Lupus Foundation of America Supports Four Early Career Scientists Advancing Lupus Research

Grant Will Fund Studies in Lupus Nephritis, Pregnancy Outcomes, the Role of Genetics and Understanding Immune Response

The Lupus Foundation of America is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award (CDA). The two-year grant supports critical lupus research conducted by early career scientists and provides mentorship to guide their studies and help ensure future growth in the lupus research field.

The 2024 recipients are:

• Abhimanyu Amarnani, MD, PhD, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
• Jessica English, MD, MSCR, Medical University of South Carolina
• John Huizar, MD, University of California, Berkeley
• Charlotte Hurabielle, MD, PhD, University of California, San Francisco

"The Lupus Foundation of America's Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award is an incredibly important grant that makes a much needed investment in lupus research and the bright minds of the future," shared Karen H. Costenbader, MD, MPH, Chair of the Lupus Foundation of America's Medical-Scientific Advisory Council. "Because they have the support and mentorship early on, early investigators supported by the Career Development Award continue to go on to make an incredible difference in lupus research, making impactful discoveries - and even starting on the path to becoming future mentors themselves."

Research being conducted by this year's awardees focus on how changes in gut bacteria can contribute to lupus nephritis, improving pregnancy outcomes in women with lupus, the impact of genetics on the risk of lupus development, and understanding immune response in people with lupus. Each grantee works with an established researcher as a mentor.

"Establishing a research career has never been easy, but over time it has become even more challenging and complex. The guidance of an experienced mentor, and even better the guidance from a diverse team of experienced mentors, is critical to the success of new researchers starting out in the field," shared Dr. Diane Kamen, Professor of Medicine at Medical University of South Carolina, one of this year's grantee mentors. "I have witnessed too many passionate, talented trainees plan for careers in lupus clinical research, only to come to the end of their training and face daunting barriers. The Lupus Foundation of America's Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award provides financial support for these bright young investigators so they can dedicate sufficient time and effort to focusing and implementing their research plans."

The 2024 Career Development Award recipients will advance lupus research in the following areas of study:

• Abhimanyu Amarnani will investigate how gut microbiota alteration triggers lupus nephritis (LN), a severe kidney complication in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Conducting research in the laboratory of Dr. Gregg Silverman, a leader in gut microbiome studies in SLE patients, his work aims to develop targeted, personalized treatments for LN patients by modulating platelet activity or directly addressing harmful bacterial products in the gut.
• Jessica English aims to identify risks and improve maternal health equity in women with SLE who have significantly worse pregnancy outcomes as compared to the general population. The research will focus on risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women before a diagnosis of SLE. This can potentially improve early pregnancy screening methods.
• John Huizar will examine how a person's genetic makeup influences their risk of lupus. This may potentially expand understanding of how individual genetic makeup contributes to both the risk of developing lupus, and the distinct profile of lupus symptoms experienced by each affected person. This research has the potential to improve the design of lupus clinical trials.
• Charlotte Hurabielle will leverage novel technologies to allow for an in depth analysis of the immune response in patients who have lupus. She aims to understand why patients have the manifestations that they do and what immune signatures predict flares and remissions. This will help to develop innovative treatment strategies and guide personalized therapies in the future.

Learn more about the Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award and its 2024 grantees, here.

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