October 30, 2024 —

Two events coinciding at the exact same moment set the path for Dr. Vanessa Sue Wacleche to dedicate herself to lupus research. Just when she was choosing her specialty as a postdoctoral fellow, her great-uncle was diagnosed with lupus after months of debilitating symptoms.

Also affirming this life-changing decision, Dr. Wacleche was motivated by her core commitment to helping other women of color, particularly knowing that lupus affects nine times as many women as men, and three times as many Black individuals as white individuals.

“Choosing lupus as my research focus was a no-brainer. Research is not just my job, but my way to contribute to my community. As a Black woman, I aim to give those in my community the hope, trust, and confidence to better consider participating in a clinical trial.”

Dr. Wacleche was one of the inaugural recipients of the Lupus Research Alliance Diversity in Lupus Research Postdoctoral Award. This program is designed to foster the development and productivity of exceptional early-career and postdoctoral scientists from underrepresented minority groups in science.

She credits receiving this award as having helped secure her current position as Assistant Professor at Pennsylvania State University, noting it provided her with “much-needed stability and the funding to pursue truly innovative research. LRA is providing the resources for underrepresented individuals like me to have the opportunity to secure a fellowship and pursue a career as a lupus researcher.”

LRA Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Teodora Staeva notes, “By supporting outstanding individuals like Dr. Wacleche, the LRA is fostering the development of scientists from groups not well-represented in research as well as promoting new perspectives and talent that can drive advancements in lupus treatment.”

Supported by LRA grants to Dr. Wacleche and her postdoctoral supervisor Dr. Deepak Rao, their groundbreaking work was recently published in the highly prestigious journal Nature. The paper shares results that a molecular pathway called AHR-JUN promotes an imbalance of T cells that help B cells produce autoantibodies, which are a hallmark of lupus. She explains that their research paves the way for a potential new therapeutic target and warrants further research to identify how targeting this pathway can reduce these harmful T cells in lupus.

Dr. Wacleche’s message to her great uncle, patients, and all those living with lupus: “Please know that I and many others are dedicated to finding a solution to alleviate your suffering. We are doing our best. The more discoveries we can make, the more treatment strategies to explore and the more therapeutics that can be developed to improve your quality of life.”