Suzanne C Li, MD

As a board-certified pediatric rheumatologist, I help children and teens who have inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, lupus, dermatomyositis, periodic fever syndromes, scleroderma, and vasculitis. I was drawn to the field because I saw there was a great need to better understand how to manage and treat these diseases, to help kids grow up normally despite having a rheumatic disease. Throughout my career, I have been involved in research to improve our understanding of disease processes, evaluate treatments, and improve our ability to assess and manage the diseases. Because these diseases are rare, I have collaborated with other physicians nationally and internationally to study and foster research in these diseases, including serving for 6 years as chair of the Rare Diseases committee of CARRA, the North American pediatric rheumatology network. I have a special interest and expertise in scleroderma and other diseases associated with skin hardening. My research in this area, with national and international collaborations, has helped to make Hackensack University Medical Center a pediatric scleroderma center of excellence.