Lupus Organizations Collaborate to Further Advance Lupus Research

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR), the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA)  and the Lupus Research Institute (LRI) join together again to encourage scientific advances in lupus research. The Lupus Insight Prize, a highly successful collaboration among the three organizations, recognizes a major, novel insight and/or discovery that has the promise of changing thinking about lupus as well as a high likelihood of generating further advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Lupus is an unpredictable and sometimes fatal autoimmune disease that affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans.

The Request for Nominations will open January 15, 2015, with applications due by March 19, 2015. The 2015 Prize will be awarded by the three organizations at the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) annual meeting in San Diego this June.

"One goal of the Lupus Insight Prize is to stimulate the interest of outstanding investigators who have not previously focused their efforts on lupus," commented Mary K. Crow, M.D., Chair, ALR Scientific Advisory Board, Physician-in-Chief and Chair, Department of Medicine, The Hospital for Special Surgery. "We would love to receive nominations of scientists from other fields who have had a novel insight with potential relevance to the pathogenesis or treatment of lupus. Awareness of the Lupus Insight Prize throughout the scientific community should grow the number of strong scientists who are challenged to unravel the complexities of lupus."

"Collaboration among the lupus community is important to maximize efforts to diagnose lupus, bring the disease under control and find cures," said Gary S. Gilkeson, M.D., Chair, of the Lupus Foundation of America Medical-Scientific Advisory Council. "The support and collaboration for the Lupus Insight Prize from the Lupus Foundation of America, Alliance for Lupus Research and Lupus Research Institute further demonstrate the commitment of these organizations to work together to advance lupus research."

Peter Lipsky, M.D., LRI Scientific Advisory Board Member and Editor-in-Chief of Arthritis Research and Therapy noted, "Lupus is a complex disease that requires out-of-the-box thinking to increase understanding and further our ability to treat persons with this disease effectively. Quantum leaps in understanding lupus will come from innovative discoveries by outstanding scientists. The Lupus Insight Prize will recognize those novel discoveries."

The Lupus Insight Prize recipient will be awarded $200,000 to be used for research dedicated to furthering understanding of the genetic, environmental, molecular, immunologic or cellular aspects of lupus or its treatment. The Prize must be utilized within three years from the date awarded. 

Lupus Insight Prize nominations will be reviewed by members of the independent Selection Committee, which is comprised of leading lupus scientific leaders from across the country and representatives of the three funding lupus organizations. The Selection Committee will review nominations and award the Prize based on several criteria, including academic achievements, creativity, insight, and potential for future advances that will improve the lives of people with lupus.

Nominations are open to investigators of any age or rank affiliated with an academic, biomedical, research or government institution in the United States. Nominations will not be accepted for investigators working in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, nominees may not already possess a grant award to pursue the aims described in the Research Narrative. Co-investigators or teams of investigators are not eligible for the Lupus Insight Prize.

Instructions on how to submit a nomination for the Lupus Insight Prize and the complete guidelines are available at www.LupusInsightPrize.org. Nominators and Candidates should work together to prepare each Candidate's Letter of Nomination for the Lupus Insight Prize. Nominations of basic, clinical, and translational scientists will be considered. The Nominator should submit a two-page Letter of Nomination, describing the novel discovery that will be recognized. In addition, the worthiness, expertise and achievements of the Candidate should be described. The Letter of Nomination should specifically focus on the unique insight generated by the Candidate's discovery that might have an impact on advancing the future of lupus research, as this is the main basis for the award of the Prize. The full application must be submitted no later than March 19, 2015 at 5 p.m. ET.

The Prize recipient will be announced and honored publicly at a ceremony on June 24, 2015 during the FOCIS 2015 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. At the ceremony, the award recipient will share plans about his or her lupus research and future plans. Details about the ceremony and reception honoring the Prize recipient will be posted to www.LupusInsightPrize.org in the coming months.

About Lupus
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and tissue damage to any organ system in the body. The health effects of lupus include heart attacks, strokes, seizures, organ failure, and possible death. An estimated 1.5 million Americans and at least five million people worldwide have a form of lupus. 

About the Funding Organizations
For more information about the Alliance for Lupus Research, visit www.lupusresearch.org.
For more information about the Lupus Foundation of America, visit www.lupus.org.
For more information about the Lupus Research Institute, visit www.lupusresearchinstitute.org.

SOURCE Lupus Research Institute

Related Links

http://www.lupusresearchinstitute.org