CARRA Announces the 2026 Community Award Winners

Washington, DC, (APRIL 17, 2026) – The Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 CARRA Community Awards.

The awards, which were presented at CARRA’s Annual Scientific Meeting this month, honor people who have made outstanding achievements in advancing pediatric rheumatology research and played important roles in the CARRA community. This year’s winners have shown tremendous dedication to CARRA’s mission to unite the pediatric rheumatology community to drive research and transform the lives of children with rheumatic diseases.

“Our Community Awards recognize individuals who exemplify collaboration, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children with rheumatic diseases,” said Stacy Ardoin, MD, CARRA President. “We are delighted to celebrate their accomplishments, and we are truly grateful for their contributions to pediatric rheumatology research and to our CARRA community.”

This year, CARRA introduced two new award categories – the Outstanding Fellow Award and the Excellence in Mentorship Award. During the Annual Scientific Meeting, CARRA launched an initiative called Mentors Who Made Us to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of pediatric rheumatology. Mentors Who Made Us celebrates this golden anniversary through physician-led tributes to their mentors, while helping ensure the next generation of physicians receives the same encouragement, wisdom, and opportunity.

We are pleased to present the 2026 CARRA Community Award Winners:

Outstanding Early Investigator Award
Anna E. Patrick, MD, PhD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Outstanding Workgroup Leader Award
Jennifer Woo, PhD, MPH, of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 

The Kelly Mieszkalski Outstanding Registry Coordinator Award
Joanne Drew, MFA, CCRP, of Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Outstanding Fellow Award
Brittney Newby, MD, PhD, of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Excellence in Mentorship Award
Vidya Sivaraman, MD, of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University

Outstanding Patient/Caregiver Award
Suzanne Edison, MA, MFA, of Cure JM
Anna Sutton, MPH, of University of Washington

Outstanding Service Award
Daniel B. Horton, MD, MSCE, FISPE, of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School & Rutgers School of Public Health

President’s Award
Carol Wallace, MD, Professor Emeritus of University of Washington
Rae Yeung, MD, PhD, FRCPC, of University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute

CARRA would like to thank all of this year’s winners (and the many outstanding nominees) for their commitment to pediatric rheumatology research and to our CARRA community.

About the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA):
CARRA’s mission is to unite the pediatric rheumatology community to drive research and transform the lives of children with rheumatic diseases. Formed in 2002 by a small group of dedicated physicians, CARRA now has 800 members at more than 120 institutions. CARRA has built the largest observational multi-center Registry for pediatric rheumatic disease, as well as a biobank. CARRA is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit. Learn more about CARRA. Check out Mentors Who Made Us.