Andrew Kuhlman
Adult Still's Disease
Adult Honoree
 Andrew is the Executive Producer for STAGES St. Louis, a regional theatre committed to preserving and advancing the art form of musical theatre through excellence in performance and education. In 2023, Andrew was diagnosed with Adult Still’s Disease, a rare autoimmune related type of arthritis. While the initial stages were incredibly difficult, he was determined not to let this new normal interrupt his dedication and passion for the arts. He now hopes to help support education and advocacy efforts for those living with arthritis, especially in his community.
Outside STAGES, Andrew was a Co-Producer on the critically acclaimed Broadway musical The Prom (2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, Tony Award Nominee for Best Musical) and teaches classes and seminars at a variety of educational institutions. Andrew lives in Creve Coeur with his wonderful husband, Myles, and they enjoy travel, frequent Bravo marathons, and spending time with family and friends. |
Dr. Paley is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Washington University in St. Louis. He got his B.S. at Yale University and an M.D. Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. His Ph.D. thesis work was the first to describe a stem-cell-like phenomenon of T cells when combating a persistent antigen, which was published in Science. He moved to St. Louis to complete medical training and a rheumatology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. He is now the Director of the Ocular Rheumatology Clinic as well as the Principal Investigator of a translational laboratory focused the mechanisms of human autoimmune diseases, specifically axial spondyloarthritis (formerly ankylosing spondylitis) and uveitis, an inflammatory disease of the eye.
Jeremiyah Dukes is a 21 year old nurse who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at age 15. After years of trying to find a diagnosis, she realized how life changing having rheumatoid arthritis could be. Jeremiyah states, "These moments in adolescence shaped my career path, so that no one who experiences RA has to feel alone or invalidated. I am so thankful to have found community with those who have experience with RA in any form. It is imperative that we help continue these efforts so that anyone affected by RA can have the best quality of life."