DURHAM, N.C. -- Dr. Alvin F. Wells, a senior rheumatology fellow at Duke University Medical Center, has been awarded a $315,000 grant by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study the mechanisms of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation created the four-year award to increase the number of under-represented minorities on the faculty at medical centers throughout the United States. The award is presented to minority physicians who have demonstrated superior academic and clinical skills, and who show commitment to careers in academic medicine.