Providers

Meet our Physicians

At Arthritis Centers of Texas, we are focused on the needs of our patients. We understand how frustrating and devastating rheumatic diseases can be. This is why we strive to provide thoughtful care to patients, whether the problem is a benign commonplace problem or a complicated life-threatening illness. In this era of rapidly expanding treatment options, we are committed to the timely and appropriate use of both established and cutting edge therapies. We believe in tailoring therapy to the needs of our patients. Arthritis Centers of Texas has nine board-certified rheumatologists and two rheumatology-trained nurse practitioners. We diagnose and treat a full spectrum of musculoskeletal pain syndromes and rheumatic diseases, including regional pain syndromes, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative spondyloarthropathies, gout, osteoporosis, lupus, and vasculitides. As a consultative rheumatology practice, we cooperate with primary care physicians and other specialists to provide comprehensive care to our patients.

Dr. Iftikhar A. Chowdhry

Dr. Chowdhry is an attending physician at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. For as long as he can remember, Dr. Chowdhry wanted to be a physician. In keeping with this desire, he earned a medical degree from Allama Iqbal Medical College in Pakistan in 1990. After arriving in the U.S. in 1993, Dr. Chowdhry spent several years in New York, completing his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Cabrini Medical Center, NYU, and his fellowship in Rheumatology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Dr. Chowdhry spent the next three years doing bench research in the area of Systemic Lupus at AECOM. His findings were published in “Arthritis & Rheumatology”. He has some other publications published in peer-reviewed journals as well.  He then decided to enter private practice because he wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, helping to ease their misery and suffering.

Before joining Arthritis Centers of Texas, he spent seven years practicing rheumatology in Tacoma, WA. Dr. Chowdhry joined the Arthritis Centers of Texas in January 2010 and currently serves as president of the clinic. He also serves as co-Chief of Rheumatology at Baylor University Medical Center. His responsibilities include teaching and educating medical students and residents, giving lectures on various topics of Rheumatology, and other administrative duties. Dr. Chowdhry is Board Certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. 

Dr. Chowdhry’s special interests include the diagnosis and treatment of various autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Knee Osteoarthritis, Gout and Pseudogout, Inflammatory Myositis, Osteoporosis, various forms of Vasculitides, and other rare conditions. Outside of the office, Dr. Chowdhry likes to spend time with his family, traveling, playing table tennis and cricket, working out in nature, and volunteering his time to various non-profit organizations.

Dr. Srilatha Kothandaraman

Dr. Kothandaraman (Dr. Raman) is the co-Chief of Rheumatology at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. Dr. Kothandaraman provides comprehensive care to her patients and finds immense joy in interacting with them. She is passionate about using her expertise and strong clinical acumen to help her patients manage their autoimmune and musculoskeletal illnesses. Dr. Kothandaraman’s patients feel confident and reassured in her superior care and have expressed that she goes above and beyond for them.

Dr. Kothandaraman received her medical degree at Stanley Medical College and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She later completed her Internal Medicine training at Rutgers/Saint Peter’s University Hospital, where she discovered her passion for rheumatology and the difference she can make in the lives of patients suffering from autoimmune and musculoskeletal illnesses.

Dr. Kothandaraman went on to receive her Rheumatology training from Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During her fellowship, she did lupus research, published articles and abstracts for national and international conferences, and presented at the American College of Rheumatology. She co-authored a chapter in the book Geriatric Gastroenterology titled “Rheumatological Manifestations of Gastrointestinal Disease.”

After her fellowship, she joined Arthritis Centers of Texas, where she is actively involved in patient care and clinical research and fulfills her academic medical education and Rheumatology Division Chief duties to medical students and internal medicine residents. In addition, she provides consultative services at Baylor University Medical Center.   

Dr. Kothandaraman treats various rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoarthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoporosis, scleroderma, reactive arthritis, scleroderma, psoriatic arthritis, and soft tissue rheumatism, including fibromyalgia. She practices at our Dallas and Richardson offices and is accepting new patients.

Dr. Priya Nair

Dr. Nair earned her medical degree in India and subsequently completed her internship at Louisiana State University. She completed her fellowship in Rheumatology at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. 

She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She has been with the Arthritis Centers of Texas since January 2004.

Along with the other physicians at the Arthritis Centers of Texas, she sees patients with a wide variety of rheumatologic problems such as RA, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, and other connective tissue diseases. Her particular interest is in Osteoporosis and newer treatments of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE ).

Dr. Nair has been a resident of Plano for many years, where she lives with her physician husband and two children. She likes to spend time with family, travel, and do volunteer work for non-profit organizations in her spare time.

Dr. Dianne L. Petrone

Dr. Petrone is an attending physician at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. After earning her B.A. and M.D. degrees from West Virginia University, she did her Internal Medicine residency at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, from 1981 to 1983. Dr. Petrone then became a Fellow in the Division of Rheumatology at Georgetown University Medical Center.

 Following her Rheumatology fellowship, she served as a staff Rheumatologist at Malcolm Grow United Air Force Medical Center in Maryland. While in the Air Force, she was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences. A Diplomate of the American Boards of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, she was also awarded Founding Fellow status by the American College of Rheumatology. 

Dr. Petrone is active in several professional organizations and is a member of the American College of Physicians and the Texas Medical Association.

Dr. Marian Sackler

Dr. Sackler joined the Arthritis Centers of Texas in 1998. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a B.S. in biology and received her medical degree from UT Southwestern Medical School. She obtained her training in Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

Intrigued by immunology research, she returned to Dallas for rheumatology training, again at UT Southwestern Medical School. During her rheumatology fellowship, she won the Physician Scientist Development Award from the American College of Rheumatology. 

Although she enjoyed research, she found that she missed the rewards of daily patient contact. Therefore, she returned to full-time patient care and takes pride in providing compassionate, high-quality care for individuals affected by any of the myriads of rheumatologic conditions.

Her hobbies include cooking, exercise videos, science fiction, and hiking.

Dr. Ritesh Rampuré

Dr. Rampuré arrived in Texas as an internist after having served communities in the Eastern and Mid-western United States as both a physician and an educator.  In his role as an educator, he won accolades from medical students and doctors-in-training.  His hunger to broaden his clinical skills led him into Rheumatology fellowship training at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock. As part of the team at the Arthritis Centers of Texas in Dallas, Dr. Rampuré strives to provide evidence-based care to bring about a meaningful impact on the overall rheumatological care of the community he serves. As a Physician, he values actively listening to his patients and educating them with the goal of empowering them toward joint medical decision-making. Dr. Rampuré is accepting new patients. Requests for appointments are typically accommodated within 3 to 5 working days.

Education

  • Medical Degree – Mysore Medical College, 2001
  • Internal Medicine Residency – Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, 2002-2005
  • Internal Medicine Residency – Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, 2005-2007
  • Internal Medicine Residency – Hahnemann University Hospital, 2007-2010
  • Rheumatology Fellowship – University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, 2020-2022

Honors and Memberships

  • Nominated by Saint Louis University School of Medicine for Outstanding Clinical Educator Award for a Faculty Member in Internal Medicine, St Louis, MO 2018
  • Outstanding Student Educator Award – in recognition of Exceptional Commitment and Talent in the Education of Medical Students, Abington Jefferson Health, PA 2016
  • Golden Apple Primary Care Award – in recognition of outstanding academic contributions to the medical residents and faculty, Abington Jefferson Health, PA 2016
  • American College of Rheumatology 2019- present
  • American College of Physicians 2015 – present
  • Society of Hospital Medicine 2012 – 2018 Pennsylvania Medical Society 2012, 2013
  • Fellow of American College of Physicians (FACP)

Meet our Physicians

At Arthritis Centers of Texas, we are focused on the needs of our patients. We understand how frustrating and devastating rheumatic diseases can be. This is why we strive to provide thoughtful care to patients, whether the problem is a benign commonplace problem or a complicated life-threatening illness. In this era of rapidly expanding treatment options, we are committed to the timely and appropriate use of both established and cutting edge therapies. We believe in tailoring therapy to the needs of our patients. Arthritis Centers of Texas has nine board-certified rheumatologists and two rheumatology-trained nurse practitioners. We diagnose and treat a full spectrum of musculoskeletal pain syndromes and rheumatic diseases, including regional pain syndromes, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative spondyloarthropathies, gout, osteoporosis, lupus, and vasculitides. As a consultative rheumatology practice, we cooperate with primary care physicians and other specialists to provide comprehensive care to our patients.

Dr. Iftikhar A. Chowdhry

Dr. Chowdhry is an attending physician at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. For as long as he can remember, Dr. Chowdhry wanted to be a physician. In keeping with this desire, he earned a medical degree from Allama Iqbal Medical College in Pakistan in 1990. After arriving in the U.S. in 1993, Dr. Chowdhry spent several years in New York, completing his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Cabrini Medical Center, NYU, and his fellowship in Rheumatology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Dr. Chowdhry spent the next three years doing bench research in the area of Systemic Lupus at AECOM. His findings were published in “Arthritis & Rheumatology”. He has some other publications published in peer-reviewed journals as well.  He then decided to enter private practice because he wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, helping to ease their misery and suffering.

Before joining Arthritis Centers of Texas, he spent seven years practicing rheumatology in Tacoma, WA. Dr. Chowdhry joined the Arthritis Centers of Texas in January 2010 and currently serves as president of the clinic. He also serves as co-Chief of Rheumatology at Baylor University Medical Center. His responsibilities include teaching and educating medical students and residents, giving lectures on various topics of Rheumatology, and other administrative duties. Dr. Chowdhry is Board Certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. 

Dr. Chowdhry’s special interests include the diagnosis and treatment of various autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Knee Osteoarthritis, Gout and Pseudogout, Inflammatory Myositis, Osteoporosis, various forms of Vasculitides, and other rare conditions. Outside of the office, Dr. Chowdhry likes to spend time with his family, traveling, playing table tennis and cricket, working out in nature, and volunteering his time to various non-profit organizations.

Dr. Srilatha Kothandaraman

Dr. Kothandaraman (Dr. Raman) is the co-Chief of Rheumatology at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. Dr. Kothandaraman provides comprehensive care to her patients and finds immense joy in interacting with them. She is passionate about using her expertise and strong clinical acumen to help her patients manage their autoimmune and musculoskeletal illnesses. Dr. Kothandaraman’s patients feel confident and reassured in her superior care and have expressed that she goes above and beyond for them.

Dr. Kothandaraman received her medical degree at Stanley Medical College and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She later completed her Internal Medicine training at Rutgers/Saint Peter’s University Hospital, where she discovered her passion for rheumatology and the difference she can make in the lives of patients suffering from autoimmune and musculoskeletal illnesses.

Dr. Kothandaraman went on to receive her Rheumatology training from Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During her fellowship, she did lupus research, published articles and abstracts for national and international conferences, and presented at the American College of Rheumatology. She co-authored a chapter in the book Geriatric Gastroenterology titled “Rheumatological Manifestations of Gastrointestinal Disease.”

After her fellowship, she joined Arthritis Centers of Texas, where she is actively involved in patient care and clinical research and fulfills her academic medical education and Rheumatology Division Chief duties to medical students and internal medicine residents. In addition, she provides consultative services at Baylor University Medical Center.   

Dr. Kothandaraman treats various rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoarthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoporosis, scleroderma, reactive arthritis, scleroderma, psoriatic arthritis, and soft tissue rheumatism, including fibromyalgia. She practices at our Dallas and Richardson offices and is accepting new patients.

Dr. Dianne L. Petrone

Dr. Petrone is an attending physician at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. After earning her B.A. and M.D. degrees from West Virginia University, she did her Internal Medicine residency at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, from 1981 to 1983. Dr. Petrone then became a Fellow in the Division of Rheumatology at Georgetown University Medical Center.

 Following her Rheumatology fellowship, she served as a staff Rheumatologist at Malcolm Grow United Air Force Medical Center in Maryland. While in the Air Force, she was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences. A Diplomate of the American Boards of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, she was also awarded Founding Fellow status by the American College of Rheumatology. 

Dr. Petrone is active in several professional organizations and is a member of the American College of Physicians and the Texas Medical Association.

Dr. Priya Nair

Dr. Nair earned her medical degree in India and subsequently completed her internship at Louisiana State University. She completed her fellowship in Rheumatology at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. 

She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She has been with the Arthritis Centers of Texas since January 2004.

Along with the other physicians at the Arthritis Centers of Texas, she sees patients with a wide variety of rheumatologic problems such as RA, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, and other connective tissue diseases. Her particular interest is in Osteoporosis and newer treatments of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE ).

Dr. Nair has been a resident of Plano for many years, where she lives with her physician husband and two children. She likes to spend time with family, travel, and do volunteer work for non-profit organizations in her spare time.

Dr. Marian Sackler

Dr. Sackler joined the Arthritis Centers of Texas in 1998. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a B.S. in biology and received her medical degree from UT Southwestern Medical School. She obtained her training in Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

Intrigued by immunology research, she returned to Dallas for rheumatology training, again at UT Southwestern Medical School. During her rheumatology fellowship, she won the Physician Scientist Development Award from the American College of Rheumatology. 

Although she enjoyed research, she found that she missed the rewards of daily patient contact. Therefore, she returned to full-time patient care and takes pride in providing compassionate, high-quality care for individuals affected by any of the myriads of rheumatologic conditions.

Her hobbies include cooking, exercise videos, science fiction, and hiking.

Dr. Ritesh Rampuré

Dr. Rampuré arrived in Texas as an internist after having served communities in the Eastern and Mid-western United States as both a physician and an educator.  In his role as an educator, he won accolades from medical students and doctors-in-training.  His hunger to broaden his clinical skills led him into Rheumatology fellowship training at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock. As part of the team at the Arthritis Centers of Texas in Dallas, Dr. Rampuré strives to provide evidence-based care to bring about a meaningful impact on the overall rheumatological care of the community he serves. As a Physician, he values actively listening to his patients and educating them with the goal of empowering them toward joint medical decision-making. Dr. Rampuré is accepting new patients. Requests for appointments are typically accommodated within 3 to 5 working days.

Education

  • Medical Degree – Mysore Medical College, 2001
  • Internal Medicine Residency – Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, 2002-2005
  • Internal Medicine Residency – Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, 2005-2007
  • Internal Medicine Residency – Hahnemann University Hospital, 2007-2010
  • Rheumatology Fellowship – University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, 2020-2022

Honors and Memberships

  • Nominated by Saint Louis University School of Medicine for Outstanding Clinical Educator Award for a Faculty Member in Internal Medicine, St Louis, MO 2018
  • Outstanding Student Educator Award – in recognition of Exceptional Commitment and Talent in the Education of Medical Students, Abington Jefferson Health, PA 2016
  • Golden Apple Primary Care Award – in recognition of outstanding academic contributions to the medical residents and faculty, Abington Jefferson Health, PA 2016
  • American College of Rheumatology 2019- present
  • American College of Physicians 2015 – present
  • Society of Hospital Medicine 2012 – 2018 Pennsylvania Medical Society 2012, 2013
  • Fellow of American College of Physicians (FACP)