Dr. Karp was raised near Cleveland, OH. He obtained his bachelor's degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his medical and doctoral degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. He also completed his residency and clinical fellowship training at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis before joining the NIH as a research fellow. He has been on the faculty of UT Southwestern since 1991. Dr. Karp's research has focused on the control of lymphocyte activation. He has studied the role of plasma proteins, termed complement, in the stimulation of B lymphocytes. This pathway is important in the protection of individuals from bacterial infection, and preventing autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Dr. Karp has also studied the effects of oxidative stress, a by-product of inflammation, tobacco smoke, and air pollution, on the immune system. Dr. Karp is Chief of the Rheumatic Diseases Division within the Department of Internal Medicine and directs clinical research in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
