LFA Announces 2007 Gina Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Recipients

Each summer, the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) announces the recipients of the Gina Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship.

This year, the summer fellowships were granted to 5 students as part of the LFA’s ongoing efforts to stimulate increased research on lupus. These 5 researchers will conduct their studies under the supervision of an established lupus investigator.

Here are the five 2007 award recipients and their studies:

James Y. Chen
University of California, Los Angeles; David Geffen School of Medicine; Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology
“Investigating the Immuno-modulatory Defect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Lupus”

Gopal Chandrasekharan
University of Oklahoma; Health Sciences Center, Division of Pediatric Rheumatology
“The Role of TLR9-Signaling in Active Childhood Systemic Lupus Erythematosus”

Alexandra Cunningham
Emory University
“Barriers to Initial Diagnosis and Treatment Among Adult Female African-Americans with SLE in Atlanta”

Andrew Hwang
Brown University; Brigham and Women’s Hospital
“Evaluation of Internet Information for Persons with Early Symptoms of SLE”

Rajkumar Srikrishnan
University of California, San Diego; School of Medicine
“Autoantibody Microarray Surveys of SLE Families”

The fellowship program was established by former LFA President Dr. Sergio Finzi, in memory of his daughter Gina who passed away from lupus. The LFA fellowship program aims to foster interest in a career in lupus research by supporting basic, clinical and psychosocial research studies by young investigators.

Since 1984, the Gina Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship program has supported the work of more than 190 young investigators.

Learn more about – and support – the LFA’s research efforts.