Sabrina Gmuca, MD, MSCE
Sabrina Gmuca, MD, MSCE

Sabrina Gmuca, MD, MSCE

Sabrina Gmuca, MD, MSCE, is Director of The Center for Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome and attending rheumatologist in the Division of Rheumatology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Areas of expertise: Rheumatology, Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome

Locations: Main Building


215-590-2547

About Sabrina Gmuca, MD, MSCE

Titles

Attending Physician

Assistant Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Certifications

Pediatric Rheumatology – American Board of Pediatrics

Pediatrics – American Board of Pediatrics

Awards and Honors

2020 Rheumatology Research Foundation Investigator Award
2019, Rheumatology Research Foundation K Bridge Award
2018, Thrasher Early Career Award
2017, Distinguished Research Trainee Award (Physician Fellow Category), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2016, American College of Rheumatology FIT (Fellows in Training) Annual Meeting Scholarship
2016, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Poster Day: Patient-Oriented Research Award
2016, Rheumatology Research Foundation: Pediatric Research Award
2015, American College of Rheumatology FIT (Fellows in Training) Annual Meeting Scholarship
2013, PGY-2 of the Year Award

Leadership and Memberships

Memberships in Professional Organizations

International

2020-present, Paediatric Rheumatology European Society
2019-present, International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)
 - 2019-present, Pain in Childhood Special Interest Group

National

2022-present, Pediatric Musculoskeletal & RheumaTology Innovation Core Center
2021-present, US Association for the Study of Pain
2019-present, Pain in Child Health Global Research Training
2019-present, Society of Pediatric Psychology
 - 2019-present, Pediatric Pain Special Interest Group
2015-present, Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA)
 - 2020-present, Vice Chair of the Early Investigator Committee
2014-present, American College of Rheumatology 
 - 2017-present, AMIGO -- Rheumatology Mentoring Interest Group For Pediatric Rheumatologists

Education & training

Graduate Degree

MS in Clinical Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

Medical Degree

MD - State University of New York Downstate, Brooklyn, NY

Internship

Pediatrics - New York University, New York, NY

Residency

Pediatrics - New York University, New York, NY

Fellowship

Pediatric Rheumatology - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Team affiliations

 View fewer all team affiliations View all all team affiliations

Publications

Publications

2022

Gmuca S, Sonagra M, Xiao R, Mendoza E, Miller KS, Thomas NH, Young JF, Weiss PF, Sherry DD, Gerber JS. Characterizing Neurocognitive Impairment in Juvenile Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Subjective and Objective Measures of Dyscognition. Front Pediatr. 2022 Feb 24;10:848009. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.848009. PMID: 35281242.

Sonagra M, Jones J, McGill M, Gmuca S. Exploring the Intersection of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Pediatric Chronic Pain, and Rheumatic Disease. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J, 2022 Feb 14; 20(1):14. in press. doi: 10.1186/s12969-022-00674-x. PMID: 35164793; PMCID: PMC8842822.

Sherry DD, Gmuca S, Christian CW. Recognizing medical child abuse in children presenting with chronic pain. British Journal of Pain. January 2022. doi:10.1177/20494637221075186

2021

Waqar-Cowles L, Chuo J, Weiss PF, Gmuca S, LaNoue M, Burnham JM. Evaluation of Pediatric Rheumatology Telehealth Satisfaction During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2021 Dec 9;19(1):170. doi: 10.1186/s12969-021-00649-4. PMID: 34886863.

Rutstein BH, Gmuca S, Gerber JS, Lim T, Argraves M, Ogdie A. Validation of coding algorithms for the identification of herpes zoster among children. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2021 May 7. doi: 10.1002/pds.5264. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33960541.

Rosenberg AR, Steiner J, Lau N, Fladeboe K, Toprak D, Gmuca S, O'Donnell M, Smith K, Brown C, Yi-Frazier JP.  From Theory to Patient Care: a model for the development, adaptation, and testing of psychosocial interventions for patients with serious illness (Special Report). J Pain Symptom Management. 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.painsymman.2021.02.036.  PMID: 33677072.

Pianucci L, Sonagra M, Greenberg BA, Priestley DR, Gmuca S. Disordered eating among adolescents with chronic pain: the experience of a pediatric rheumatology subspecialty pain clinic. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2021 Feb 16;19(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12969-021-00506-4. PMID: 33593387; PMCID: PMC7885419.

Gmuca S, Sonagra M, Xiao R, Miller KS, Thomas NH, Young JF, Weiss PF, Sherry DD, Gerber JS. Suicidal risk and resilience in juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome: a cross-sectional cohort study. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2021 Jan 6;19(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s12969-020-00487-w. PMID: 33407630; PMCID: PMC7789563.

2020

Sherry DD, Sonagra M, Gmuca S. The spectrum of pediatric amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2020 Oct 12;18(1):77. doi: 10.1186/s12969-020-00473-2. PMID: 33046102; PMCID: PMC7552512.

Toupin-April K, Huber AM, Duffy CM, Proulx L, Morgan EM, Cohen JS, Gaboury I, Li LC, Tugwell P, Stinson J; JIA Option Map Group. Development and Acceptability of a Patient Decision Aid for Pain Management in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: The JIA Option Map. Patient. 2020 Oct 9. doi: 10.1007/s40271-020-00458-z. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33033937.

Vaiyani D, Edelson JB, Gmuca S, OʼConnor MJ, Mille FK. Juvenile Dermatomyositis: A Rare But Treatable Cause of Acute Myocardial Dysfunction [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 22]. J Clin Rheumatol. 2020;10.

Sherry DD, Gmuca S. Somatic Symptom Disorder and the Physician’s Role. JAMA Pediatr. 2020 May 18. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.0710. Online ahead of print.

Gmuca S, Yu J, Weiss PF, Treat JR, Sherry DD. Erythema Ab Igne in an Adolescent with Chronic Pain: An Alarming Cutaneous Eruption from Heat Exposure. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2020 Apr;36(4):e236-e238.

2019

Gmuca S, Hardy DI, Narula S, Stoll S, Harris J, Zhao Y, Xiao R, Weiss PF, Waldman AT, Gerber JS: Validation of claims-based diagnoses of adult and pediatric neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and variations in diagnostic evaluation and treatment initiation. Mult Scler Relat Disord 1(37): 101488, November 2019.

Gmuca S, Xiao R, Sherry DD. Patient-proxy agreement on health-related quality of life in juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome. Pediatric Rheumatol Online J. 2019 May 9;17(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s12969-019-0320-y. PMCID: PMC 6507148

Gmuca S, Xiao R, Urquhart A, Weiss PF, Gillham JE, Ginsburg KR, Sherry DD and Gerber JS. The Role of Patient and Parental Resilience in Adolescents with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain. J Pediatr. April. 2019. pii: S0022-3476(19)30293-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.03.006.

2018

Kushner CJ, Tarazi M, Gaffney RG, Feng R, Ardalan K, Brandling-Bennett HA, Castelo-Soccio L, Chang JC, Chiu YE, Gmuca S et al. Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI) in pediatric cutaneous lupus among pediatric dermatologists and rheumatologists. Br J Dermatol. Jul. 2018.

Gmuca S, Xiao R, Weiss PF, Sherry DD, Knight AK, Gerber JS. Opioid Prescribing and Polypharmacy in Children with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain. Pain Med. 2018 Jun. doi: 10.1093/pm/pny116.

Gmuca S, Xiao R, Weiss PF, Waldman AT, Gerber JS. Use of rituximab and risk of re-hospitalization for children with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Disorders. 2018;3(1):3.

Gmuca S, Yu J, Weiss PF, Treat JR, Sherry DD. Erythema Ab Igne in an Adolescent with Chronic Pain: An Alarming Cutaneous Eruption from Heat Exposure. Pediatr Emerg Care. Mar 12, 2018.  doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000001460

2017

Gmuca S, Sherry DD. Fibromyalgia: Treating Pain in the Juvenile Patient. Paediatr Drugs. 2017 Aug; 19(4):325-338. PMCID: PMC5656276

Gmuca S, Lieberman SM, Mehta J. Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder and Sjögren Syndrome: More Common Than Previously Thought? J Rheumatol. 2017; 44(6):959-60.

Gmuca S, Xiao R, Brandon TG, Pagnini I, Wright TB, Beukelman T, Morgan EM, Weiss PF. Multicenter inception cohort of enthesitis-related arthritis: variation in disease characteristics and treatment approaches. Arthritis Res Ther. 2017; 19:84.

2016

Gmuca S, Boos MD, Treece A, et al. Degos disease mimicking primary vasculitis of the CNS. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflammation 2016 3: e206. PMCID: PMC4747475.

2015

Gmuca S, Weiss PF. Pediatric Rheumatology: Evaluation and Treatment of Childhood Enthesitis-Related Arthritis. Curr Treat Options in Rheum. 2015 Sep 29:1-15. PMCID: PMC4725597.

Williamson KA, Gmuca S, Rosman EC, Thomas P. Infective Endocarditis and Aortic Valve Abscess in an Infant. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2015 Sep; 31(9):654-5. PMCID: 26335231.

Gmuca S, Weiss PF. Juvenile Spondyloarthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2015. Jul; 27(4):364-72. PMCID: PMC4486266.

2013

Gmuca S, Pouppirt N, Gold-von Simson G. Piperacillin-Tazobactam Toxicity Questions the Need for Pediatric Adverse Event Profiling. Pediatr Endocrinol Rev. 2017 Jun;14(Suppl 2):454-461.

Abstracts (includes Posters and Scientific Presentations)

2021

Gmuca S, Weiss PA, McGill M, Sonagra M, Sherry, DD, Cronholm PF, Gerber JS, Palermo TM, Young JF, and Rosenberg AR. Preliminary Results from a Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Trial of Resilience Coaching for Adolescent Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain. Presented at American College of Rheumatology Convergence, November 2021 (e-abstract poster).

Sonagra M, Jones J, McGill M, Gmuca S. Burden of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Pediatric Chronic Pain and Rheumatic Disease. Presented at American College of Rheumatology Convergence, November 2021 (e-abstract poster).

2020

Gmuca S, Sonagra M, Xiao R, Thomas NH, Miller KS, Young JF, Weiss PF, Sherry DD, Gerber JS: Patient-Proxy Agreement on Mental Health and Neuropsychological Symptoms Among Youth with Juvenile Fibromyalgia Syndrome [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol 72(suppl 4), May 2020 Notes: oral abstract cancelled due to COVID-19.

Greenberg B, Sonagra M, Priestley D, Pianucci L, Gmuca S: Disordered Eating Among Youth with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: The Experience of a Pediatric Rheumatology Pain Clinic. Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL. May 2020 Notes: e-abstract due to COVID-19.

Gmuca S, Sonagra M, Xiao R, Thomas NH, Miller KS, Young JF, Weiss PF, Sherry DD, Gerber JS: Suicidality in Juvenile Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Risk and Resilience. International Association for the Study of Pain World Congress on Pain, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2020 Notes: e-poster due to COVID-19 and meeting rescheduled for 2021

Gmuca S, Sonagra M, Xiao R, Thomas NH, Miller KS, Young JF, Weiss PF, Sherry DD, Gerber JS (2020). Patient-Proxy Agreement on Mental Health and Neuropsychological Symptoms among Youth with Juvenile Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium, New Orleans, LA. (e-abstract due to COVID-19).

2019

Gmuca S, Sonagra M, Xiao PhD, Miller KS, Thomas NH, Weiss PF, Sherry DD, Gerber JS: Subjective and objective dyscognition in adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome. Poster presentation, American College of Rheumatology Conference, Atlanta GA. November 2019.

Lectures by Invitation

2022

Gmuca S. “Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome,” Novant Health Pediatric Symposium, Charlotte NC. May 2022.

Gmuca S. “Team Building: The Interdisciplinary Management of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome,” Rheumatology Grand Rounds, UNC Children’s, Chapel Hill, NC. May 2022.

Gmuca S. “Fostering Resilience in Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome,” Charlotte Pediatric Society, Charlotte, NC. May 2022.

Gmuca S. “Rheumatologic Emergencies,” 16th Annual SEHA International Pediatric Conference, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Mar 2022.

Gmuca S. “Amplified Pain for the Pediatric Hospitalist.” Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia PA. Feb 2022.

Gmuca S. “The Diagnosis and Management of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain,” Lustgarten Motility Center Guest Speaker Series. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Jan 2022.

2021

Gmuca S. “Addressing Pain in Pediatric Rheumatology,” American College of Rheumatology Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium, All Virtual Meeting due to COVID-19. May 2021.

2020

Gmuca S. “AMIGO Pre-ACR Convergence Meeting,” American College of Rheumatology (virtual). Oct 2020.

Gmuca S. “CARRA Early Investigator Update,” Young Investigators Meeting of the Paediatric Rheumatology European Association (PReS), 2020 (virtual). Sept 2020.

2019

Gmuca S. “Resilience in Adolescent Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.” Adolescent Medicine Research Meeting. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Oct 2019.

Gmuca S. “Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome.” Pediatric Emergency Medicine Core Curriculum. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Sept 2019.

Gmuca S. “Fostering Resilience in Adolescents with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.” New Faculty Showcase, PolicyLab. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Aug 2019.

Gmuca S. Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome: Management and Emerging Research. “Pediatric Rheumatology Grand Rounds.” Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. July 2019.

Gmuca S. “Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome.” Reading Hospital Pediatric Grand Rounds, Reading, PA. Jan 2019.

Editorials, Reviews, Chapters
2020

Sherry DD, Gmuca S. : Somatic Symptom Disorder and the Physician's Role. JAMA Pediatr May 2020.

Muhly W, Man J, Gmuca S: Pain management in pediatric orthopedics. In Lovell and Winter's Pediatric Orthopaedics, 8e. Weinstein SL and Flynn JM, Lippincott Williams & Williams (eds.). 2020.

2017

Gmuca S, Weiss PF, Waldman A. Sarcoid with optic nerve presentation. In: Waubant E, Lotze T (eds.). Pediatric Demyelinating Diseases of the Central Nervous System and Their Mimics: A case-based clinical guide. Springer, 2017

Patient experience rating

(based on 33 submissions)
  • Clear Explanation
    4.9 of 5
  • Showed Concern
    4.9 of 5
  • Would recommend
    4.9 of 5
  • Discussion of Proposed Treatment
    4.8 of 5
Learn about the patient experience rating system

Comments

  • We love Dr. Gmuca. She's very thorough, listens to our concerns, and considers different therapies with us.
    5 of 5
    Jan 01, 2025

  • Dr Gmuca always takes her time with us. She answers all of our questions and concerns. She has been very helpful with relaying information to my son's school about his condition.
    5 of 5
    Aug 28, 2024

  • Dr. Gmuca always treats my daughters with respect and really listens to them, fully involving them in their own care. She is an excellent listener, a skilled clinician and a wonderful woman overall.
    5 of 5
    Jul 30, 2024

  • So great! Dr Gmuca was wonderful in involving all of us in the discussion and making sure our team understood what what going on with their body.
    5 of 5
    May 08, 2024

  • Patient, kind, thorough with excellent communication.
    5 of 5
    May 06, 2024

  • Dr. Gmuca is a treasure. She is patient, kind, and has an excellent temperament to communicate with both children and adults. She is responsive and created a care plan that saved my child's life. My family has nothing less than professional five star healthcare from CHOP and Dr. Gmuca.
    5 of 5
    Jan 10, 2024

  • Dr. Gmuca was very attentive. We did not feel rushed and she answered any and all questions we had.
    5 of 5
    Dec 22, 2023
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About the Patient Experience Rating System

The Patient Experience Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown above from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score. We are committed to true transparency. However, to ensure the comments are fair and correctly attributed, we review each one before posting to the website. We exclude entire comments that disclose patient’s protected health information, are off-topic, or include other confidential or inappropriate content. Comments will appear on provider bios only if providers have a minimum number of comments. Comments are shared internally for education purposes to ensure that we are doing our very best for the patients and families for whom we are privileged to care. The comments are submitted by patients and families and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not reflect the views of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.