FSR feels strongly that the causes of this disease, and ultimately a cure, will be uncovered through rigorous and extensive scientific research. FSR research awards focus on collaborations which will advance an improved understanding of sarcoidosis and will address the causes of the disease, the suffering of patients and the potential for a cure for sarcoidosis.  Learn more about FSR's Research Grant Application Process or Donate to support important new research.

2007 Awards

FSR-ATS Partnership Grant for Sarcoidosis
($100,000)
2007 Grant Recipient: Michael Falta, University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center
“T cell Ligands in Sarcoidosis”
Dr. Falta's research focuses on understanding how one type of immune blood cell, called T lymphocytes become overactivated in sarcoidosis patients and to determine how they are involved in the formation of granulomas.  This information might lead to an understanding of what causes disease and suggest new therapies for treating it.

FSR-ATS Abstract Award for Excellence in Sarcoidosis Research
2007 Grant Recipients: M. Gabrilovich, MD, PhD (Case Western Reserve), S. Chin, MD (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)
Awarded through the ATS Clinical Problems Assembly, Dr. Chin's research involved testing for a unique blood cytokine that identifies patients with active sarcoidosis inflammation.  Focused on the immune mechanisms of inflammation and awarded through the ATS Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Assembly, Dr. Gabrilovich's research investigated the role of specific infection recognizing molecules called toll-like receptors and their involvement in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

K.I.S.S. Investigator Award
2007 Grant Recipient:  Marc A. Judson, MD
Dr. Judson is director of the MUSC Sarcoidosis Center, one of the largest sarcoidosis clinics in the United States. He has extensive experience in the clinical management of sarcoidosis and is currently collaborating with Northwestern University’s Center for Outcomes Research & Education in Chicago on patient quality of life.

2006 Awards
In 2006, FSR funded research in collaboration with the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). Through partnerships with both the World Association for Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Diseases and the Aspen Lung Conference, important research was made available to scientists around the globe. An alliance with the National Disease Research Interchange will accelerate the provision of human tissues to investigators.

FSR-ATS Partnership Grant for Sarcoidosis
($100,000)
2006 Grant Recipient: Jan Wahlstrom, Karolinska University Hospital
“Antigen specificity in Sarcoidosis”
Dr. Wahlstrom's research focuses on a specific group of sarcoidosis patients whose immune system response may be related to exposure to a specific antigen, or foreign substance. Identifying an antigen may provide clues to a cause, and potentially better treatments for this disease.

FSR-ATS Partnership Grant for Sarcoidosis
($50,000)
2006 Grant Recipient: Dr. Richard Silver, Case Western Reserve University
“Abnormal TLR Responses in the Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis”
Toll-like receptors' (TLR) are infection recognizing molecules whose abnormal responses may contribute to the immune response in sarcoidosis.  If Dr. Silver's research demonstrates that TLR responses of lung cells in sarcoidosis patients are abnormal, this could lead to more specific treatments.

FSR-ATS Abstract Award for Excellence in Sarcoidosis Research
2006 Grant Recipients: W.P. Drake, MD (Vanderbilt University), R. B. Hubbard (University of Nottingham)
Awarded through the ATS Clinical Problems Assembly, Dr. Hubbards’s research to assess the long-term prognosis of people diagnosed with sarcoidosis demonstrated a small increase in the relative incidence of cancer and an increased mortality rate. Focused on the mechanisms which lead to sarcoidosis development, and awarded through the ATS Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Assembly, Dr. Drake's research investigated exposure to specific mycobacterial antigens in sarcoidosis patients and controls and her findings suggest disease progression may reflect an immune response to one
or more of these antigens.

FSR-ACCP Abstract Award for Excellence in Sarcoidosis Research
2006 Grant Recipients:  Violeta Vucinic (Belgrade Institute for PUD AS and TB), Lobelia Samavati (Wayne State University)
Awarded during the American College of Chest Physicians annual CHEST meeting, Drs. Vucinic and Samavati each presented clinical research focused on mechanisms to assess Health Related Quality of Life (HQRL) in sarcoidosis patients.

KISS Chicago Young Investigator Award
2006 Grant Recipient: Nadera Sweiss, University of Chicago
Nadera Sweiss is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago
in the Section of Rheumatology. She has an active clinical research program in
sarcoidosis, testing novel therapies in clinical trials and has an interest in
translational research to understand the underlying causes of sarcoidosis.


2006 Research Support

National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) Rare Disease Biospecimen Alliance
This new alliance will facilitate tissue donation for research studies and accelerate the procurement and placement of sarcoidosis tissues with researchers.

Lecture Support for 2006 Aspen Lung Conference: “Immunologic Diseases of the Lung”
FSR sponsored a lecture at this conference focused on the discovery of the cellular and molecular basis of immunologic lung diseases and the translation of these discoveries to novel treatment strategies.

WASOG Membership for Young Investigators (7 awards)
FSR provided one year of WASOG membership with subscription to the scientific journal Sarcoidosis, Vasculitis & Diffuse Lung Diseases to seven investigators identified by abstract submission.
 

2005 Awards

FSR-ACCP Abstract Award for Excellence in Sarcoidosis Research
2005 Grant Recipient: Andrew Shorr (Washington Hospital Center)
Sarcoidosis generally affects younger patients who have the potential to live for longer durations, they are however, more severely ill. Dr. Shorr’s research evaluated patient survival following lung transplant.

FSR-WASOG Young Investigator's Award for Excellence
in Sarcoidosis Research
2005 Grant Recipients: Adrian Kruit (St. Antonius, Netherlands),
Qiao Ye (Ruhrlandklinik, Germany)
Dr. Kruit’s research focuses on a protein (TGF-β that regulates immune response and Dr. Ye investigated the role of a specific stress response enzyme (HO-1) in the development of pulmonary fibrosis.

FSR-ATS Abstract Award for Excellence in Sarcoidosis Research
2005 Grant Recipients: Deborah Bradley (University of Cincinnati), Phillippa Lawson (University College London), Vincent Manganiello (NHLBI), Otto Villa (Tufts University)
Awarded through the ATS Clinical Problems Assembly, Dr. Bradley’s research compared the effectiveness of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents and Dr. Manganiello’s research evaluated a steroid-sparing agent in the treatment of sarcoidosis. Focused on the cellular development of sarcoidosis and awarded through the ATS Allergy, Inflammation and Immunology Assembly, Dr. Villa’s research focused on the protein make-up of T-cells and Dr. Lawsons’s research analyzed specific genetic variants in sarcoidosis patients.

FSR-ATS Partnership Grant for Sarcoidosis ($100,000)
2005 Grant Recipient: Daniel Culver, Cleveland Clinic
“Matrix Metalloproteinases Contribute to Disease Progression in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and Are Inhibited by PPar-γ”
Dr. Culver’s research focuses on lung cells in sarcoidosis patients - specifically low levels of a molecule (PPAR-γ) that regulates immune responses. If science can learn how to regulate this molecule, inflammation from sarcoidosis and similar inflammatory diseases could potentially be controlled.

KISS Chicago Young Investigator Award
2005 Grant Recipient: Kyle Hogarth, University of Chicago
As a young investigator and clinician, Dr. Hogarth’s patient care and research efforts focus on measures to improve quality of life and outcomes for patients with all forms of interstitial lung disease with a strong focus on sarcoidosis and rheumatologic interstitial lung disease. He received his M.D. from Case Western University in 1998, and completed his residency and fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Chicago.

FSR Supports the University of Chicago (2004)
The University of Chicago Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine is
comprised of a world-class group of physicians and scientists who treat and
investigate the underlying causes of sarcoidosis and other similar diseases. As part of the Foundation’s mission to provide direct support to critically needed sarcoidosis research, a portion of proceeds from our Spring 2004 fundraiser were shared with the University of Chicago.

FSR Awards Grants through WASOG
FSR awarded their first grants to two researchers selected at the 7th World Congress of The World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG) Conference, held in Stockholm, Sweden. Helene Stridh, researcher at Karolinska Insitute, Stockholm, Sweden and Elske Hoitsma, researcher at University Hospital Maastricht, Holland, were chosen based upon questionnaires and abstracts they submitted to a peer review panel composed of some of the top sarcoidosis clinicians and researchers worldwide. Dr. Stridh's work was focused on the study of the mechanisms of the overreaction of T-Lymphocytes in sarcoidosis patients and Dr. Hoitsma's work was focused on small fiber neuropathy and autonomic dysfunction.