Bringing Lupus into the Light

Graciela (Chela) S. Alarcón, MD, MPH

With more than 350 research abstracts on systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis and related conditions accepted for presentation at ACR Convergence 2024, we’re happy to announce that Graciela S. Alarcón, MD, MPH, has accepted the monumental task of reviewing the abstracts and identifying those most likely to make a difference to clinical practice or lead to breakthrough research in the future.

Dr. Alarcón is the Jane Knight Lowe Chair of Medicine in Rheumatology, emeritus, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and professor of medicine, emeritus, at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.

She joined the faculty at UAB in 1981 after being a research fellow for about 18 months. Although not in Birmingham, she is still involved in mentoring fellows and collaborating with the Lupus Foundation of America, SLICC (Systemic Lupus International Cooperating Clinics) and GLADEL (Grupo Latino Americano de Estudio de Lupus), as the need arises.

The challenge of managing patients with lupus “was my primary motivation for becoming a rheumatologist,” said Dr. Alarcón in a 2011 article in The Rheumatologist. In the articles, she talked about her experience with the Lupus in Minorities: Nature versus Nurture (LUMINA) study. LUMINA, a multi-ethnic cohort of lupus patients established in collaboration with Drs. John Reveille (UT-Houston) and Luis Vilá (U-Puerto Rico, San Juan) in the early 1990s, is now a rich database and the research is ongoing.

“The root of the word LUMINA is light,” said Dr. Alarcón in the 2011 article. “Our study is shedding light on this important area, and the scientific progress has been significant and I hope transformative. Until the care of all patients with lupus is the same, however, I believe that much more light is needed, and I want to be there to keep it shining.”

We’re fortunate to have Dr. Alarcón to shed light on the lupus studies being presented at ACR Convergence 2024.

Here’s her full report.