The Myositis Association announces myositis research awards

COLUMBIA, Md., May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Myositis Association announces the awarding of two new research grants to fund basic and applied investigations in myositis diseases.

Since 2002, TMA's annual research funding program has awarded nearly $8.2 million in research support. They are pleased to announce the following research projects selected by TMA's Board of Directors for funding:

• A Pilot Grant to Dr. Sarah Tansley, senior clinical lecturer in rheumatology at the University of Bath in the UK, to study variability among laboratories for myositis autoantibody testing and to develop a protocol for more reliable identification of these important biomarkers found in the blood of patients with myositis.
  
  
• A Fellowship Award to Dr. Begum Horuluoglu, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Rheumatology at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Her project explores the mechanisms behind why the human immune system mistakenly attacks muscle cells in the autoimmune disease of myositis.

About TMA's Research Funding Program

Myositis is a rare autoimmune disease of the muscles that causes severe pain and weakness, debilitating skin rashes, scarring of the lungs, and other life-threatening symptoms. This chronic, disabling condition is a challenge to diagnose, is difficult or impossible to treat, and has no cure.

Each year, TMA provides research funding to better understand myositis diseases, develop better treatments and, ultimately, find a cure for all forms of myositis. TMA offers funding for research into all types of inflammatory myositis.

Programs include:

• Mentored Research Fellowships designed to support promising junior investigators (MDs and PhDs) who have demonstrated a commitment to the field of myositis.
• Pilot Project Grants to fund new and innovative studies that are expected to attract future funding from other sources such as the NIH.

Funds for TMA's Research Funding Program come primarily from myositis patients, their families, and friends. Each year, proposals are sought for Pilot Projects and Fellowships. Based on recommendations from TMA's Medical Advisory Board of international myositis experts, TMA's Board of Directors chooses the most promising of these proposals to fund.

TMA is currently accepting Letters of Intent for Research Fellowship and Pilot Project grants. Deadline for LOIs is May 15, 2023. More information about TMA's Research Funding opportunities is available here.

For additional information, please contact Linda Kobert at 434-882-2189 or email [email protected]

SOURCE The Myositis Association