SAN FRANCISCO, CA—(Marketwired – November 09, 2015) – Two prominent clinician–scientists are the 2015 recipients of prestigious career awards that recognize their important achievements in research on the autoimmune disease lupus. Dr. Mariana J. Kaplan of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at the National Institutes of Health received the Evelyn V. Hess Award. Dr. Timothy B. Niewold of Mayo Clinic received the Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize.
Drs. Kaplan and Niewold accepted their awards on November 8th at an awards reception hosted by the Foundation coinciding with the American College of Rheumatology's 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Evelyn V. Hess Award which recognizes the pioneers responsible for significant advancement in lupus research. Previous awardees were present, along with more than 200 researchers involved in the study of lupus.
“We are proud to honor Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Niewold with these prestigious awards,” said Dr. Gary Gilkeson, Professor of Medicine/Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina and the chair the Lupus Foundation of America's Medical–Scientific Advisory Council. “Their research is helping us better understand the causes of lupus and its complications, getting us closer to new and improved ways to treat lupus and the organ damage it creates.”
Dr. Kaplan is the Chief of the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at National Institutes of Health. Her research focuses on lupus–related organ damage, including cardiovascular disease–one of the leading manifestations of lupus. Dr. Kaplan has identified mechanisms that are critical to the development, as well as prevention, of premature atherosclerosis in people with lupus.
Dr. Niewold is a rheumatologist at Mayo Clinic and an associate professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. His research focuses on the role of genetics and immune system signaling molecules in the development and progression of lupus and his insights are important to the development of individualize therapies for people with lupus.
The Evelyn V. Hess Award is presented to an outstanding investigator whose work has significantly advanced understanding of the causes and management of lupus. The award is named after Dr. Evelyn Hess, an internationally known expert in lupus, with a special interest in the area of the environmental aspects of the disease. Dr. Hess is a true trailblazer in lupus research who has had a remarkable career. She is a master of both the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology, as well as the Royal Society of Medicine.
The Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize is presented to recognize exceptional achievements by an investigator in the early part of his or her lupus research career. The award was named after the late Dr. Mary Betty Stevens, who was chair of the rheumatology division at the Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. She was the first woman to occupy a division chair at that institution. She also was the director of rheumatology at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore. Dr. Stevens developed the Hopkins–Good Samaritan Rheumatic Disease Unit, which became renowned for clinical research on lupus and vasculitis.
For additional information about the awards and the Lupus Foundation of America's comprehensive research initiative, please visit lupus.org/research.
About Lupus
Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease that ravages different parts of the body. It is difficult to diagnose, hard to live with and a challenge to treat. Lupus is a cruel mystery because it is hidden from view and undefined, has a range of symptoms, strikes without warning, and has no known cause and no known cure. Its health effects can range from a skin rash to a heart attack. Lupus is debilitating and destructive and can be fatal, yet research on lupus remains underfunded relative to diseases of similar scope and devastation.
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, the Foundation leads the fight to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. Learn more about lupus, Lupus Science & Medicine Journal and the Lupus Foundation of America at lupus.org. For the latest news and updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
The following files are available for download:
HessStevens Award Winners 15
Past Hess Recipients