2025 National Lupus Advocacy Summit
Join lupus warriors from all over the country for the nation's largest lupus advocacy event of the year! The Lupus Foundation of America's National Lupus Advocacy Summit will take place May 4-6, 2025 in Washington, DC. Summit attendees will learn from experts in the field about the latest in lupus research, connect with hundreds of their fellow lupus warriors, and advocate to increase lupus research funding and advance policies to improve the lives of all people with lupus. Don’t miss your chance to turn Capitol Hill purple – register today!
The National Lupus Advocacy Summit brings together the entire lupus community to urge members of Congress to support policies that will help people living with lupus. Come to Washington, DC and share your experience living with lupus with your elected officials.
Hear firsthand from the brightest minds researching and treating this disease and receive training on how to advocate for yourself and others with lupus throughout the entire year.
There's no other event in the world that brings together as many people affected by lupus as the Lupus Foundation of America's Summit. Be surrounded by those who understand your challenges and can help you manage them.
Meet with your members of Congress to tell your lupus story and urge them to join our fight against this terrible disease by supporting policies to improve the lives of all people affected by lupus.
The National Lupus Advocacy Summit is the keystone of the Lupus Foundation of America's comprehensive advocacy program that has generated more than $768 million in federal lupus research funding in the past five years.
2025 Advocacy Summit Agenda
Welcome to Washington! Get checked in, grab your materials for the rest of the Summit and say hello to Lupus Foundation of America staff and your fellow advocates at The Westin Washington, DC Downtown. Rest up before the Summit begins bright and early the next morning!
- Hospitality Room and Registration: 5-6 p.m. ET
Get ready to learn! We'll get started early Monday with discussions about: what advocacy is, the current legislative landscape, the latest breakthroughs in lupus research and drug development, and the priority policies we will be taking to Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Lupus Foundation of America staff will fully prepare you with everything you'll need for successful meetings with your members of Congress – from navigating Congressional office buildings to telling your story in the most impactful way. Join us at the end of the day for our Lupus Heroes reception as we honor advocates, Ambassadors, and all of those who have made a difference in the fight against lupus.
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. ET
Registration and Breakfast
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Welcome Remarks and Roll Call of States
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
What is Advocacy?
12:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
Panel: The Patient Voice Advancing Research and Access to Care
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Panel: The Power of Patients in Advocacy
3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Prep for Capitol Hill Meetings
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET
Lupus Heroes Reception
It all builds to this! Put on your purple and head to Capitol Hill, where we will have arranged meetings for you with your members of Congress. You'll meet with the offices of your U.S. Representative and both of your U.S. Senators to tell them how lupus has changed your life and what they can do to join our fight against this devastating disease. After your meetings, join us back at The Westin Washington, DC Downtown to debrief your day with Lupus Foundation of America staff and your fellow advocates.
Capitol Hill Meetings 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ET
Join advocates from across the country in making a difference by participating in our National Lupus Advocacy Summit livestream on May 5 and Virtual Advocacy Day on May 6.
Register for this year's National Lupus Advocacy Summit livestream and participate in presentations and conversations about the latest lupus research, the value of the patient voice, and much more.
Sign up as a LFA advocate today and receive everything you need on May 6 to reach out to your representatives and urge their support of programs and policies that help people with lupus.
Thank You to Our 2025 National Lupus Advocacy Summit Sponsors
Capitol Sponsors
Summit Sponsors
Exhibit Sponsors
AbbVie
Alexion
BIO
Cabaletta Bio
Century Therapeutics
Cullinan Therapeutics
EMD Serono
The Insighters
UCB
Viatris
We understand that traveling to Washington can be costly. It's important to us that we provide advocates with tools and ideas to help offset costs.
The application deadline for Summit Scholarships has now past.
The Foundation's Summit Fundraising Guide provides tools to help offset the cost of attending. The guide will help you budget for your trip, leverage the power of crowdsourcing, and much more.
For questions about the 2025 National Lupus Advocacy Summit, please contact Sara Chang at advocacy@lupus.org, and read our recap of last year's summit to learn more about lupus advocates' impact on Capitol Hill.