At a very young age, Diana Tive’s life was forever changed with a lupus diagnosis.
Now, two decades later, Diana is helping to advance research that is overcoming the very real challenges that she and millions of others face daily. As the Administrative Coordinator for the Lupus Research Alliance’s Research Department, she finds hope in every grant application, every breakthrough, and every researcher she interacts with.
Learning to Adapt
Diana remembers the year her life turned upside down. She was 12 and, suddenly, her get-up-and-go, ready-for-anything, see-the-world spirit had to shift. Her pain and energy levels due to her diagnosis forced her to slow down.
But it didn’t stop her. She instead found ways to turn a negative into a positive.
For instance, while she describes her high school years as afternoons filled with seeing doctors, she figured out how to make them fun – scheduling her appointments when her friends were free and turning lonely waiting room stints into hangouts and study sessions.
“I love being with people, and I was very fortunate to have four friends who rotated to be with me at these appointments,” she said.
That ability to adapt quickly became a throughline for Diana’s life.
Hear Diana’s story featured among other voices of people living with lupus at the Lupus Research Alliance Breaking Through Gala 2025.
Finding her Path
Coming out of college, Diana initially aspired to take a high-stakes finance job but quickly realized a more adaptable career could better accommodate whatever lupus might have in store. She pivoted to hone her project management skills at a film production company that prepared her what she felt was her true calling: working at a nonprofit involved in scientific research.
She calls it “kismet” that she came across — and landed — her dream job at the Lupus Research Alliance. Not only did it meet her criteria, but it also offered the prospect of being directly involved in the advancement of promising discoveries for the disease she lives with every day.
“The work being done here by my colleagues and our researchers is incredible,” noted Diana.
From early-stage programs that deepen our understanding of lupus to promising innovations like engineered cell therapies, Diana is excited about what’s coming next. Reading grant submissions, helping the recipients with administrative processing, and seeing the results, she gets a front-row seat to dramatic scientific progress.
“My dream is for a cure in my lifetime. And seeing the amazing work being done here gives me incredible hope and confidence that it will happen.”
Diana treasures the close relationships she has with co-workers who truly understand the extent of what the disease means and give her the flexibility she needs.
“Every single person at the LRA genuinely cares,” she said. “They may join the organization without a personal tie to lupus, but they soon develop a deep emotional connection to the mission and do their very best work on behalf of all of us living with the disease.”
Empathy as a Side Effect
Diana noted that hearing so many community members share their stories inspired her to talk about her diagnosis and put herself “out there and be an example of how this disease can not only hinder life but also enhance it.”
“I have been in the darkness of pain and injuries,” Diana said. “I was dimming myself, focusing on what I wasn’t able to do. But now I live in the light, bringing out the bright, exuberant version of myself to be someone people with any issue, chronic disease, or disability can trust and turn to.”
She credits her profound empathy as one of the positive traits developed because of lupus. And it’s noticed. In fact, Diana’s dedication to helping others was recognized by her LRA colleagues, who overwhelmingly voted her “Values Champion” – an award presented each year to the one person who best “makes a significant contribution to a positive work culture.”
Her Advice to Others Facing Lupus
Diana is always looking for ways to support others navigating life with lupus. For those newly diagnosed, she offers a few pieces of advice:
- Bring someone to every doctor’s appointment. They can take notes and may recall something you forget to bring up.
- Ask a million questions. And if you’re not clear, ask again.
- Listen to your body. It will tell you what you need to take care of yourself.
- Build a strong support system.
Diana knows she can always count on her fiancé Justin, family, friends, and the light of her life – her cavapoo puppy, Cleopatra.
“Some of the members of your support system will be in it for the long haul, while others may star in just one or two episodes,” Diana said. “But every character plays a role in your life story and contributes something meaningful.”
With the new year in full swing, Diana is holding herself to a resolution she hopes others with lupus will also embrace: “Give yourself a break. It’s okay to slow down when you need to.”
To learn more about the work Diana and her Research Department colleagues devote themselves to every day, visit here.
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