Our Team

At Texas Children’s Hospital, our mission is to create a healthier future for children and women throughout our global community by leading in patient care, education, and research.

Our multidisciplinary team includes 10 pediatric rheumatologists, clinical fellows, a nurse practitioner, nurses, a patient care manager and practice administrator.  We utilize child life, social work, and nutritionists at multiple campuses.

Texas Children's Hospital Rheumatology Physicians & Providers are members of the Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) and the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group (PRCSG).

Chief of Service

I am a pediatric rheumatologist with a Master of Science degree in clinical research. My practice focuses on patient care, fellowship education and clinical research. My interest in immunoneurology has led to a secondary appointment in the Child Neurology division at Baylor College of Medicine.  I… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319

Clinic Chief

As clinic chief of the Pediatric Rheumatology Center of Texas Children's Hospital, Dr. de Guzman has worked to redefine the elements of maintaining excellent, relevant and up-to-date care of children and adolescents with arthritis, lupus and lupus spectrum diseases, systemic vasculitis, scleroderma… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319

Clinic Physicians

As clinic chief of the Pediatric Rheumatology Center of Texas Children's Hospital, Dr. de Guzman has worked to redefine the elements of maintaining excellent, relevant and up-to-date care of children and adolescents with arthritis, lupus and lupus spectrum diseases, systemic vasculitis, scleroderma… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319
I believe that providing care to children and their families is an honor and privilege. Partnering with patients and their families to work towards wellness is something I believe is important in the setting of chronic disease. My clinical interests include juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319 (Main) | 281-494-7010 (Sugar Land)
As a pediatric rheumatologist, I am honored to care for some of the most resilient children and families. Rheumatic diseases often present as complex and multisystem illnesses which brings diverse clinical challenges. This calls for a collaborative nature among all members of the care team, which… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319 (Main) | 936-267-7700 (Woodlands)
Dr. Lai is a board certified pediatric rheumatologist who provides full time care at Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands. She is a Texas native who studied at Rice University and later obtained her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. Her clinical focuses include systemic lupus… read more
Phone: 936-267-7700
I am a pediatric rheumatologist with a Master of Science degree in clinical research. My practice focuses on patient care, fellowship education and clinical research. My interest in immunoneurology has led to a secondary appointment in the Child Neurology division at Baylor College of Medicine.  I… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319
Dr. MaiLan Nguyen earned her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis in biomedical engineering. She returned to her home state of Florida to complete her medical degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency and pediatric… read more
Phone: 737-220-8200
Dr. Ramirez enjoys caring for children of all ages with varied rheumatic illnesses including: SLE, JIA, Scleroderma, Juvenile Dermatomyositis, Kawasaki Disease, and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Dr Ramirez' vision is centered on providing individualized care using evidence based medicine.… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319 (Main) | 832-227-2280 (West)
As a pediatric rheumatologist, I am dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and youth with autoimmune conditions and rheumatic disorders through awareness, education, support, and research. I strive to provide exceptional and compassionate care for patients using the strengths of a… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319
As a pediatric rheumatologist, Dr. Stewart enjoys developing long-term relationships with patients with chronic conditions. She strives to educate families using a collaborative approach to discover the best individualized treatment plan for each patient. Dr. Stewart also has training in… read more
Phone: 737-220-8200
As a pediatric rheumatologist, Dr. Thakral is dedicated to providing compassionate care to children and their families. He earned his medical degree from St. Matthew’s University in the Grand Cayman Islands, followed by residency training in pediatrics at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319 (Main)| 832-227-2280 (West) | 281-469-4688 (Cy-Fair)
Dr. Yildirim Toruner, affectionately known by her patients and colleagues as Dr. T, is a board certified pediatric rheumatologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, where she works as an attending physician in both outpatient and inpatient settings as well as teaching medical students, residents and… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319 (Main) I 832-227-2280 (West)
Dr. Vogel is a native of Southern California, where she played college basketball at Claremont McKenna College.  During her graduate studies in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Chicago she worked on the development of CD8 T cell memory.  She subsequently completed a… read more
Phone: 832-824-1319

Clinic Nurse Practitioners

Shelby’s journey in pediatric rheumatology began at age 2 when she was diagnosed with juvenile psoriatic arthritis. After seeing the depth and importance of the field as a patient, she developed an unrelenting passion to give back to the field that treated her throughout childhood. “It is a… read more
Phone: 832-824-3841

Practice Administrator

Kim Nguyen has been with Texas Children's Hospital for over 20 years with 6 years in patient care as a respiratory therapist and over 14 years of experience in administration. In her role, she has worked with physician and senior administrative leaders to increase the number of faculty and staff in… read more