Lupus Investigators Receive Prestigious Awards for Valuable Contributions in Research

The Lupus Foundation of America today recognizes two leading scientists for exceptional achievement in lupus research at the 2017 Evelyn V. Hess Reception to be held this evening in San Diego, Calif. during the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting. The Foundation is presenting this year’s Evelyn V. Hess Award to Dr. Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and honoring Dr. José Crispín of the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ) in Mexico City with the 2017 Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize.

Commending Dr. Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman for a Career in Lupus Research and Clinical Care

The Foundation 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 in 2015 and her legacy lives on through this awards program. The award is given annually to a clinical or basic researcher whose body of work has advanced understanding of the pathophysiology, etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, or treatment of lupus.

Dr. Ramsey-Goldman is globally recognized for her clinical skills, diversity of her research efforts and focus on lupus. Over the past 30 years, she has worked at the interface between immunology and rheumatology, and has undertaken several major committee assignments for the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC). As chair of SLICC from 2003-2008, Dr. Ramsey-Goldman conducted research on many wide-ranging areas of focus including quality indicators, lupus classification, flare assessments in lupus and guidelines for lupus nephritis.

“I am honored to be the recipient of the Evelyn V. Hess Award from the Lupus Foundation of America,” said Dr. Ramsey-Goldman. “I remember being in awe of Dr. Hess when I interviewed with her for a rheumatology fellowship, and am humbled to be recognized by this award in her name for the work of my research teams and collaborators which have focused on improving the lives of those who suffer from lupus. Our studies of disease outcomes and health disparities, development of assessment tools and biomarkers, advances in management and new therapeutics, and the opportunities to mentor junior investigators have enriched not only my career but have also given hope to those with lupus.”

Celebrating the Promise of Lupus Physician and Scientist Dr. José Crispín

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.

As a rheumatologist and researcher, Dr. Crispín has devoted his work to understanding and treating lupus. In 2014, Dr. Crispín established a lupus research unit at INCMNSZ’s Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, and in a short span developed a comprehensive lupus research program focusing on genetics and response to drug treatment options. His research unit has been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in research grants and is widely considered the top research center for lupus in Mexico.

“I feel honored to have been chosen as the 2017 recipient of the Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize,” said Dr. Crispín. “I accept the award as recognition of all investigators like me, who dedicate their lives to lupus research, with the hope that understanding the pathogenesis of lupus will ultimately improve the lives of patients affected by this terrible disease."