2025 Pediatric Lupus Research Grant Awardees

Nayimisha Balmuri, MD

Institution: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Project Title: Does Air Pollution Influence the Baseline Characteristics of Pediatric SLE?

Project Summary: Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is a rare and severe autoimmune disease that can damage multiple organ systems. Compared to adult lupus, cSLE is more aggressive and requires intensive treatment, leading to higher risks of complications and even death. cSLE’s causes are complex, involving both genetics and environmental triggers. While sunlight is a well-known trigger, higher exposure to air pollution particles called PM2.5 is linked to development of autoimmune diseases because they can trigger inflammation and immune system changes. Research in adult SLE has shown that PM2.5 exposure increases lupus symptoms and increases risk for worse disease, but studies on children, particularly in the U.S., have not been published. This study seeks to understand how PM2.5 exposure impacts severity in children with SLE and whether factors like poverty and other social determinants of health contribute to worse outcomes in those with higher exposure to PM2.5 levels. By focusing on these issues, the research aims to uncover opportunities for reducing health disparities and improving outcomes for children with lupus by better understanding how the environment interacts with disease. This study is a pilot study to understand if and how PM2.5 impacts cSLE when it first presents, we then to hope to see if PM2.5 impacts flares and development of lupus in the kidneys and brain over time in children with SLE.

Rebecca Sadun, MD, PhD

Institution: Duke University School of Medicine

Project Title: Validation of a Survey to Assess Barriers to Medication Adherence in cSLE

Project Summary: Many children, teens, and young adults with lupus struggle taking medications, even when those medications are designed to treat the lupus and improve their health. Different patients have different reasons for struggling to take their lupus medications, and understanding the challenges that each patient is experiencing is a crucial step in the medical team’s ability to help that patient overcome barriers. A questionnaire currently exists for identifying barriers to taking medications for adults living with lupus, but no such questionnaire has been developed with younger patients in mind. The research team in this study is working to adapt the adult-focused lupus adherence questionnaire so that it is designed specifically for use with children and teens living with lupus.