Dr. Ramona Mihu Fellowship Trained: Rheumatology
Dr. Ramona Mihu is board certified in Rheumatology, and holds an additional certification in clinical densitometry. Dr. Mihu is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology. In 2004, Dr. Mihu graduated in the top 5% of her class from one of the oldest Medical Schools in Romania, and started a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency in Romania in 2005, until she came to the U.S. to do research in 2007.
Dr. Mihu did basic science research in New York in 2007 and 2008 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, completed Internal medicine residency in New York from 2008 until 2011 and completed her Rheumatology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston where she graduated in 2013. She first began working in private practice, then joined the academic Rheumatology Department at Houston Methodist in 2016. From 2019 to 2023 Dr. Mihu was part of Advanced Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. Dr. Mihu opened her medical office, Heights Rheumatology P.A., in May 2023 in the eclectic Houston Heights.
Dr. Mihu treats a wide variety of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, vasculitis, inflammatory myopathy, sarcoidosis, etc.
In her free time, Dr. Mihu enjoys being outdoors, fishing, spending time with her husband and her young son, their 4 dogs and 6 cats, and she is also a motorsports enthusiast. Dr. Ramona Mihu has been awarded the “Super Doctor” award from Texas Monthly Magazine in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, and again in 2024.
Education
09/1998-09/2004 “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
MD degree, magna cum laude
Postdoctoral Training
07/2011-06/2013 Rheumatology Fellowship – Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
07/2008-06/2011 Internal Medicine Residency New York Medical College – Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester, New Rochelle, NY
09/2005-02/2007 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency University Hospital for Emergency Medicine Bucharest, Romania
02/2005-08/2005 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency University Hospital for Rehabilitation Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Licensure and Examinations
ISCD Certification 2019
Texas Medical license 2013
ABIM Rheumatology certification 2013
ABIM Internal Medicine certification 2012 (score in the top 10%)
ECFMG certification 2007
USMLE Step1- Score 99
Step2- Score 99
Step3- Score 91
Professional Membership
12/2019-present The International Society for Clinical Densitometry
06/2013-present Harris County Medical Society
06/2013-present Texas Medical Association
07/2011-present American College of Rheumatology
02/2010-present Medical Society of the State of New York
01/2009-present American College of Physicians
02/2005-02/2007 Romanian College of Physicians
Work Experience
05/2023 - Heights Rheumatology P.A. Physician/Rheumatology
Owner
05/2019 – 03/2023 Advanced Orhtopaedics & Sports Medicine –
Physician/Rheumatology
04/2016 – 03/2019 Houston Methodist Hospital
Specialty Physician Group – Physician/Rheumatology
07/2013-03/2016 Katy Rheumatology & Associates – Physician/Rheumatology
Houston, Texas
Current hospital affiliation: Houston Methodist Hospital
HCA North Cypress Hospital
Past hospital affiliation: Houston Methodist West Hospital
Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital
Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital
Academic Affiliation
02/2018 College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Adjunct Assistant Professor
Scholarships and Awards
09/1994-06/1998 Academic merit scholarship
“Vasile Alecsandri” National College (high school)
Galati, Romania
(awarded to top 3% of class)
06/1998 Award for the best high school graduate (Valedictorian)
“Vasile Alecsandri” National College (high school)
Galati, Romania
07/1997 Bronze Medal
The 8th International Biology Olympics, 13-20 July
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
03/1998 First prize
National Olympics in Biology and Genetics
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
10/1998-07/2004 Academic merit scholarship
“Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
(awarded to top 10% of class)
07/2001 Award for the best 3rd year medical student
2019 Texas Super Doctors, Rising Star category
2020 Texas Super Doctors, Rising Star category
2021 Texas Top Docs
2022 Texas Super Doctors, Texas Top Docs
2023 Texas Super Doctors, Texas Magazine
Research and Experience
09/2012–5/2013 Cadherin 11 detection in interstitial lung disease
Principal investigator: Sandeep K. Agarwal, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Section of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
11/2007-02/2008 Inhibitory effects of various chemical compounds on Mycobacteria and Gram(+) cocci
Principal investigator: Michael S. Glickman, M.D.
Head Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center - Weill Medical
College of Cornell University. New York, NY
03/2007-06/2007 Genetic mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Principal investigator: Michael S. Glickman, M.D.
Head Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center - Weill Medical
College of Cornell University. New York, NY
12/2008 Effects of methamphetamines on host immune response during staphylococcus aureus skin infection in murines.
Principal investigator: Joshua D Nosanchuk, M.D.
Associate Professor Microbiology and Immunology
Director of Microbiology and infectious Diseases Education
Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Bronx, NY
Publications
Mihu MR, Mihu R, Daniel I, Deliana D, Yarrish R, Jesmajian S. Staphylococcus schleiferi Native Valve Endocarditis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice. March 2012, Volume 20, Issue 2.
Mihu R, Popovich J, Sessoms S. Interstitial lung disease in dermatomyositis. Submitted for review to NEJM.
Posters and Presentations
Mihu R, Sunkara A, Sessoms S, Popovich J. Cardiac involvement with IgG4 related disease, report of two cases. Poster presented at The 3rd International Symposium on IgG4-Related Diseases & Fibrosis, February 2017, Maui, Hawaii.
Popovich J, Sunkara A, Mihu R, Ro J, Sessoms S. Sclerosing mesenteritis – IgG4 related mesenteric pseudotumor or idiopathic sclerosing mesenteritis? Poster presented at The 3rd International Symposium on IgG4-Related Diseases & Fibrosis, February 2017, Maui, Hawaii.
Mihu R, Rossen R, Popovich J, Sessoms S. Significant functional improvement using aggressive immunomodulatory therapy in patients with inflammatory myopathy and interstitial lung disease. Poster presented at: American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting, November 2012, Washington, DC.
Shah N, Kapoor R, Mihu R, Alexa M, Basak P, Tamarin F, Jesmajian S. (2009, November). Allergic Myocardial Infarction (Kounis Syndrome) secondary to Ibuprofen use. Poster presented at: American College of Allergy, Asthma&Immunology Annual Meeting; Miami Beach, FL.
Languages
English, French, Romanian and Spanish.
Heights Rheumatology P.A.,
204 W 19th Street,
Suite 200,
Houston TX 77008
(The office is located in the PNC Bank building)