The Lupus Foundation of America is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award (CDA). The two-year grant supports early career scientists at a pivotal time in their professions, providing funding for critical research studies and mentorship to foster the growth of the lupus research field. This year’s awardees are Kaien Gu, MD, Elmezzi Scholar, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and Emma Materne, MD, Clinical Fellow, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“Young scientists bring bright, new ideas, but are often faced with hurdles trying to secure the support they need for their studies. The Lupus Foundation of America’s Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award plays a pivotal role in breaking down this barrier by providing critical funding and mentorship from leading lupus experts,” shared Brad Rovin, MD, Chair of the Lupus Foundation of America’s Medical-Scientific Advisory Council. “This year’s Career Development Award recipients, Drs. Gu and Materne, will be studying important areas of research that will help us better understand lupus and lay the foundation for new treatment pathways and improved diagnosis."

Research conducted by this year’s awardees will deepen understanding of how lupus develops, is diagnosed, and is treated, to ultimately improve symptom management and discover new treatment strategies.  

“At a time when research funding is scarce and the pipeline faces uncertainty, the Lupus Foundation of America’s Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award provides the essential resources and support early-career scientists need to launch their own research and help them to grow in to leading clinical investigators,” shared Karen H. Costenbader, MD, MPH, mentor of 2026 Career Development Award grantee Dr. Materne. “The Lupus Foundation of America’s commitment to early career investigators is a powerful investment in the future of lupus research. Supporting promising scientists early on is one of the best ways to accelerate breakthroughs and fuel the lupus research field’s longevity and innovation.”

The 2026 Career Development Award recipients will advance lupus research in the following areas of study:

• Kaien Gu, MD (The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, New York) will be studying B cells, an important component in the blood that plays a vital role in the production of autoantibodies in people with lupus, and the proliferation and differentiation of these cells to better understand how lupus occurs. Dr. Gu’s study aims to understand how certain B cells develop and differentiate, and why autoantibodies form, to understand how lupus occurs and pave the way for more targeted treatments that improve symptoms for people living with lupus.  
• Emma Materne, MD (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts) will be studying metabolites, small molecules in the blood that reflect how the body uses energy, fats and proteins. Early studies suggest that people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have different metabolic patterns than healthy individuals, and that patterns may differ depending on which organs are involved. People with increased risk of developing lupus may have similar metabolic patterns than those with SLE. Dr. Materne’s study has the potential to improve how SLE is diagnosed and monitored, as well as how to tailor treatments to the underlying causes of an individual's lupus.

Learn more about the Lupus Foundation of America’s Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award and its 2026 grantees, here.