Lupus Awareness Month Events

Community Events and Support

What is Lupus Live Broadcast (in Cantonese) | Weds, May 3, 4:00pm-4:30pm ET - Chinese Radio AM1480 interview with Eliza Ngan-Dittgen, Program Supervisor, LANtern® (Lupus Asian Network)
LANtern® Virtual Support Group | Sat, May 13, 11:00am-12:00pm ET - For meeting details & registration, please contact Eliza at lantern@hss.edu or 646.797.8338
Teen Young Adult and Parent Virtual Support Group | Thurs, May 18, 5:30pm-8:00pm ET - For meeting details, please contact Giselle Rodriguez, LCSW at charla@hss.edu.
Arthritis Foundation of New York Annual Virtual Walk to Cure Arthritis | Sat, May 20, 9:00am ET at Foley Square - To walk with the HSS Department of Social Work Programs, please contact Rosalia Duarte, LMSW, at 212.774.7605.

See our Lupus Awareness Month flyer for more details.

Our patients have helped us understand lupus – so we can develop new approaches for treatment. We thank you for your participation. Here are some of the advancements you helped us make:

HSS Research Institute and The University of Utah Receive NIH Grant to Continue Groundbreaking Study on Pregnant Patients with APS (Antiphospholipid Syndrome Patients) with or without Lupus
HSS Lupus and APS Center Director, Jane Salmon, MD, is conducting an interventional trial funded by the NIH and Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) to help patients with lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) (often associated with lupus) have successful pregnancies. Women with lupus and APS are at increased risk for preeclampsia and other serious pregnancy complications. The IMPACT clinical trial is the first trial to use a biologic therapy to prevent serious adverse outcomes in high-risk pregnancies.

Dr. Salmon and her team completed an observational study of 775 pregnancies to determine the strongest predictors of pregnancy complications in patients with lupus and/or APS. The presence of certain autoantibodies in women with APS with or without lupus is associated with a nearly 50% risk for serious adverse pregnancy outcomes. The IMPACT trial will determine whether treatment with Certolizumab, a monoclonal anti-TNF antibody that blocks inflammation, will prevent serious pregnancy complications. Studies in experimental animal models show that blocking this inflammatory mediator prevents preeclampsia, fetal death and fetal growth restriction – all problems seen in patients with lupus and with APS. Read more

Hospital for Special Surgery Research Institute was Awarded Two New Grants to Study Potential Causes of Lupus Flares
A research team led by Theresa Lu, MD, PhD of the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Research Institute, in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded two grants, one from the Department of Defense and one from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct groundbreaking research regarding lupus flares. Sun exposure can trigger skin lesions and worsening of kidneys or other internal organs affected by lupus, but how inflammation at the skin leads to internal organ effects is unknown. The hope is that this study will identify the molecular pathways that drive photosensitivity and lupus flares to determine better treatment options for this confounding and mysterious disease. Read more

The Lupus and APS Center of Excellence at HSS is a multidisciplinary and innovative program, established by expert faculty with the goal of improving the lives of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). For more information please visit us online.

Fast Track Appointment Referral Service - If you are a lupus patient new to HSS in need of a fast appointment with one of our center’s physicians, please call us at 877.SLE.CURE (877.753.2873). For non-urgent requests or questions please email us.
View our HSS Lupus Patient Support Programs