Sonali Bracken MD PhD

Scleroderma & Related

Physician

40 Duke Medicine CircleDurham, NC 27710

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Summary

Dr. Sonali Bracken is a rheumatologist based in Durham, NC, with a focus on scleroderma and related conditions. She obtained her MD from UConn School of Medicine in 2017, followed by an internal medicine residency and a rheumatology fellowship at Duke University Hospital. She also holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences specializing in immunology from the University of Connecticut Health Center and a BS in Molecular Biology and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Connecticut. Her research is published in reputable journals, covering topics like B cell functionality and graft-versus-host disease, for which she has receiver NIH funding. Her research trajectory has been recognized with the American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Fellow Award and American Society of Clinical Investigation E-Gen Award.

Education & Training

Duke University HospitalFellowship, Rheumatology, 2021 - 2023
Duke University HospitalResidency, Internal Medicine, 2017 - 2021
University of Connecticut Health CenterPhD, Biomedical Sciences (AOC: Immunology), 2009 - 2017
Uconn School Of MedicineClass of 2017
University of ConnecticutBS, Molecular Biology, Nutritional Sciences, Summa Cum Laude, 2005 - 2009

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Certifications & Licensure

NC State Medical License 2017 - 2027
American Board of Internal Medicine Internal Medicine
American Board of Internal Medicine Rheumatology

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

NRSA (F30) Fellowship Award NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2014-2016

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Outcomes in progressive pulmonary fibrosis in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: real-world data from the ILD-PRO Registry.
Sonali J Bracken, Jeremy M Weber, Megan L Neely, Aparna C Swaminathan, Scott M Palmer
Arthritis & Rheumatology. 2026-08-04
Revisiting the CD40-CD40L axis: from mechanistic insight to therapeutic renewal in autoimmune disease.
Sonali J Bracken, E William St Clair
Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2026-05-01
2 citations
Use of Nintedanib for the Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease at Expert Scleroderma Centers in the United States.
Yiming Luo, Shervin Assassi, Maureen D Mayes, Tracy M Frech, Virginia D Steen
Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2025-08-01

Books/Book Chapters

USMLE Step 1 Secrets in Color
Brown TA and Bracken SJEditors: Brown TA and Bracken SJ.Elsevier , PhiladelphiaEdition 4th,2016
Evidence-Based Clinical Reasoning in Medicine
Brown TA and Shah SJEditors: Brown TA and Shah SJ.PMPH-USA, Shelton2013
USMLE Step 1 Secrets
Brown TA and Shah SJEditors: Brown TA and Shah SJ.Elsevier , PhiladelphiaEdition 3rd,2012

Other

US Patent No. 7993839
Nelson J, Duthie RS, Shah SJ, Smith C
8/9/2011

Press Mentions

Pressures Intensify for Rheumatology ResearchersMay 12th, 2025
Mom of 1 and 3-Year-Old in Duke Vaccine Trial Hopes Shots Will Soon Be Available for Babies and ToddlersDecember 12th, 2021