Kristi Kuhn, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Medicine-Rheumatology

Professional Titles

• Head, Division of Rheumatology

Recognition & Awards

• Outstanding Early Career Scholar, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine (2018)
• Bruckel Early Career Investigator Award in AxSpA, Spondyloarthritis Association of America (2018)
• Webb-Warring Early Career Investigator, Boettcher Foundation (2017)
• Rising Star Award, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine (2017)
• Distinguished Fellow Award, American College of Rheumatology (2013)
  
• Distinguished Fellow Award, American College of Rheumatology (2013)

Teaching

Publications

• Seymour BJ, Allen BE, Kuhn KA. Microbial Mechanisms of Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathogenesis. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2024 Feb 1. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 38300467
• Danielson SM, Kuhn KA. IL-10mpting T(H)17 cell fate in the gut. Sci Immunol. 2024 Jan 5;9(91):eadn7536. PubMed PMID: 38181092
• Seymour BJ, Trent B, Allen BE, Berlinberg AJ, Tangchittsumran J, Jubair WK, Chriswell ME, Liu S, Ornelas A, Stahly A, Alexeev EE, Dowdell AS, Sneed SL, Fechtner S, Kofonow JM, Robertson CE, Dillon SM, Wilson CC, Anthony RM, Frank DN, Colgan SP, Kuhn KA. Microbiota-dependent indole production stimulates the development of collagen-induced arthritis in mice. J Clin Invest. 2023 Dec 19. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 38113112
• Alula KM, Dowdell AS, LeBere B, Lee JS, Levens CL, Kuhn KA, Kaipparettu BA, Thompson WE, Blumberg RS, Colgan SP, Theiss AL. Interplay of gut microbiota and host epithelial mitochondrial dysfunction is necessary for the development of spontaneous intestinal inflammation in mice. Microbiome. 2023 Nov 17;11(1):256. PubMed PMID: 37978573
• Fechtner S, Allen BE, Chriswell ME, Jubair WK, Robertson CE, Kofonow JN, Frank DN, Holers VM, Kuhn KA. 3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol and its metabolite 3,3-dimethylbutyrate ameliorate collagen-induced arthritis independent of choline trimethylamine lyase activity. Res Sq. 2023 Sep 5. PubMed PMID: 37720032
• Kuhn KA, Stahly A, Konig MF, Carandang K, Herndon C, Backman C, Callahan LF, Schulert G, Fraenkel L, Ogdie A. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Career Investigators in Rheumatology: Recommendations to Address Challenges to Early Research Careers. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2023 May;75(5):947-955. PubMed PMID: 36342380
• Frank DN, Qiu Y, Cao Y, Zhang S, Lu L, Kofonow JM, Robertson CE, Liu Y, Wang H, Levens CL, Kuhn KA, Song J, Ramakrishnan VR, Lu SL. A dysbiotic microbiome promotes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oncogene. 2022 Jan 28. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 35087236
• Schwartzman M, Ermann J, Kuhn KA, Schwartzman S, Weisman MH. Spondyloarthritis in inflammatory bowel disease cohorts: systematic literature review and critical appraisal of study designs. RMD Open. 2022 Jan;8(1). PubMed PMID: 35046098
• Kuhn KA, Stahly A, Konig MF, Carandang K, Herndon C, Backman C, Callahan LF, Schulert G, Fraenkel L, Ogdie A. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Career Investigators in Rheumatology: Recommendations to Address Challenges to Early Research Careers. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2022 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 36342380
• Holers VM, Kuhn KA, Demoruelle MK, Norris JM, Firestein GS, James EA, Robinson WH, Buckner JH, Deane KD. Mechanism-driven strategies for prevention of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatol Autoimmun. 2022 Sep;2(3):109-119. PubMed PMID: 36312783
• Chriswell ME, Lefferts AR, Clay MR, Hsu AR, Seifert J, Feser ML, Rims C, Bloom MS, Bemis EA, Liu S, Maerz MD, Frank DN, Demoruelle MK, Deane KD, James EA, Buckner JH, Robinson WH, Holers VM, Kuhn KA. Clonal IgA and IgG autoantibodies from individuals at risk for rheumatoid arthritis identify an arthritogenic strain of Subdoligranulum. Sci Transl Med. 2022 Oct 26;14(668):eabn5166. PubMed PMID: 36288282
• Lefferts AR, Norman E, Claypool DJ, Kantheti U, Kuhn KA. Cytokine competent gut-joint migratory T Cells contribute to inflammation in the joint. Front Immunol. 2022;13:932393. PubMed PMID: 36159826
• Kumar R, Maurya AK, Parker KD, Kant R, Ibrahim H, Kabir MI, Kumar D, Weber AM, Agarwal R, Kuhn KA, Ryan EP, Raina K. Gender-based effect of absence of gut microbiota on the protective efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum-fermented rice bran diet against inflammation-associated colon tumorigenesis. Mol Carcinog. 2022 Oct;61(10):941-957. PubMed PMID: 35856887
• Nielsen SH, Stahly A, Regner EH, Bay-Jensen AC, Karsdal MA, Kuhn KA. Novel Biomarker of Collagen Degradation Can Identify Patients Affected With Both Axial Spondyloarthritis and Crohn Disease. J Rheumatol. 2022 Dec;49(12):1335-1340. PubMed PMID: 35705233
• Berlinberg AJ, Brar A, Stahly A, Gerich ME, Fennimore BP, Scott FI, Kuhn KA. A Novel Approach toward Less Invasive Multiomics Gut Analyses: a Pilot Study. Microbiol Spectr. 2022 Apr 27;10(2):e0244621. PubMed PMID: 35343759
• Falloon K, Cohen B, Ananthakrishnan AN, Barnes EL, Bhattacharya A, Colombel JF, Cross RK, Driscoll MS, Fernandez AP, Ha C, Herfarth H, Horst S, Hou J, Husni ME, Kroshinsky D, Kuhn KA, Lowder CY, Martin G, Parikh D, Sayed CJ, Schocket L, Siaton BC, Vedak P, Weisman MH, Rieder F. A United States expert consensus to standardise definitions, follow-up, and treatment targets for extra-intestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2022 May;55(9):1179-1191. PubMed PMID: 35277863
• Frank DN, Qiu Y, Cao Y, Zhang S, Lu L, Kofonow JM, Robertson CE, Liu Y, Wang H, Levens CL, Kuhn KA, Song J, Ramakrishnan VR, Lu SL. A dysbiotic microbiome promotes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oncogene. 2022 Feb;41(9):1269-1280. PubMed PMID: 35087236
• Schwartzman M, Ermann J, Kuhn KA, Schwartzman S, Weisman MH. Spondyloarthritis in inflammatory bowel disease cohorts: systematic literature review and critical appraisal of study designs. RMD Open. 2022 Jan;8(1). PubMed PMID: 35046098
• Lapane KL, Dubé C, Ferrucci K, Khan S, Kuhn KA, Yi E, Kay J, Liu SH. Patient perspectives on health care provider practices leading to an axial spondyloarthritis diagnosis: an exploratory qualitative research study. BMC Fam Pract. 2021 Dec 20;22(1):251. PubMed PMID: 34930136
• Trikha SRJ, Lee DM, Ecton KE, Wrigley SD, Vazquez AR, Litwin NS, Thomas KN, Wei Y, Battson ML, Johnson SA, Kuhn KA, Colgan SP, Gentile CL, Weir TL. Transplantation of an obesity-associated human gut microbiota to mice induces vascular dysfunction and glucose intolerance. Gut Microbes. 2021 Jan-Dec;13(1):1940791. PubMed PMID: 34313540
• Dube CE, Lapane KL, Ferrucci KA, Beccia AL, Khan SK, Yi E, Kay J, Kuhn KA, Ogdie A, Liu SH. Personal Experiences with Diagnostic Delay Among Axial Spondyloarthritis Patients: A Qualitative Study. Rheumatol Ther. 2021 Jun;8(2):1015-1030. PubMed PMID: 34059989
• Lefferts AR, Regner EH, Stahly A, O'Rourke B, Gerich ME, Fennimore BP, Scott FI, Freeman AE, Jones K, Kuhn KA. Circulating mature granzyme B T cells distinguish Crohn's disease-associated axial spondyloarthritis from axial spondyloarthritis and Crohn's disease. Arthritis Res Ther. 2021 May 22;23(1):147. PubMed PMID: 34022940
• Mangalea MR, Paez-Espino D, Kieft K, Chatterjee A, Chriswell ME, Seifert JA, Feser ML, Demoruelle MK, Sakatos A, Anantharaman K, Deane KD, Kuhn KA, Holers VM, Duerkop BA. Individuals at risk for rheumatoid arthritis harbor differential intestinal bacteriophage communities with distinct metabolic potential. Cell Host Microbe. 2021 May 12;29(5):726-739.e5. PubMed PMID: 33957082
• Ashrafi M, Kuhn KA, Weisman MH. The arthritis connection to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): why has it taken so long to understand it?. RMD Open. 2021 Apr;7(1). PubMed PMID: 33863841
• Berlinberg AJ, Regner EH, Stahly A, Brar A, Reisz JA, Gerich ME, Fennimore BP, Scott FI, Freeman AE, Kuhn KA. Multi 'Omics Analysis of Intestinal Tissue in Ankylosing Spondylitis Identifies Alterations in the Tryptophan Metabolism Pathway. Front Immunol. 2021;12:587119. PubMed PMID: 33746944
• Parker KD, Maurya AK, Ibrahim H, Rao S, Hove PR, Kumar D, Kant R, Raina B, Agarwal R, Kuhn KA, Raina K, Ryan EP. Dietary Rice Bran-Modified Human Gut Microbial Consortia Confers Protection against Colon Carcinogenesis Following Fecal Transfaunation. Biomedicines. 2021 Feb 3;9(2). PubMed PMID: 33546192
• Okamato Y, Ghosh T, Okamoto T, Schuyler RP, Seifert J, Charry LL, Visser A, Feser M, Fleischer C, Pedrick C, August J, Moss L, Bemis EA, Norris JM, Kuhn KA, Demoruelle MK, Deane KD, Ghosh D, Holers VM, Hsieh EWY. Subjects at-risk for future development of rheumatoid arthritis demonstrate a PAD4-and TLR-dependent enhanced histone H3 citrullination and proinflammatory cytokine production in CD14(hi) monocytes. J Autoimmun. 2021 Feb;117:102581. PubMed PMID: 33310262
• Okamato Y, Ghosh T, Okamoto T, Schuyler RP, Seifert J, Charry LL, Visser A, Feser M, Fleischer C, Pedrick C, August J, Moss L, Bemis EA, Norris JM, Kuhn KA, Demoruelle MK, Deane KD, Ghosh D, Holers VM, Hsieh EWY. Subjects at-risk for future development of rheumatoid arthritis demonstrate a PAD4-and TLR-dependent enhanced histone H3 citrullination and proinflammatory cytokine production in CD14(hi) monocytes. J Autoimmun. 2020 Dec 9;117:102581. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 33310262
• Wilson TM, Trent B, Kuhn KA, Demoruelle MK. Microbial Influences of Mucosal Immunity in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2020 Oct 6;22(11):83. PubMed PMID: 33025188
• Berlinberg A, Kuhn KA. Barrier lymphocytes in spondyloarthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2020 Jul;32(4):343-348. PubMed PMID: 32412993
• Berlinberg A, Kuhn KA. Molecular Biology Approaches to Understanding Spondyloarthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2020 May;46(2):203-211. PubMed PMID: 32340696
• Kuhn KA, Morrison TE. Introduction: Evolution of inflammatory arthritis from innate to adaptive immune mechanisms. Immunol Rev. 2020 Mar;294(1):5-8. PubMed PMID: 32103544
• Hernandez G, Mills TS, Rabe JL, Chavez JS, Kuldanek S, Kirkpatrick G, Noetzli L, Jubair WK, Zanche M, Myers JR, Stevens BM, Fleenor CJ, Adane B, Dinarello CA, Ashton J, Jordan CT, Di Paola J, Hagman JR, Holers VM, Kuhn KA, Pietras EM. Pro-inflammatory cytokine blockade attenuates myeloid expansion in a murine model of rheumatoid arthritis. Haematologica. 2020 Mar;105(3):585-597. PubMed PMID: 31101752
• Siebert JC, Neff CP, Schneider JM, Regner EH, Ohri N, Kuhn KA, Palmer BE, Lozupone CA, Görg C. VOLARE: visual analysis of disease-associated microbiome-immune system interplay. BMC Bioinformatics. 2019 Aug 20;20(1):432. PubMed PMID: 31429723
• Soderborg TK, Clark SE, Mulligan CE, Janssen RC, Babcock L, Ir D, Young B, Krebs NF, Lemas DJ, Johnson LK, Weir T, Lenz LL, Frank DN, Hernandez TL, Kuhn KA, D'Alessandro A, Barbour LA, El Kasmi KC, Friedman JE. Author Correction: The gut microbiota in infants of obese mothers increases inflammation and susceptibility to NAFLD. Nat Commun. 2019 Jul 1;10(1):2965. PubMed PMID: 31263097
• Hernandez G, Mills TS, Rabe JL, Chavez JS, Kuldanek S, Kirkpatrick G, Noetzli L, Jubair WK, Zanche M, Meyers JR, Stevens BM, Fleenor CJ, Adane B, Dinarello CA, Ashton J, Jordan CT, Di Paola J, Hagman JR, Holers VM, Kuhn KA, Pietras EM. Pro-inflammatory cytokine blockade attenuates myeloid expansion in a murine model of rheumatoid arthritis. Haematologica. 2019 May 17. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31101752
• Li SX, Sen S, Schneider JM, Xiong KN, Nusbacher NM, Moreno-Huizar N, Shaffer M, Armstrong AJS, Severs E, Kuhn K, Neff CP, McCarter M, Campbell T, Lozupone CA, Palmer BE. Gut microbiota from high-risk men who have sex with men drive immune activation in gnotobiotic mice and in vitro HIV infection. PLoS Pathog. 2019 Apr;15(4):e1007611. PubMed PMID: 30947289
• Chriswell ME, Kuhn KA. Microbiota-mediated mucosal inflammation in arthritis. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2019 Dec;33(6):101492. PubMed PMID: 32151461
• Caplan L, Kuhn KA. Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Disease in Spondyloarthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2018 Feb;44(1):153-164. PubMed PMID: 29149924
• Soderborg TK, Clark SE, Mulligan CE, Janssen RC, Babcock L, Ir D, Lemas DJ, Johnson LK, Weir T, Lenz LL, Frank DN, Hernandez TL, Kuhn KA, D'Alessandro A, Barbour LA, El Kasmi KC, Friedman JE. The gut microbiota in infants of obese mothers increases inflammation and susceptibility to NAFLD. Nat Commun. 2018 Oct 26;9(1):4462. PubMed PMID: 30367045
• Holers VM, Demoruelle MK, Kuhn KA, Buckner JH, Robinson WH, Okamoto Y, Norris JM, Deane KD. Rheumatoid arthritis and the mucosal origins hypothesis: protection turns to destruction. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2018 Sep;14(9):542-557. PubMed PMID: 30111803
• Regner EH, Ohri N, Stahly A, Gerich ME, Fennimore BP, Ir D, Jubair WK, Görg C, Siebert J, Robertson CE, Caplan L, Frank DN, Kuhn KA. Functional intraepithelial lymphocyte changes in inflammatory bowel disease and spondyloarthritis have disease specific correlations with intestinal microbiota. Arthritis Res Ther. 2018 Jul 20;20(1):149. PubMed PMID: 30029674
• Jubair WK, Hendrickson JD, Severs EL, Schulz HM, Adhikari S, Ir D, Pagan JD, Anthony RM, Robertson CE, Frank DN, Banda NK, Kuhn KA. Modulation of Inflammatory Arthritis in Mice by Gut Microbiota Through Mucosal Inflammation and Autoantibody Generation. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018 Aug;70(8):1220-1233. PubMed PMID: 29534332
• Caplan L, Kuhn KA. Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Disease in Spondyloarthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2018 Feb;44(1):153-164. PubMed PMID: 29149924
• Kuhn KA, Schulz HM, Regner EH, Severs EL, Hendrickson JD, Mehta G, Whitney AK, Ir D, Ohri N, Robertson CE, Frank DN, Campbell EL, Colgan SP. Bacteroidales recruit IL-6-producing intraepithelial lymphocytes in the colon to promote barrier integrity. Mucosal Immunol. 2018 Mar;11(2):357-368. PubMed PMID: 28812548
• Deane KD, Demoruelle MK, Kelmenson LB, Kuhn KA, Norris JM, Holers VM. Genetic and environmental risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2017 Feb;31(1):3-18. PubMed PMID: 29221595
• Kuhn KA, Schulz HM, Regner EH, Severs EL, Hendrickson JD, Mehta G, Whitney AK, Ir D, Ohri N, Robertson CE, Frank DN, Campbell EL, Colgan SP. Bacteroidales recruit IL-6-producing intraepithelial lymphocytes in the colon to promote barrier integrity. Mucosal Immunol. 2017 Aug 16. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28812548
• Hickey CA, Kuhn KA, Donermeyer DL, Porter NT, Jin C, Cameron EA, Jung H, Kaiko GE, Wegorzewska M, Malvin NP, Glowacki RW, Hansson GC, Allen PM, Martens EC, Stappenbeck TS. Colitogenic Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron Antigens Access Host Immune Cells in a Sulfatase-Dependent Manner via Outer Membrane Vesicles. Cell Host Microbe. 2015 May 13;17(5):672-80. PubMed PMID: 25974305
• Saeedi BJ, Kao DJ, Kitzenberg DA, Dobrinskikh E, Schwisow KD, Masterson JC, Kendrick AA, Kelly CJ, Bayless AJ, Kominsky DJ, Campbell EL, Kuhn KA, Furuta GT, Colgan SP, Glover LE. HIF-dependent regulation of claudin-1 is central to intestinal epithelial tight junction integrity. Mol Biol Cell. 2015 Jun 15;26(12):2252-62. PubMed PMID: 25904334
• Kelly CJ, Zheng L, Campbell EL, Saeedi B, Scholz CC, Bayless AJ, Wilson KE, Glover LE, Kominsky DJ, Magnuson A, Weir TL, Ehrentraut SF, Pickel C, Kuhn KA, Lanis JM, Nguyen V, Taylor CT, Colgan SP. Crosstalk between Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Intestinal Epithelial HIF Augments Tissue Barrier Function. Cell Host Microbe. 2015 May 13;17(5):662-71. PubMed PMID: 25865369
• Kuhn KA, Manieri NA, Liu TC, Stappenbeck TS. IL-6 stimulates intestinal epithelial proliferation and repair after injury. PLoS One. 2014;9(12):e114195. PubMed PMID: 25478789
• Kuhn KA, Pedraza I, Demoruelle MK. Mucosal immune responses to microbiota in the development of autoimmune disease. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2014 Nov;40(4):711-25. PubMed PMID: 25437287

Professional Memberships

• American College of Rheumatology, Member