NEW YORK, NY. October 16 — The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) is pleased to announce that seasoned professional Penny Mitchell has joined the organization as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications. In her new role, Ms. Mitchell will oversee the organization’s strategic communications approach to leading lupus research worldwide and the value of participation by all sectors of the lupus community.

Ms. Mitchell comes to the LRA with more than three decades of experience in the healthcare communications field where she has worked at leading agencies such as Fleishman-Hillard, Porter/Novelli and dna/Weber Shandwick. Most recently she served as Executive Vice President, Health Practice Lead for Makovsky, an independent PR firm specializing in regulated industries including healthcare. Prior to that she was U.S. Health Practice Lead for Hill & Knowlton Strategies. She began her career at the Will Rogers Institute, a non-profit pulmonary research organization.

Throughout her career she has driven communications efforts for a range of healthcare clients including non-profit, academic research, pharmaceutical, medtech and consumer health companies. Her experience has involved integrated brand planning, corporate reputation management, issues/crisis management, media strategy, data communications, public/private partnerships and advocacy relations.

Her experience in autoimmune diseases is particularly strong having launched several highly effective communications campaigns for pharmaceutical companies working in lupus as well as psoriasis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and thyroid disorders.

“We are tremendously excited about adding Penny to our team,” commented LRA Executive Director Andrea O’Neill. “In addition to her breadth of knowledge, Penny brings enormous creativity, strategic thinking and scientific acumen as well as dedication to empowering people with challenging medical issues.”

“The Lupus Research Alliance has long been at the center of the lupus community committed to funding research, forging collaboration and finding a cure for this complex, highly-individualized autoimmune disease,” said Ms. Mitchell. “I am delighted to join forces with this extraordinary group to bring greater attention to its groundbreaking research efforts, the needs of the community and ultimately, improving the lives of people with lupus.”

About Lupus
Lupus is a chronic, complex autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide. More than 90 percent of people with lupus are women; lupus most often strikes during the childbearing years of 15-45. African Americans, Latinx, Asians and Native Americans are two to three times at greater risk than Caucasians. In lupus, the immune system, which is designed to protect against infection, creates antibodies that can attack any part of the body including the kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, blood, skin, and joints.

About the Lupus Research Alliance
The Lupus Research Alliance aims to transform treatment while advancing toward a cure by funding the most innovative lupus research in the world. The organization’s stringent peer review grant process fosters diverse scientific talent who are driving discovery toward better diagnostics, improved treatments and ultimately a cure for lupus.  Because the Lupus Research Alliance’s Board of Directors fund all administrative and fundraising costs, 100 percent of all donations go to support lupus research programs.