Betty P. Tsao, PhD

Dr. Betty Tsao is a Professor of Medicine, SmartState® Endowed Chair in Inflammation Research, Division of Rheumatology & Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina since 2015.  Before that, she spent approximately 30 years at UCLA; starting as a postdoctoral fellow and rising to become a full Professor in 2000.  Betty received her Bachelor of Science degree from the National Taiwan University, the Master of Science degree from Southern Illinois University, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree from University of Pittsburgh.  Dr. Tsao’s research interest has been the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She has authored more than 140 peer-reviewed research papers and over 40 book chapters or reviews. Her current research includes investigations in genetics, epigenetics, biomarkers and targeted treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. She is a founding member of international SLE genetic consortium and has actively worked in the identification of SLE risk loci, the localization of underlying risk variants, and the characterization of functional consequences leading to disease manifestations. The Tsao laboratory is currently funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Lupus Research Alliance.