Lupus Foundation of America Inc.

06/05/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/05/2025 08:17

Lupus Foundation of America Awards Summer Fellowship Grants to Seven Young Scientists Advancing Lupus Research

The Lupus Foundation of America is proud to announce the seven recipients of the 2025 Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program (Finzi). This program supports undergraduate, graduate, and medical students conducting lupus-focused research under the guidance of experienced mentors at academic institutions in the US, Canada or Mexico. Its purpose is to inspire medical and graduate students to pursue lupus research, helping to build the future pipeline of experts across North America. This year's Finzi Fellows will spend the summer investigating unanswered questions in lupus including:

  • How skin lesions heal - uncovering the biological steps the body takes to resolve lupus-related skin damage.
  • The brain and nerves in lupus - exploring how lupus affects the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, including changes in brain structure and function.
  • Mental health and self-care - studying how chronic stress from "superwoman schema" affects a patient's ability to engage in self-management.
  • Lupus in the kidneys - identifying the biological and social factors that drive the development of lupus nephritis (lupus-related kidney disease), a serious kidney complication.
  • The role of diet and nutrients - two studies in this area, examining how dietary compounds like omega-3 fatty acids influence immune cells and disease activity, as well as how nutrition may impact symptoms and flares.
  • Lupus and the X chromosome - investigating how changes in genes located on the X chromosome may increase lupus risk, especially in women.

"Students pursuing their graduate or medical education in biomedical fields are poised to become the next generation of scientists, and recognition of their efforts through the Gina M. Finzi Student Summer Fellowship Program, and the excitement for their research, helps inspire students to continue investigations in the field of lupus and autoimmunity in their future careers," shared Montserrat Anguera, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania and 2025 Finzi grantee mentor.

Throughout the fellowship, Finzi recipients work closely with seasoned clinical investigators and biomedical scientists who provide guidance and foster their development as emerging scientists. This mentorship is a vital part of the program, offering essential support as students begin to shape their careers in lupus research.

Launched in 1984, the Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program was established in memory of Gina M. Finzi, daughter of former Lupus Foundation of America President Sergio Finzi, PhD. Many past fellows have gone on to become leaders in the field, advancing groundbreaking research in lupus. "The future of lupus research is in the hands of the students that will be ushering in the next breakthroughs in the field," shared Joy Buie, Ph.D, MSCR, RN, Vice President of Research at Lupus Foundation of America.

"The Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program is uniquely positioned to ensure investments are made in the brightest, most innovative young minds. With guidance from mentors, these Finzi Fellows will gain the experiences needed to support a research career focused on closing gaps in lupus diagnosis, treatment and care."

The research conducted by Finzi Fellows will contribute to a variety of crucial areas within the lupus field:

Grace Crossland

Dartmouth College, Geisel School of Medicine

Project Title: Defining the role of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in cutaneous lupus erythematosus

Mentor: Sladjana Skopelja-Gardner, PhD

Vanessa Estrada

Department of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology, Michigan State University

Project Title: Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 Effects on Interferon Gene Methylation in Lupus Macrophages

Mentor: James J. Pestka, PhD

Rohan Gupta

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research

Project Title: Determining the Role of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) in NPSLE

Mentor: Betty Diamond, MD

Jerik Leung

Emory University

Project Title: Using Photovoice to Understand Self-Management Behaviors in Lupus

Mentors: S. Sam Lim, MD, MPH; Cam Escoffery, PhD, MPH, CHES

Sara Smith

The Regents of University of California, San Francisco

Project Title: Uncovering the Molecular Underpinnings of Lupus Nephritis with Multi-Omic Analysis

Mentor: Gabriela K. Fragiadakis, PhD

Emma Welter

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

Project Title: Investigating the Impact of Lupus-Like Disease on the Inactive X Chromosome in Age-Associated B Cells

Mentor: Montserrat Anguera, PhD

Jin Xuan Zhou

Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto

Project Title: Diffusion Tensor Imaging Metrics and Neurocognitive Function in cSLE

Mentor: Andrea Knight, MD, MSCE

Learn more about the 2025 Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship recipients, here.

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