehta B, CARRA Registry Investigators,. Community poverty level influences time to first pediatric rheumatology appointment in Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. 2021. PMID: 34391453


  13. Fawole OA, Reed MV, Harris JG, Hersh A, Rodriguez M, Onel K, Lawson E, Rubinstein T, Ardalan K, Morgan E, Paul A, Barlin J, Daly RP, Dave M, Malloy S, Hume S, Schrandt S, Marrow L, Chapson A, Napoli D, Napoli M, Moyer M, Delgaizo V, Danguecan A, von Scheven E, Knight A, CARRA Investigators. Engaging patients and parents to improve mental health intervention for youth with rheumatological disease. Pediatric rheumatology online journal 2021. PMID: 33622346


  14. Johnson KR, Edens C, Sadun RE, Chira P, Hersh AO, Goh YI, Hui-Yuen J, Singer NG, Spiegel LR, Stinson JN, White PH, Lawson E, CARRA Transition Workgroup. Differences in Healthcare Transition Views, Practices, and Barriers Among North American Pediatric Rheumatology Clinicians From 2010 to 2018. The Journal of rheumatology 2021. PMID: 33526621


  15. Haro SL, Lawson EF, Hersh AO. Disease activity and health-care utilization among young adults with childhood-onset lupus transitioning to adult care: data from the Pediatric Lupus Outcomes Study. Lupus 2020. PMID: 32640935


  16. Zisman D, Samad A, Ardoin SP, Chira P, White P, Lavi I, von Scheven E, Lawson EF, Hing M, Mellins ED. US Adult Rheumatologists' Perspectives on the Transition Process for Young Adults With Rheumatic Conditions. Arthritis care & research 2020. PMID: 30740937


  17. Chang JC, Knight AM, Lawson EF. Patterns of Healthcare Use and Medication Adherence among Youth with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus during Transfer from Pediatric to Adult Care. The Journal of rheumatology 2020. PMID: 32007936


  18. Heshin-Bekenstein M, Trupin L, Yelin E, von Scheven E, Yazdany J, Lawson EF. Longitudinal disease- and steroid-related damage among adults with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus. Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism 2019. PMID: 31235075


  19. Connelly M, Schanberg LE, Ardoin S, Blakley M, Carrasco R, Chira P, Hayward K, Ibarra M, Kimura Y, Kingsbury DJ, Klein-Gitelman MS, Lawson E, Stinson J. Multisite Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating an Online Self-Management Program for Adolescents With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Journal of pediatric psychology 2019. PMID: 30204919


  20. Heshin-Bekenstein M, Perl L, Hersh AO, von Scheven E, Yelin E, Trupin L, Yazdany J, Lawson EF. Final adult height of patients with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross sectional analysis. Pediatric rheumatology online journal 2018. PMID: 29688869


  21. Ling N, Lawson E, von Scheven E. Adverse pregnancy outcomes in adolescents and young women with systemic lupus erythematosus: a national estimate. Pediatric rheumatology online journal 2018. PMID: 29661199


  22. Knight AM, Trupin L, Katz P, Yelin E, Lawson EF. Depression Risk in Young Adults With Juvenile- and Adult-Onset Lupus: Twelve Years of Followup. Arthritis care & research 2018. PMID: 28544568


  23. Megumi J. Okumura, Erica Lawson. Developing the Process for Transferring Care from Pediatric to Adult Providers. Health Care Transition 2018. PMID:


  24. Morishita KA, Moorthy LN, Lubieniecka JM, Twilt M, Yeung RSM, Toth MB, Shenoi S, Ristic G, Nielsen SM, Luqmani RA, Li SC, Lee T, Lawson EF, Kostik MM, Klein-Gitelman M, Huber AM, Hersh AO, Foell D, Elder ME, Eberhard BA, Dancey P, Charuvanij S, Benseler SM, Cabral DA, ARChiVe Investigators Network within the PedVas Initiative. Early Outcomes in Children With Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) 2017. PMID: 28371513


  25. Lawson EF, Mellins ED. Paediatric rheumatic diseases: Navigating the transition from paediatric to adult care. Nature reviews. Rheumatology 2017. PMID: 28202918


  26. Cabral DA, Canter DL, Muscal E, Nanda K, Wahezi DM, Spalding SJ, Twilt M, Benseler SM, Campillo S, Charuvanij S, Dancey P, Eberhard BA, Elder ME, Hersh A, Higgins GC, Huber AM, Khubchandani R, Kim S, Klein-Gitelman M, Kostik MM, Lawson EF, Lee T, Lubieniecka JM, McCurdy D, Moorthy LN, Morishita KA, Nielsen SM, O'Neil KM, Reiff A, Ristic G, Robinson AB, Sarmiento A, Shenoi S, Toth MB, Van Mater HA, Wagner-Weiner L, Weiss JE, White AJ, Yeung RS, ARChiVe Investigators Network within the PedVas Initiative. Comparing Presenting Clinical Features in 48 Children With Microscopic Polyangiitis to 183 Children Who Have Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis (Wegener's): An ARChiVe Cohort Study. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) 2016. PMID: 27111558


  27. Erica F Lawson, Aimee O Hersh. CE-41 Disease activity and health care utilisation among young adults with childhood-onset lupus transitioning to adult care: data from the paediatric lupus outcomes study. Lupus science & medicine 2016. PMID:


  28. Murray SG, Schmajuk G, Trupin L, Lawson E, Cascino M, Barton J, Margaretten M, Katz PP, Yelin EH, Yazdany J. A population-based study of infection-related hospital mortality in patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis. Arthritis care & research 2015. PMID: 25331828


  29. Lawson EF, Trupin L, Yelin EH, Yazdany J. Reasons for failure to receive pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations among immunosuppressed patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism 2015. PMID: 25701500


  30. Rouster-Stevens KA, Ardoin SP, Cooper AM, Becker ML, Dragone LL, Huttenlocher A, Jones KB, Kolba KS, Moorthy LN, Nigrovic PA, Stinson JN, Ferguson PJ, American College of Rheumatology Pediatric Rheumatology Core Membership Group. Choosing Wisely: the American College of Rheumatology's Top 5 for pediatric rheumatology. Arthritis care & research 2014. PMID: 24756998


  31. Lawson EF, Hersh AO, Trupin L, von Scheven E, Okumura MJ, Yazdany J, Yelin EH. Educational and vocational outcomes of adults with childhood- and adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: nine years of followup. Arthritis care & research 2014. PMID: 24877200


  32. Kraus V, Lawson EF, von Scheven E, Tihan T, Garza J, Nathan RG, Cordoro KM, Waubant E. Atypical cases of scleroderma en coup de sabre. Journal of child neurology 2014. PMID: 24667737


  33. Erica F. Lawson, Laura Trupin, Aimee O. Hersh, Emily von Scheven, Edward H. Yelin, Jinoos Yazdany. A168: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus In-Hospital Mortality Risk Across Ages: A National Estimate. Arthritis & Rheumatology 2014. PMID:


  34. Baidoobonso S, Bauer GR, Speechley KN, Lawson E, BLACCH Study Team. HIV risk perception and distribution of HIV risk among African, Caribbean and other Black people in a Canadian city: mixed methods results from the BLACCH study. 2013. PMID: 23452410


  35. Applebaum MA, Lawson EF, von Scheven E. Perception of transition readiness and preferences for use of technology in transition programs: teens' ideas for the future. International journal of adolescent medicine and health 2013. PMID: 23740658


  36. Morishita K, Guzman J, Chira P, Muscal E, Zeft A, Klein-Gitelman M, Uribe AG, Abramson L, Benseler SM, Eberhard A, Ede K, Hashkes PJ, Hersh AO, Higgins G, Imundo LF, Jung L, Kim S, Kingsbury DJ, Lawson EF, Lee T, Li SC, Lovell DJ, Mason T, McCurdy D, O'Neil KM, Punaro M, Ramsey SE, Reiff A, Rosenkranz M, Schikler KN, Scuccimarri R, Singer NG, Stevens AM, van Mater H, Wahezi DM, White AJ, Cabral DA, ARChiVe Investigators Network. Do adult disease severity subclassifications predict use of cyclophosphamide in children with ANCA-associated vasculitis? An analysis of ARChiVe study treatment decisions. The Journal of rheumatology 2012. PMID: 22859342


  37. Emily Von Scheven, Lori B Tucker, Lakshmi N Moorthy, Erica F Lawson, Carolyn Neville, Deborah DaCosta, Paul R Fortin. Improving transition readiness and quality of life (QOL) with a pediatric lupus health passport. Pediatric Rheumatology 2012. PMID:


  38. Erica F Lawson, Aimee O Hersh, Laura Trupin, Emily Von Scheven, Edward H Yelin. Long-term education and employment outcomes in pediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus. Pediatric Rheumatology 2012. PMID:


  39. Uribe AG, Huber AM, Kim S, O'Neil KM, Wahezi DM, Abramson L, Baszis K, Benseler SM, Bowyer SL, Campillo S, Chira P, Hersh AO, Higgins GC, Eberhard A, Ede K, Imundo LF, Jung L, Kingsbury DJ, Klein-Gitelman M, Lawson EF, Li SC, Lovell DJ, Mason T, McCurdy D, Muscal E, Nassi L, Rabinovich E, Reiff A, Rosenkranz M, Schikler KN, Singer NG, Spalding S, Stevens AM, Cabral DA, ARegistry for Children with Vasculitis e-entry (ARChiVe) Network. Increased sensitivity of the European medicines agency algorithm for classification of childhood granulomatosis with polyangiitis. The Journal of rheumatology 2012. PMID: 22589257


  40. Morishita K, Li SC, Muscal E, Spalding S, Guzman J, Uribe A, Abramson L, Baszis K, Benseler S, Bowyer S, Campillo S, Chira P, Hersh AO, Higgins G, Eberhard A, Ede K, Imundo L, Jung L, Kim S, Kingsbury DJ, Klein-Gitelman M, Lawson EF, Lovell DJ, Mason T, McCurdy D, Nanda K, Nassi L, O'Neil KM, Rabinovich E, Ramsey SE, Reiff A, Rosenkranz M, Schikler K, Stevens A, Wahezi D, Cabral DA, ARChiVe Investigators Network. Assessing the performance of the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score at diagnosis for children with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis in A Registry for Childhood Vasculitis (ARChiVe). The Journal of rheumatology 2012. PMID: 22337238


  41. Lawson EF, Yazdany J. Healthcare quality in systemic lupus erythematosus: using Donabedian's conceptual framework to understand what we know. International journal of clinical rheumatology 2012. PMID: 22448191


  42. Lawson EF, Hersh AO, Applebaum MA, Yelin EH, Okumura MJ, von Scheven E. Self-management skills in adolescents with chronic rheumatic disease: A cross-sectional survey. Pediatric rheumatology online journal 2011. PMID: 22145642


  43. Freeman ER, Bloom DA, McGuire EJ. A brief history of testosterone. The Journal of urology 2001. PMID: 11176375