Biography

Reuben Arasaratnam, M.D., M.P.H., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and a member of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine

Originally from Ascot, England, Dr. Arasaratnam holds a bachelor's degree in physiology from the University of Cambridge. He received his medical degree from the University of Oxford Medical School, where he graduated with honors, and obtained internal medicine residency training at Oxford University Hospitals. He subsequently moved to the United States to pursue further internal medicine training at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and then completed advanced training through a fellowship program in infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston He also obtained a master's degree in public health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine and infectious diseases, Dr. Arasaratnam joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2017.

Dr. Arasaratnam pursued research training in translational viral immunology, resulting in one of the first prospective multi-virus characterizations of T cell immunity in a pediatric solid organ transplant cohort, and another study identifying dominant T cell targets of Parainfluenza virus 3.

In his role as Assistant to the Medical Services Chief for Education at the Dallas VA Medical Center, Dr. Arasaratnam supports the current educational activities of this training facility while also providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient infectious disease care for veterans and attending physicians on the Internal Medicine Teaching Service. As a medical educator, Dr. Arasaratnam has a strong focus on teaching and assessing clinical reasoning, faculty development, and fostering an inclusive clinical learning environment for the trainee. 

Dr. Arasaratnam's clinical interests include infectious disease care of the immunocompromised host, viral infections, vaccinations, and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections.

Dr. Arasaratnam is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Royal College of Physicians, the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, the Texas Transplant Society, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Society of Transplantation. 

Education

Medical School
(2006), Medicine
Graduate School
Harvard University (2008), International Health

Research Interest

  • Infections in the Immunocompromised Host
  • Medical Education
  • Non-tuberculous Mycobacterial Infections
  • Vaccination in Immunocompromised Host
  • Viral Immunology

Publications

Featured Publications LegendFeatured Publications

American College of Rheumatology Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients With Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases: Version 1.
Curtis JR, Johnson SR, Anthony DD, Arasaratnam RJ, Baden LR, Bass AR, Calabrese C, Gravallese EM, Harpaz R, Sadun RE, Turner AS, Williams EA, Mikuls TR, Arthritis Rheumatol 2021 07 73 7 1093-1107
American College of Rheumatology Guidance for the Management of Rheumatic Disease in Adult Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Version 1.
Mikuls TR, Johnson SR, Fraenkel L, Arasaratnam RJ, Baden LR, Bermas BL, Chatham W, Cohen S, Costenbader K, Gravallese EM, Kalil AC, Weinblatt ME, Winthrop K, Mudano AS, Turner A, Saag KG, Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) 2020 Apr
Letermovir successfully used for secondary prophylaxis in a heart transplant recipient with ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus syndrome (UL97 mutation).
Chong PP, Teiber D, Prokesch BC, Arasaratnam RJ, Peltz M, Drazner MH, Garg S Transpl Infect Dis 2018 Jul e12965
Dynamics of virus-specific T cell immunity in pediatric liver transplant recipients.
Arasaratnam RJ, Tzannou I, Gray T, Aguayo-Hiraldo PI, Kuvalekar M, Naik S, Gaikwad A, Liu H, Miloh T, Vera JF, Himes RW, Munoz FM, Leen AM Am. J. Transplant. 2018 Jun
Ibrutinib Use Complicated by Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy.
Hsiehchen D, Arasaratnam R, Raj K, Froehlich T, Anderson L, Oncology 2018 95 5 319-322
Characterizing the Cellular Immune Response to Parainfluenza Virus 3.
Aguayo-Hiraldo PI, Arasaratnam RJ, Tzannou I, Kuvalekar M, Lulla P, Naik S, Martinez CA, Piedra PA, Vera JF, Leen AM J. Infect. Dis. 2017 Jul 216 2 153-161
Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disease Presenting as an Extracranial Mass.
Arasaratnam RJ, Restrepo A Case Rep Transplant 2017 2017 6401086
Recent advances in the risk factors, diagnosis and management of Epstein-Barr virus post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease.
Aguayo-Hiraldo P, Arasaratnam R, Rouce RH, Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex 2016 Jan - Feb 73 1 31-40
Adoptive T cell therapy for the treatment of viral infections.
Arasaratnam RJ, Leen AM Ann Transl Med 2015 Oct 3 18 278
Quality improvement.
Arasaratnam R, Br J Hosp Med (Lond) 2012 May 73 5 257-61

Books

Featured Books Legend Featured Books

Honors & Awards

  • Divisional Faculty Teaching Award
    UT Southwestern (2022)
  • Harvard Macy Scholar
    Harvard Macy Institute (2022)
  • Scholar in Diagnostic Excellence
    National Academy of Medicine (2022)
  • Leaders in Clinical Excellence Rising Star Award
    UT Southwestern (2021)
  • Second Place, Fellows Research
    Houston Infectious Diseases Society (2017)
  • First Place, Research Symposium
    Baylor College of Medicine (2016)
  • First Place, Research Symposium
    Baylor College of Medicine (2016)
  • Third Place, Research Symposium
    Baylor College of Medicine (2015)
  • First Place, Research Symposium
    Baylor College of Medicine (2014)
  • David Ontjes Award
    University of North Carolina (2012)
  • David Ontjes Award for Outstanding Performance During Residency
    University of North Carolina (2012)
  • Teacher of the Month
    Oxford University Medical School (2008)
  • Teacher of the Month
    Oxford University Medical School (2007)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

  • American Society of Transplantation
  • Infectious Disease Society of America
  • Royal College of Physicians
  • Texas Transplant Society