Piedmont Physicians Rheumatology Atlanta

Paula Song, MD, earned her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California and her Rheumatology fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She received her undergraduate degree in integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Song believes in building relationships with patients and providing individualized care. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all types of autoimmune connective tissue diseases and inflammatory arthritis, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, gout, vasculitis and myositis.

In her spare time, Dr. Song enjoys hiking, spending time with family and friends, and playing with her dog, Cali.

Wambui Machua, M.D., completed her residency and fellowship training at Morehouse School of Medicine and Medical College of Georgia respectively. Prior to joining Piedmont, Dr. Machua was previously involved in multiple clinical trials in the Atlanta area. She is a member of the American College of Rheumatology, International Society for Clinical Densitometry and board certified in internal medicine. She serves on the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia chapter, Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Machua believes medicine brings healing through collaboration between the patient and the medical provider team. She provides compassionate, patient-centered care and utilizes cutting edge therapies and holistic care to manage rheumatic diseases. She is a strong advocate for her patients. In her free time, Dr. Machua enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking and cooking. Dr. Machua welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans.

Avni Amratia, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in rheumatology. Dr. Amratia treats rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, myositis, scleroderma, and gout, and is passionate about providing education, and comprehensive and evidence-based care to her patients.

In her spare time, Dr. Amratia enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, baking, cooking, and caring for their household plants.

Dr. Amratia welcomes new patients and accepts most major insurance plans.

Mala S. Kaul, M.D., M.H.S., graduated cum laude from the University of Miami and earned her medical degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Kaul then went on to complete her fellowship training in rheumatology as well as her Master's degree in Clinical Health Sciences at Duke University. Prior to joining Piedmont Physicians, Dr. Kaul was an assistant professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center in the Division of Rheumatology for seven years and continues as adjunct professor of Rheumatology at Duke University. Dr. Kaul is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Dr. Kaul is the Medical Director of Rheumatology at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. Her research interests include understanding the effects of autoimmune diseases on the cardiovascular system as well as quality improvement in rheumatology. Dr. Kaul enjoys taking care of patients with rheumatic disease including lupus, gout, spondyloarthritis and has a special interest in rheumatoid arthritis/early inflammatory arthritis. She is excited by how well her patients can do with the right treatments and hopeful for the future since there are so many new treatments in development to help improve patient lives. Dr. Kaul welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans.

Kashif A. Jafri, M.D., is a clinical rheumatologist who is double board-certified in rheumatology and in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). He graduated from medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed an internal medicine residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) and a rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Prior to joining Piedmont, he was a partner at Pacific Rheumatology Associates in San Francisco.

Dr. Jafri enjoys caring for rheumatologic patients with all types of autoimmune/immune-mediated diseases and inflammatory arthritis, including systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and dermatomyositis/polymyositis. He is passionate about patient education and effective communication, and he takes pride in developing collaborative relationships over time with his patients and their families.

Dr. Jafri has several peer-reviewed publications in academic journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Arthritis and Rheumatology, Arthritis Care and Research, Clinical Rheumatology, Rheumatology International, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. He has presented his research at multiple American College of Rheumatology annual meetings and at the European Union League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) annual meeting. In his spare time, he enjoys playing tennis, reading, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and son, and he is very excited to serve the Atlanta community. Dr. Jafri welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans.