Lupus Foundation of America Honors Outstanding Achievements in Lupus Research

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) celebrated exceptional lupus researchers at the 20^th Anniversary Evelyn V. Hess Reception. Karen Costenbader, MD, MPH, Brigham and Women's Hospital, was honored with the 2025 Evelyn V. Hess Award, and Andrea Fava, MD, Johns Hopkins University, received the 2025 Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize at the prestigious affair which complements the annual American College of Rheumatology Convergence, this year taking place in Chicago.

Established in 2005, the Evelyn V. Hess Award recognizes a clinical or basic scientist whose exceptional work has advanced the understanding and treatment of lupus. The award is named in honor of Dr. Evelyn V. Hess, an internationally recognized expert in lupus whose pioneering research, particularly on the environmental aspects of the disease, and decades of leadership in the field have left a lasting impact on lupus research and care.

This year's Hess Award was given to Dr. Karen Costenbader, professor of medicine and recipient of the Michael Weinblatt, MD, Distinguished Chair in Clinical Rheumatology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She directs Brigham & Women's Lupus Program, the largest lupus center in New England, providing clinical care, conducting research, leading research registry, and mentoring clinicians and researchers. Dr. Costenbader's research has made extensive contributions to lupus epidemiology, demonstrating how environmental, social, behavioral, and genetic factors—including smoking, alcohol use, PTSD, depression, and childhood abuse—influence the development of lupus.

"I am overwhelmingly honored and grateful to be selected for this award from the Lupus Foundation of America," shared Dr. Costenbader. "The Evelyn V. Hess Award has a long and rich history, and to be recognized alongside such distinguished investigators is humbling. I am passionate about understanding the causes and risk factors for lupus and advancing prevention strategies to improve lives. This recognition belongs to my dedicated research team, global collaborators, and the resilient patients whose participation makes our work possible."

She has also led studies highlighting racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities in lupus and lupus nephritis. She holds continuous National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, a K24 mentoring award, serves as chair of the NIH Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Special Grants Review Study Section, and is co-editor of Arthritis and Rheumatology. Dr. Costenbader has spent nearly a decade providing the LFA with scientific and medical guidance, including serving for eight years as chair of its Medical-Scientific Advisory Council, where she strengthened the Foundation's peer review process and helped launch several signature research initiatives. Most recently, she was awarded the LFA's Predict and Prevent Lupus Research grant, advancing her pioneering work to identify those at high risk for lupus and test strategies for disease prevention.

Also awarded at the event was the Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize. Established in 2009, the Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize recognizes the exceptional achievements of an investigator in the early stages of their lupus research career. The award honors Dr. Stevens' lasting contributions to lupus research and her commitment to advancing the field through mentorship and discovery.

Dr. Andrea Fava is assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Lupus Center where he also serves as director of lupus translational research. His work spans laboratory science, computational biology, and clinical medicine. Currently, Dr. Fava leads studies identifying urinary biomarkers that noninvasively detect intrarenal activity in lupus nephritis, predict treatment response, and inform long-term outcomes. He prioritizes biomarkers that directly inform clinical decision-making and has advanced the development of a "liquid biopsy" for lupus nephritis, which is now in development for clinical use.

Dr. Fava is a core investigator in the NIH-funded Accelerating Medicines Partnership, co-leads multiple biomarker initiatives, and has received funding from NIH (including an R01), the Department of Defense, and private foundations. His work has been published in top-tier journals and cited in the 2024 American College of Rheumatology lupus nephritis guidelines. He previously received the LFA Gary Gilkeson Career Development Award, and has built a strong track record of funding to support his continued research in lupus and lupus nephritis.

"I am deeply honored to receive the Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize. Dr. Stevens was a pioneer in lupus care and research, and to be recognized with an award in her name is both humbling and motivating," said Dr. Fava. "As both a rheumatologist and scientist, I see every day how lupus impacts patients' lives. Despite progress, too many people still face flares, complications, and long-term damage. I am passionate about closing that gap by translating discoveries from the lab into tools and treatments that truly improve quality of life for people living with lupus."

The evening event recognized additional leaders in lupus research and service. The Lupus Foundation of America's Medical-Scientific Advisory Council Member of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Diane Kamen, a rheumatologist and Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, in recognition of her decade of dedicated service in helping to advance the LFA's research and education initiatives. The inaugural Lupus Science & Medicine® Paper of the Year award was presented to Dr. Laura Patricia Whittall-Garcia and her co-authors for their manuscript "Circulating neutrophil extracellular trap remnants as a biomarker to predict outcomes in lupus nephritis," selected by the journal's Editorial Board as one of the top publications of the year. Lupus Science & Medicine is owned by the Lupus Foundation of America and published by BMJ.

This year's ceremony marked 20 years of excellence in lupus research, celebrating the contributions of 20 Evelyn V. Hess awardees who have advanced knowledge of lupus and improved care for those affected by the disease.

Learn more about the Evelyn V. Hess Award, the Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize, and our 2025 recipients.

About the Lupus Foundation of America

The Lupus Foundation of America is the premier patient advocacy organization devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, a devastating autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks organs throughout the body, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. Through a comprehensive program of research, education, and advocacy, we lead the fight to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. Learn more about the Lupus Foundation of America at lupus.org.

Contact :

Mike Donnelly

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SOURCE Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.