This year, the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is pleased to announce two recipients of grants supporting pediatric lupus research. This year’s recipients are Nayimisha Balmuri, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who will be studying impacts of air pollution on health outcomes in pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Rebecca Sadun, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, who will be assessing barriers to medication adherence in children with SLE, an important factor in ensuring optimal outcomes in the pediatric population.
Between 10 and 20 percent of all cases of lupus develop during childhood and up to 80 percent of children will develop lupus nephritis, a significant cause of morbidity in lupus. For these reasons, the LFA established the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Research Program in memory of Michael Jon Barlin who passed away at the age of 24 following a long battle with lupus and complications from kidney and cardiovascular disease. The LFA’s pediatric lupus grants provide funding for research projects that have the potential to significantly advance the field or serve as crucial seed funding to help researchers secure larger, external funding to further their research.
“Children with lupus are forced to navigate an unpredictable disease during a time of life that should be about growth and learning. Yet, they are faced with an illness that is often more severe when developed in childhood, with higher likelihood of organ involvement, damage and life-threatening complications,” said Joy Buie, PhD, MSCR, RN, Vice President of Research, Lupus Foundation of America. “The Lupus Foundation of America understands the importance of investing in research specific to children with lupus and has a long history in focusing on this critical area of study. We’re excited to support Drs. Balmuri and Sadunin as they work to improve the understanding of childhood lupus and disease management.”
Andrea Knight, MD, MSCE, Clinician Investigator, Division of Rheumatology, Hospital for Sick Children, and Lupus Foundation of America Medical-Scientific Advisory Council member shared, “Obtaining funding for pediatric lupus research can be challenging, as children represent a smaller group of patients compared to adults with lupus. However, studying the impacts of the disease and its treatments during adolescence at a critical stage in the body’s development is incredibly unique compared to adults – making it critically important. Pediatric patients also face challenges involving high mental health burden, developing self-management skills and transitioning to adult care. As a major supporter of lupus research, the Lupus Foundation of America’s commitment to pediatric research is critical to improving outcomes for those with childhood-onset lupus and advancing our understanding of lupus overall.”
This year’s Lupus Foundation of America Pediatric Lupus Research Grant recipients are dedicated to advancing childhood lupus research and will be studying in the following important areas:
- Nayimisha Balmuri, MD seeks to understand how exposure to specific air pollution particles impacts the severity of lupus in children and whether factors like poverty and other social determinants of health contribute to worse outcomes in those with higher exposure to air pollution. These findings aim to help uncover opportunities to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for children with lupus.
- Rebecca Sadun, MD, PhD aims to improve medication adherence in children, teens and young adults with lupus by understanding the challenges each patient is experiencing. The study will take steps to adapt an existing questionnaire to better understand barriers to taking medications in children with lupus, and create a companion parent questionnaire to understand barriers at the level of the family unit.
Learn more about the 2025 pediatric grant recipients and their studies here.
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