Dr. Guillermo J. Valenzuela MD, F.A.C.R.

Dr. Guillermo J. Valenzuela is President, CEO, Medical Director, and Principal Investigator at both Integral Rheumatology and Immunology Specialists (IRIS) and IRIS Research and Development, LLC, based in Plantation, Florida, positions he has held since 1996 and 2016 respectively. IRIS is one of the largest rheumatology practices in South Florida, providing direct outpatient care, diagnostic services, and clinical research across rheumatic and immunological diseases. The practice operates in-house MRI (including DCE-MRI), musculoskeletal ultrasonography, digital radiology, bone mineral densitometry, and clinical laboratory services. He serves as Attending Physician Consultant at HCA Florida Westside Hospital (since 1996), HCA Florida Mercy Hospital (since 2014), and previously at Broward Health as Chief Medical Officer (since 1998). He is past president of the Florida Society of Rheumatology and a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology (F.A.C.R.). He serves as Scientific Advisor to IAG, Image Analysis Group.

Dr. Valenzuela’s clinical and research focus encompasses autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases, with a particular emphasis on rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, gout, systemic sclerosis, inflammatory myopathies, Sjögren’s syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoporosis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. His research scope spans Phases I through IV clinical trials, investigator-initiated trials (IITs), and device studies, conducted across the therapeutic areas of inflammation, immunology, and rheumatic diseases.

He is an early adopter of imaging technology applied to clinical outcomes, with in-house MRI and ultrasonography capabilities at IRIS, including DCE-MRI — making IRIS a DCE-MRI capable research site with experience in that technology in clinical trials. His current research focus includes AlloNK and NK cell therapy, CAR-T cell therapy, bispecific antibodies, and T-cell engagers as emerging immunotherapies for complex inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. He is co-creator of proprietary research software aimed at modernizing the conduct of clinical trials through technology and data-driven workflows. His published work has appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet Rheumatology, and Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Dr. Valenzuela serves as Principal Investigator for all trials conducted at IRIS Research and Development, Loxahatchee, Florida. His current and recent sponsored trial portfolio spans rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lupus nephritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis, inflammatory myopathies, and gout, across Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4 studies for a broad range of sponsors including Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, UCB/Biogen, Janssen, Pfizer, Horizon Therapeutics, Idorsia, Viela Bio, Alpine Immune Sciences, and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Dr. Valenzuela is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology (F.A.C.R.) and past president of the Florida Society of Rheumatology. He has been a prolific contributor to clinical research publications, with work appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet Rheumatology, and Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. He is a sought-after lecturer on national and international platforms and serves as a scientific advisor and consultant to biotech and pharmaceutical companies on the development of novel immunotherapies and biologics. He previously served as Associate Professor (Voluntary Staff) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine from 1994 to 2013.

Dr. Valenzuela received his medical degree with honors from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (1981 to 1986). He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at New York Medical College (1988 to 1991), where he also served as Associate Chief Medical Resident (1991 to 1992). He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Immunology at North Shore University Hospital and Cornell University Medical College (1991 to 1992), followed by a fellowship in Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology and Faculty appointment at the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York (1992 to 1994). He joined the faculty at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as Associate Professor (Voluntary Staff) in 1994, a position he held until 2013. He founded Integral Rheumatology and Immunology Specialists in 1996 and IRIS Research and Development in 2016.