April 1, 2020
Thirteen new applications for promising scientific studies were just recommended for funding through the Lupus Research Program (LRP) within the Department of Defense!
The $5 million in awards for Fiscal Year 2019 brings the total to $15 million over three years. The dedicated Lupus Research Program was first established in 2017 under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs operated by the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command in Ft. Detrick, MD. Advocates, along with the Lupus Research Alliance, worked for the creation of this important program focused on supporting innovative and impactful lupus research.
As in previous years, the response from researchers to this grant opportunity far exceeded the funds available – 115 grant applications were received and 13 were awarded.
Several of the researchers who will receive funding through this highly competitive grant have also received grants from the Lupus Research Alliance. Ten of the grants will take place at institutions that are a part of the Lupus Clinical Investigators Network (LuCIN). Administered by our affiliate Lupus Therapeutics, this network of over 57 academic centers across North America aims to accelerate the clinical trial process so more treatments can be tested and approved for lupus.
FY19 Concept Award
| Meharry Medical College, Nashville | Dorin-Bogdan Borza, PhD |
| Philadelphia Research and Education Foundation | Victoria Werth, MD |
| State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center | Chongmin Huan, MD, PhD |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Maureen McMahon, MD |
| University of Florida | John Bowden, PhD |
| University of Massachusetts Medical School | Jillian Richmond, PhD |
| University of Michigan | Jeffrey Hodgin, MD |
FY19 Impact Award
| Feinstein Institute for Medical Research | Betty Diamond, MD |
| Hospital for Special Surgery | Alessandra Pernis, MD |
| Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois | Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, MD |
| The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Canada) | Andrea Knight, MD |
| University of Washington | Jonathan Himmelfarb, MD |
| Wake Forest University Health Sciences | Carl Langefeld, PhD |
The LRA is also proud of the Consumer Reviewers who were chosen to participate in the review process based on recommendations by President and CEO Kenneth M. Farber. Consumer Reviewers are instrumental in bringing the patient perspective to reviewing the grants chosen.
Due to the tremendous work of the lupus community, Congress doubled its investment to $10 million for the Lupus Research Program in the FY 2020 Defense Appropriations Bill. We are very grateful to Congress for appropriating the funding to create and maintain the Lupus Research Program.
