Lupus Foundation of America Recognizes Top Researchers with Evelyn V. Hess Award and Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  The Lupus Foundation of America recognizes two leading scientists for exceptional achievement in lupus research at the 2016 Evelyn V. Hess Reception in Washington, DC.

The Lupus Foundation of America established the Evelyn V. Hess Award in 2005 to honor Dr. Hess for her outstanding contributions to lupus research over the course of her long career. Dr. Hess passed away last year, her legacy lives on through this awards program.

The winner of this year's Hess award is Dafna Gladman, MD, who is a rheumatologist at the Center for Prognosis Studies, Toronto Western Hospital in Canada.  Dr. Gladman is co-director of the University of Toronto Lupus Clinic and has undertaken numerous and wide-ranging studies of the disease including genetic analyses, studies of morbidity and the development of an internationally-recognized activity index for lupus.  Dr. Gladman was a founding member of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) group and its first chair.   She was integral in the development of unique disease activity and damage indices, which continue to be used worldwide in lupus clinical trials.

The Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize is awarded annually in recognition of exceptional achievements of an investigator in the early part of his or her career in lupus research, and as a tribute to Dr. Stevens' significant contributions to the field.

The winner of this year's Mary Betty Stevens Prize is Vasileios Kyttaris, MD, who is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kyttaris is director of the Beth Israel Lupus Patient Cohort which includes more than 200 patients and serves as the basis for numerous studies on lupus at Harvard Medical School.

Full release: http://www.lupus.org/general-news/entry/top-lupus-researchers-recognized-for-exceptional-acheivement 

About the Lupus Foundation of America
The Lupus Foundation of America is the only national force devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, one of the world's cruelest, most unpredictable and devastating diseases, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. Through a comprehensive program of research, education, and advocacy, we lead the fight to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. Learn more about the Foundation at www.lupus.org. For the latest news and updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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SOURCE Lupus Foundation of America

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