On Aug. 23, 2025, Duke was designated as a World Association for Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG)-recognized Center of Excellence (COE).
Sarcoidosis affects the heart, lungs, kidney, skin, and joints and can lead to sudden death. The condition causes collections of immune system cells called granulomas to deposit in various tissues. Granulomas most commonly occur in the lungs, heart, and lymph nodes of the chest. The exact cause of sarcoidosis is unknown, and there is currently no cure for it.
“This is a great resource for our pathologists,” said Duke Division Chief of Cardiovascular Pathology Carolyn Glass, MD, PhD. “When they diagnose sarcoid, we now have a center of excellence with inter-disciplinary specialized clinicians who we know will be taking care of these patients. It’s quite an honor to have earned this designation, which was based on various metrics, patient volume, research, and clinical expertise.”
The Duke Sarcoid Group meets regularly to review challenging patient cases, discuss optimizing clinical workflow, and collaborate on clinically relevant high-impact publications.
Five years ago, Associate Professor of Medicine in Cardiology Ravi Karra, MD, MHS, who has a secondary appointment in Pathology, reached out to Glass, an associate professor of pathology, to ask her to join the interdisciplinary team that would comprise the Sarcoidosis COE. The initial founding team also included Jay Doss, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine and a rheumatologist; and Hakim Azfar Avi, MD, an associate professor of medicine, a pulmonologist, and a critical care specialist.
“This is a terrific acknowledgement for the sarcoid program that we have put to together at Duke over the past few years,” said Karra, director of the Duke Cardiac Sarcoidosis program. “We have grown to be one of the largest cardiac sarcoidosis programs in the country. Being designated as a WASOG-recognized COE for sarcoidosis affirms our commitment to delivering comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to patients living with this complex disease. It reflects the dedication of our team to advancing clinical excellence, fostering collaborative research, and improving outcomes through innovation. This recognition not only validates the quality of care we provide but also strengthens our role as a trusted referral center for providers and for patients navigating sarcoidosis.”
Glass also collaborates with Jonathan Seidman, PhD, Henrietta B. and Frederick H. Bugher Foundation professor at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Genetics to investigate the cause of the condition at the molecular level.
Congratulations also to our entire Precision Cardiomyopathy team – with special thanks to Nurse Practitioner Johana Fajardo for improving our operations to meet WASOG standards of care; Clinical Services Nurse II Martha Anders; and Cardiology Staff Assistant Chrissie King for ensuring high quality in multi-disciplinary visits and for keeping the clinic running as the center has picked up steam