The Lupus Symposium held on May 9th brought together leading experts, researchers, and patients to discuss the latest advancements in lupus research and treatment.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body attacks its own tissues. In this fight against itself, the body makes immune complexes that deposit in various places, such as the joints, kidney, skin, and brain. Over time, patients with SLE can experience symptoms related to damage of affected organs, such as kidney failure and heart attack.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease where the immune system starts attacking its own tissues. Currently, there are no known causes or cures for the disease, just treatments to manage lupus. Symptoms of lupus include skin rash, fever, pain/swelling in joints, etc. Recently, studies have also identified sleep disturbance as one of the more common symptoms, occurring in around 50%-80% of people living with SLE.
Are COVID-19 vaccines and boosters effective if I have lupus?
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As COVID-19 restrictions lift around the world, cases continue to be high. According to the CDC, there are about ~120,000 new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. reported each day, and these reports are severely undercounted1. With the rise of new variants and colder weather on the horizon, you might be wondering what you can do to stay healthy.
Happy Lupus Awareness Month! I had the pleasure of interviewing the LupusChat Executive Board. LupusChat is a global health organization based in New York City, founded in 2012 by Tiffany Marie Peterson. The mission of LupusChat is to "improve the quality of life for all those impacted by lupus, chronic, autoimmune, and rheumatic diseases."
I had the pleasure of interviewing Ruth Wilson, a lupus patient and research associate studying lupus in the Fitzgerald Lab at UMass Chan Medical School. Ruth is very passionate about lupus research. She recently worked with the MA Governor's office to have May officially declared Lupus Awareness Month in our state! Go Ruth!
Did you know that man's best friend can also develop lupus?
We collaborated with veterinarians at Tufts Cummings School to examine leftover material from skin biopsies taken to diagnose cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE; lupus skin rash) in pet dogs to better understand what drives disease in both human and veterinary patients.
Interview with Janice Lagacé, Deborah White & Paul Newton
For the month of July, we will be featuring the people of UMass who support our research. This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Janice Lagacé, Deborah White & Paul Newton. Janice is the Associate Director of Research Funding Services, and she signs off on all my grant submissions on behalf of the university. Deb and Paul are Grant & Contract Specialists, and they help with my pre- and post-award budgeting/financials. We have worked together for many years, and Janice, Deb and Paul are awesome at what they do! They help so much with the financial portion of my research proposals, not to mention the research of many other investigators at UMass. Get to know them here!
For the month of July, we will be featuring the people of UMass who support our research. This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Lajoie and Celia Hartigan. Laura and Celia work in our Dermatology Department and play critical support roles for our projects. Laura is the Director of the Skin Diseases Research Core, and Celia is a Research Nurse Manager who helps us with our human research studies. We have worked together for many years, during which we've become good friends. Laura and Celia are some of the hardest workers I know, and they always go above and beyond to help us. Get to know them here!
For the month of July, we will be featuring the people of UMass who support our research. This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Martha Rios and Mariela Martinez. Martha and Mariela work for our Environmental Building Services (EBS) department as custodians on our floor. We have worked together for about 6 years, during which we've become good friends. Martha and Mariela are some of the hardest workers I know, and they always go above and beyond to help us. Get to know them here!
For the month of July, we will be featuring the people of UMass who support our research. For my first interview, I had the pleasure of interviewing Madelyn Rivera. Maddy works in our research core facility as an Animal Care Technician. Maddy always goes above and beyond to help us, and she does everything with a smile and a positive outlook on life. Get to know her here!
Meet our research team member Dr. Kerstin Nundel. Kerstin's lab studies how B cells, a type of white blood cell, become activated against the body's own tissues and cause lupus.
Ms. Diomaris Gonzalez, Dr. Shayla Shorter and Dr. Teodora Staeva of the Lupus Research Alliance.
Happy Lupus Awareness Month!
I had the pleasure of interviewing the Research Team at the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), including Dr. Shayla Shorter, Ms. Diomaris Gonzalez, and Dr. Teodora (Teo) Staeva. I have had the opportunity to work with all three as one of six recipients of an LRA grant at UMass. The LRA is the world’s leading private funder of lupus research in the world. These three are great role models for women in science and advocacy, and it was wonderful to hear their insights into what the LRA is accomplishing and their visions for the future of lupus.
Meet our research team member Kevin Gao. Kevin is an MD/PhD student studying lupus and mechanisms of autoimmunity in the labs of Drs. Ann Rothstein and Kate Fitzgerald here at UMass.
