Dr. Oates' clinical and research interests are focused on systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis. His studies center on the role of endothelial dysfunction in lupus cardiovascular and renal disease, biomarkers of lupus nephritis, and use of machine learning modeling to predict outcomes of lupus nephritis. He is involved in clinical trials of therapies for systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis and is the principal investigator on several studies at MUSC. Dr. Oates is an active member of the M.U.S.C.L.E. Research Group. He has supported clinical research at a regional and national level by serving as the President American Federation for Medical Research where he serves on the Editorial Board of its journal (Journal of Investigative Medicine).