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Megan Elizabeth Bowles Clowse

Professor of Medicine
Medicine, Rheumatology and Immunology
Duke Box 3535, Durham, NC 27710
Baker House 07, Duke South, Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


Dr. Megan Clowse is a Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology; she also holds joint appointments in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Population Health Sciences.  Her clinical research focuses on the management of rheumatic diseases in pregnancy. She has cared for over 1000 pregnancies in women with rheumatic disease, collecting information on these pregnancies initially in the Duke Autoimmunity in Pregnancy Registry and Repository, and the MADRA (Maternal Autoimmune Disease Research Alliance) registry and repository.  She served on the Core Leadership Team for the inaugural American College of Rheumatology's Reproductive Health Guidelines, published January 2020.  Dr. Clowse created www.LupusPregnancy.org and www.ReproRheum.Duke.edu, websites dedicated to improving pregnancy planning and management for patients and rheumatologists.  

Dr. Clowse was the founding director of the Duke Lupus Clinic, where she continues to see patients each week and mentor junior faculty researchers.  The team has developed a new approach to lupus classification and management and is currently collecting and analyzing patient- and physician-reported measures to  better clarify this construct.  


Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Medicine · 2024 - Present Medicine, Rheumatology and Immunology, Medicine
Professor in Population Health Sciences · 2024 - Present Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments
Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2024 - Present Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Science Departments

In the News


Published November 9, 2020
Women with Autoimmune Lung Disease Can Safely Give Birth if Closely Monitored
Published November 11, 2019
Can You Breastfeed if You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Published August 20, 2019
HOP-STEP program builds plan for 'pregnancy success' in patients with lupus

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Recent Publications


Racial differences in medication beliefs and adherence barriers among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Journal Article Lupus · January 2026 IntroductionBlack patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have lower medication adherence than White patients, contributing to worse health outcomes. However, racial differences in reasons for nonadherence and beliefs about medications are not wel ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Improving Documentation Rates of Contraception and Reproductive Planning in Patients With Rheumatic Disease.

Journal Article Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) · October 2025 OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to improve contraception and reproductive planning documentation within rheumatology providers' notes at a single academic center. METHODS: Female patients aged 18 to 45 years with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases were ... Full text Link to item Cite

Moving the ACR's Reproductive Health Guidelines Into Practice: A Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of a Novel Reproductive Rheumatology ECHO.

Journal Article J Clin Rheumatol · August 1, 2025 BACKGROUND: Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) links experts with community providers through video teleconferences that include both didactics and case discussions. We piloted the first ECHO with a specific focus on reproductive rh ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


2/3 CTSA K12 Program at Duke University

ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030

Advancing Reproductive Rheumatology through Research Mentoring

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases · 2024 - 2029

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Education, Training & Certifications


Vanderbilt University · 1999 M.D.
University of California, Los Angeles · 1994 M.P.H.