BOSTON–April Jorge, MD, a Rheumatologist and Clinical Investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, has received the 2026 Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize from the Lupus Foundation of America in recognition of her contributions to improving lupus treatment and patient outcomes.
Jorge was among several researchers honored at the foundation’s 2026 Evelyn V. Hess Reception, which recognized scientific achievements in understanding, treating and managing lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect multiple organs and disproportionately impacts young women.
The Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize, established in 2009, recognizes researchers in the early stages of their careers who have made significant contributions to lupus research. The award honors the legacy of Mary Betty Stevens, a physician and researcher known for her work advancing the understanding of lupus.
Jorge’s research focuses on developing more personalized approaches to lupus treatment by examining medication safety, treatment effectiveness and factors that increase the risk of complications.
Her work includes studying the safety of hydroxychloroquine, a commonly prescribed medication for lupus, evaluating emerging therapeutic approaches and identifying strategies to improve the quality of care for patients living with the disease.
A central focus of her research is reducing medication-related complications while improving disease management and preventing cardiovascular and kidney-related problems associated with lupus.
“I am incredibly honored to receive the Mary Betty Stevens Award and be recognized for my commitment to advancing lupus research. As a clinician and investigator, I am passionate about improving outcomes for people living with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects young women and can impact many aspects of their lives. My research focuses on understanding risk factors for adverse outcomes and optimizing treatments to improve disease management, minimize medication toxicity, and prevent cardiovascular and kidney-related complications.”
Jorge’s research has been published in leading medical journals and is supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Rheumatology Research Foundation.
She also participates in national initiatives through the American College of Rheumatology aimed at improving standards of care and treatment outcomes for people with lupus.
Her recognition highlights the role of researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in advancing the understanding of autoimmune diseases and developing approaches to more individualized patient care.
In addition to Jorge, the Lupus Foundation of America honored two senior physician-scientists with its 2026 Evelyn V. Hess Award.
Mary (Peggy) K. Crow, MD, a Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and senior researcher at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, was recognized for her contributions to understanding the immune mechanisms involved in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Crow’s research has helped identify molecular pathways involved in autoimmune inflammation, including the potential role of CD40 ligand and the type I interferon pathway as therapeutic targets.
Her work has contributed to the scientific foundation for developing treatments that target specific immune processes involved in lupus.
Gary S. Gilkeson, MD, a Rheumatologist and Lupus Researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, received the award alongside Crow.
Gilkeson’s research has focused on lupus genetics, disease mechanisms and experimental therapies, including the use of mesenchymal stromal cells to treat patients with difficult-to-manage lupus.
His research includes a Phase II clinical trial evaluating mesenchymal stromal cell therapy in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus. The randomized, placebo-controlled study was supported by the Lupus Foundation of America and the National Institutes of Health, with findings presented at the 2026 American College of Rheumatology Convergence conference.
Gilkeson has also helped establish a research cohort involving more than 800 predominantly Black patients with lupus, supporting investigations into genetic risk factors and health disparities associated with the disease.
The Evelyn V. Hess Award, established in 2005, recognizes researchers whose scientific contributions have significantly advanced the understanding and treatment of lupus.
The award commemorates Evelyn V. Hess, an internationally recognized lupus researcher whose work helped expand scientific understanding of environmental factors associated with the disease.
Other honorees at the reception included Andrea Fava, MD, an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins Lupus Center, who received the foundation’s Medical-Scientific Advisory Council Member of the Year Award.
Researchers Jim Oates and Torsten Witte were recognized with the Lupus Science & Medicine Paper of the Year Award for studies examining potential new approaches to understanding and treating lupus.
Oates was honored for research investigating changes in gene expression in kidney blood vessel cells associated with lupus nephritis, while Witte was recognized for research evaluating enpatoran, an experimental oral therapy targeting immune pathways involved in systemic and cutaneous lupus.
The foundation also recognized Reeve Bright for his fundraising contributions through its inaugural Men on a Mission campaign.
The annual awards underscore ongoing efforts by researchers across the United States and internationally to improve lupus diagnosis, identify new therapeutic targets and develop treatments that reduce disease complications.
For Jorge, the recognition reflects a growing emphasis on personalized lupus care, particularly strategies aimed at balancing treatment effectiveness with medication safety and preventing long-term organ damage in patients living with the disease.
