Lupus Research Alliance awards early career scientists for innovative research

Today, the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), the world's largest private funder of lupus research, announced the recipients of the 2025 Empowering Lupus Research (ELR) Career Development Award and Postdoctoral Award. These awards support exceptional early-career scientists advancing groundbreaking research to improve outcomes for people living with lupus – and ultimately, to find a cure.

This year, five recipients were selected for their innovative studies – from exploring the role of gut bacteria and immune cells to identifying predictors of chronic pain and targeting inflammatory pathways.

Lupus is a complex disease that requires talented and tenacious minds to drive transformative solutions. The Lupus Research Alliance is proud to support the work of the five awardees as they endeavor to make meaningful improvements for those impacted by lupus."

Teodora Staeva, PhD, LRA Chief Scientific Officer

The following four individuals will be awarded the ELR Career Development Award, which provides each recipient up to $600,000 over up to four years to help establish a competitive research program. The recipients are:

• Joel Babdor, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
• Titilola Falasinnu, PhD, Stanford School of Medicine
• Vanessa Sue Wacleche, PhD, The Pennsylvania State University
• Daniel Zegarra-Ruiz, PhD, University of Virginia

The ELR Postdoctoral Award will be awarded to Carolina Chiale, PhD, The Regents of the University of California, San Diego, granting up to $200,000 over two years to support her transition to independent research roles.

What award recipients aim to discover

Empowering Lupus Research Career Development awardees:

Joel Babdor, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
The gut microbiome produces molecules called microbiome-derived molecules (MDMs), which have been linked to lupus development and severity. Dr. Babdor recently identified 11 MDMs strongly associated with increased interferon (proteins that help the body fight viral infections) activity, a key driver of lupus. Using animal models and immune cell experiments, he will investigate how these MDMs affect lupus onset, immune activation, and response to lupus treatment. Findings from this study could contribute to personalized lupus therapies based on individual microbiome profiles.

Titilola Falasinnu, PhD, Stanford School of Medicine
More than half of people with lupus suffer from chronic pain, yet the mechanisms are poorly understood. Dr. Falasinnu will analyze large-scale health data from millions of individuals using machine learning methods to uncover patterns and potential biomarkers associated with chronic pain in lupus patients. Her findings could lead to new methods to predict individuals who may be at risk for suffering chronic pain and help guide new, targeted approaches to managing pain.

Vanessa Sue Wacleche, PhD, The Pennsylvania State University
Lupus involves overactive T and B immune cells, which can mistakenly target the body. Dr. Wacleche has identified a unique group of CD4+ T cells that express high levels of a molecule called CD96 at the cell surface and may help regulate immune responses. She will explore how these cells affect immune protection, potentially informing the development of therapies that enhance protective immune functions rather than broadly suppressing immunity.

Daniel Zegarra-Ruiz, PhD, University of Virginia School of Medicine
Lupus is often associated with gut dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of intestinal bacteria. In some cases, harmful bacteria can escape the gut, contributing to disease progression. Dr. Zegarra-Ruiz will study how disease-associated gut bacteria contribute to lupus by altering the gut environment, leaving the gut and entering into other organs, and promoting immune dysfunction. He will also explore how diet influences these gut bacteria, with the goal of tailoring dietary and microbiome-targeted therapies to reduce disease severity.

Empowering Lupus Research Postdoctoral awardee:

Carolina Chiale, PhD, The Regents of the University of California, San Diego
Excessive type I interferon (IFN-I) production is a hallmark of lupus, largely driven by specialized immune cells called plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Dr. Chiale will screen thousands of chemical compounds, including U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, to identify molecules that regulate IFN-I production by pDCs and validate promising candidates in human cells and lupus mouse models. This study could lead to targeted therapies with fewer side effects.