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Pediatric Rheumatology
Sara Sabbagh, DO

Sara Sabbagh, DO

Associate Professor

Contact Information

Education

DO, Touro University, Nevada
Residency, Pediatrics, University of South Florida
Fellowship, Pediatric Rheumatology, Children's National Medical Center and NIH/NIAMS
BS, Molecular Biology and Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Children's Wisconsin Physician Profile

Biography

Dr. Sara Sabbagh is an associate professor of pediatrics in the division of rheumatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Wisconsin. She is a physician-scientist specializing in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and other idiopathic inflammatory myopathies affecting children.

Dr. Sabbagh's research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of vasculopathy – blood vessel dysfunction – in juvenile dermatomyositis. Her long-term goal is to translate these discoveries into novel targeted therapies that improve outcomes for children with this rare autoimmune disease. Her work investigates how immune cells, particularly macrophages and regulatory T cells, interact with blood vessel cells to drive inflammation and tissue damage in JDM.

As a clinician, Dr. Sabbagh brings extensive expertise in caring for children with inflammatory myopathies. She completed her pediatric rheumatology fellowship at Children's National Medical Center and National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIAMS). Following fellowship, she received specialized clinical training in myositis assessments under internationally recognized experts in myositis at the NIH.

Dr. Sabbagh is deeply committed to collaborative research and improving care for children with JDM. She is a member of the Cure JM Clinical Care Network (view the full list of members on their website) and serves as Vice Chair of the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies (IMACS) Meeting Committee, where she helps determine international research priorities and disseminate new developments in myositis research to physicians, researchers, and patient representatives from more than 25 countries. She is also a founding member of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Translational Medicine for Juvenile Myositis working group, which employs collaborative cutting edge bioinformatic and translational science approaches to understand how we can develop precision medicine for myositis patient care and treatment.

Dr. Sabbagh earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Touro University Nevada and holds dual bachelor's degrees in Molecular Biology and Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Rheumatology and maintains an active clinical practice while pursuing her research mission to improve outcomes for children with inflammatory muscle diseases.

Clinical Expertise

  • Juvenile dermatomyositis and inflammatory myopathies
  • Pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
  • Pediatric vasculitis
  • Complex pediatric rheumatic diseases

Selected Leadership & Service

  • Vice Chair, IMACS Meeting Committee (2025-present)
  • Clinical Director, Cure JM Clinical Care Network at Children's Wisconsin (2021-present)
  • Founding Member, CARRA Translational Medicine for Juvenile Myositis Working Group
  • Principal Investigator, CARRA Registry at MCW

Honors and Awards

Myositis UK Early Investigator Speed Funding Competition Winner (2024)
Top Provider in Patient Experience, Children's Wisconsin (2023)
APS SPR Journeys & Frontiers in Pediatric Research Cohort (2023)
American Academy of Pediatrics Earl J. Brewer Research Award (2018)
Cure JM Foundation Research Fellowship Award (2018)

Research Interests

  • Mechanisms of vasculopathy in juvenile dermatomyositis
  • Macrophage and regulatory T cell dysfunction in inflammatory myopathies
  • Notch signaling pathway in muscle inflammation and vascular repair
  • Autoantibody characterization and clinical associations
  • Translational approaches to novel targeted therapies for JDM

Publications

Publications of Sara Sabbagh DO from the Faculty Collaboration Database

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