Thanda Aung, MD, MS

Thanda Aung, MD, MS

  • Rheumatology
Average rating: 4.9
(261 ratings)  
Westwood Specialty Care | 200 Medical Plaza, Suite 365, Los Angeles, CA 90095

About

Additional Education Information
MSc Geriatric medicine, Keele University, the United Kingdom

Dr. Aung graduated from the Institute of Medicine (1) Burma, in 1998.  She continued her post graduate education in the UK.  She earned her Master of Science in Geriatric Medicine in Keele University, UK for her work in osteoporosis and orthogeriatrics.  She has 13 years’ experience as an internist and geriatrician in the UK.  She holds a fellowship status in Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, UK (FRCP).

Dr Aung subsequently continued her career in the US.  She completed residency training in internal medicine at St. May Medical Center, Long Beach, California and Rheumatology fellowship at UCLA. 

Dr. Aung is a general rheumatologist with interest in wide range of the rheumatic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, pseudo-gout, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, myositis, scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome, osteoporosis, inflammatory eye diseases, and various other autoimmune diseases.

Languages

English, Burmese

Education

Medical Board Certifications

Rheumatology, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2017
Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2015

Fellowships

Rheumatology, UCLA School of Medicine, 2017
Geriatric Medicine, Royal Liverpool University Hospital Trust, 2009

Residencies

Internal Medicine, St. Mary Medical Center, 2015
Internal Medicine-General, Royal Liverpool University Hospital Trust, 2004

Internship

Internal Medicine-General, Yangon General Hospital, 1999

Degrees

MS, Keele University, 2011
MBBS, Institute of Medicine Yangon, Myanmar, 1998

Recognitions

Locations

Hospital Affiliations

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center

Research

Interests

  • General rheumatology
  • Crystal Arthropathy (gout, pseudo-gout)
  • Osteoporosis
  • Inflammatory eye diseases (uvetiis, scleritis, ocular pemphigoid)

Publications

  1. Worse COVID Outcomes Seen With Gout, Particularly in Women - Mdedge - Oct 24, 2022. (Dr Thanda Aung's comments)
  2. Monica Zell, Thanda Aung, Marian Kaldas, Ann Rosenthal, and John Fitzgerald. Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystal Size and characteristics.  Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2021
  3. Ben Tiong, Bevra Hahn, Thanda Aung.  Chapter 71 Treatment of autoimmune diseases The autoimmune diseases (6th edition) published October 2019 (Book Chapter)
  4. Thanda Aung, Myung G, Fitzgerald JD.  Treatment approaches and adherence to urate-lowering therapy for patients with gout.  Patient Prefer Adherence. 2017 Apr 19; 11:795-800. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S97927. eCollection 2017 
  5. Thanda Aung, L. Sahakian, B. Skaggs, J. Grossman, M. McMahon. Fatigue is associated with HS-CRP in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. EULAR, June 2017.
  6. Thanda Aung, G Miller, G Karpouzas.  Anti beta 2 glycoprotein IG A antibodies independently and differentially contribute to thrombotic risk in systemic lupus erythematosus above and beyond anti-cardiolipin and lupus anticoagulant, from a contemporary multiethnic patient cohort.  Ann Rheum Dis 2016; 75:316-

UCLA Proceedings, Department of medicine - search results

  1. Thanda Aung, MD, MS and Kevin Sung, MS, MS4.  Olfactory hallucination in a young woman.  Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare Volume 23 (2019)
  2. Thanda Aung, MD, MS.  Headache and blurry vision in a patient with uncontrolled gout.  Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare Volume 24 (2020)
  3. Thanda Aung, MD, MS.  A challenging case: Rapidly progressive vision loss in an elderly man.  Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare Volume 24 (2020)
  4. Thanda Aung, MD, MS.  A Challenging Patient with Prolonged Nightly High Fever.  Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare.  Volume 25 (2021)
  5. Yaqoot Khan DO, Thanda Aung MD MS.  Blue toes-unusual presentation after covid-19 vaccination.  Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare.  Volume 26 (2022).
  6. Thanda Aung, MD, MS, Yaqoot Khan, DO. A Rare Cause of Shoulder Pain. Clinical Vignette Proceedings of UCLA Healthcare. Volume 27 (2023)

In the News

Does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis? (Source: HealthDay News)

Dr. Thanda Aung, an assistant clinical professor in UCLA’s Division of Rheumatology, explains there haven’t been enough studies to explain the mechanism behind the cracking noise. However, she says there are two hypotheses. The first is the popping noise “could be from the movement of all the structures” in the finger such as the bones, tendons and ligaments.

Recognitions

  • Super Doctors® Southern California 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine, 2021
  • Member of Royal College of Physicians, United Kingdom (MRCP)
  • Fellow of Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, Scotland (FRCP)
  • Fellow of American College of Physicians (FACP)