Research Spotlight

Three Young Investigators Receive NIH Awards

Three of HSS’s exceptional young scientists – Theresa Lu, MD, PhD, William T. Morris Fellow in Pediatric Rheumatology, Eric Meffre, PhD, Immunology and Inflammation Fellow, and Inez Rogatsky, PhD – were recently awarded their first individual Research Project Grants (RO1) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These large awards are a huge step forward in establishing the laboratories of these up-and-coming investigators, who were recruited to Special Surgery during the Hospital’s Campaign for Research. As members of the Hospital’s Autoimmunity and Inflammation Program, Drs. Lu and Meffre are dedicated to understanding the underlying mechanisms that account for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and identifying new therapeutic targets for illnesses like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Lu’s innovative research is focused on elucidating how the blood vessels of the lymphoid tissue can shape immune functioning. Dr. Meffre’s work is concentrated on understanding why patients with autoimmune disease develop autoreactive B cells and damaging autoantibodies that attack the body’s own tissues and organs. By providing important insights about how abnormal immune responses are initiated and what factors are responsible for controlling them, the groundbreaking investigations of Drs. Lu and Meffre promise to help speed the development of more effective treatments.

Understanding Tissue Destruction

Dr. Rogatsky is an investigator in Special Surgery’s Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration Program, which is devoted to understanding pathogenesis and tissue destruction in diseases such as arthritis. She is working to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which glucocorticoid hormones, which have been used for decades to combat inflammatory and autoimmune illnesses, act on the immune system. Understanding this interaction may enable scientists to selectively channel glucocorticoids exclusively to the cells of the immune system so that excessive exposure to these drugs no longer causes harmful side effects, which can include osteoporosis, muscular dystrophy, and vascular hypertension. “The Research Division is delighted that the NIH has recognized the great promise of the work being conducted by Drs. Lu, Meffre, and Rogatsky,” commented Lionel Ivashkiv, MD, Director of Basic Research and David H. Koch Chair for Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration. “The ability of these young scientists to achieve the gold-standard of peer-reviewed research grants is evidence of their extraordinary hard work,” added Dr. Ivashkiv, “as well as a clear sign of the strength of HSS.”