The goal of any organization whose mission supports a cause is to ensure the resources at their disposal are utilized in a manner which makes the biggest impact or advances. As Lupus Link Minnesota defines our path forward, our board has been diligent that our focus remains on supporting lupus awareness and lupus research efforts which propel us towards an eventual cure. As such, to ensure the funding of leading-edge autoimmune research here in Minnesota, Lupus Link Minnesota is announcing the transfer of the Susan B. Meckstroth Endowment to the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CADRe).
Read MoreNeed to reach us? Lupus Link Minnesota has a new phone number! We can now be reached at 952-856-0767 or by email at info@lupuslinkmn.org.
Read MoreFall is quickly winding down into winter here in Minnesota. Before too many snowflakes fall, we wanted to provide an update on summer Student Research Fellowships. Aimed at inspiring and cultivating the next generation of researchers dedicated to the lupus cause, Lupus Link Minnesota awarded two students a summer opportunity to work with accomplished researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota, respectively, on lupus-related autoimmune research. Read on as we recount our conversation with one of the fellowship recipients, Thomas Blankespoor, as he shares about his experience.
Read MoreAs summer draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on our summer. May was Lupus Awareness Month and was a busy time for us, with a successful 5K Walk and Run, a communications campaign to raise awareness and a host of other events and efforts to help elevate understanding and support. Thank you to everyone in our lupus community who rallied around the cause!
Read MoreThe Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Charla de Lupus (Lupus Chat) ® Program is looking for males, 18 years of age and older that have a diagnosis of lupus to participate in a national needs assessment. The goal of this one-time (10-15 minute) survey is to learn more about how males are impacted by lupus. They hope to use this information to understand how males with lupus manage the clinical and psycho-social aspects of their illness and identify education and support needs. To learn more about the survey click here.
Read MoreEducating medical and allied providers is critical in enhancing patients’ quality of life while coping with illness. Raising awareness of ongoing research efforts links providers and patients alike to important advances in the search for more effective treatment interventions and ultimately a cure.
Read MoreMay is Lupus Awareness Month when we come together, with focused efforts here in Minnesota and across the country, to educate our friends, families and communities about lupus. Raising awareness is key to securing the research dollars needed to move us toward a cure. We know that a greater awareness of lupus and its effects will lead to earlier diagnoses, better treatment and improved quality of life for those living with lupus.
Read MoreWith spring representing a time of renewal and hope, it feels appropriate that spring is also when we announce the two recipients of our Student Research Fellowships. The summer opportunity aims to inspire and cultivate the next generation of researchers dedicated to the lupus cause.
Read MoreLupus Link Minnesota has received a $5,000 matching gift challenge from the Wasie Foundation. With your generosity during the month of May, your gift can have twice the impact on our organization and its mission to advance knowledge and mobilize resources to improve the lives of all Minnesotans and those beyond affected by lupus and related autoimmune diseases.
Read MoreSince my lupus diagnosis five years ago, I have slowly built a toolkit to help me live with lupus … Fast and I recently started looking into medical, mobile apps, and how they could become part of my lupus toolkit (and maybe even get me to delete my spreadsheets). I picked two apps, Flaredown and Medisafe, to use for the past two months, and offer up the following review of each:
Read MoreWe are thrilled to announce the two latest additions to our Lupus Link Minnesota Board of Directors: Tom Peterson and Gwen Stanley. Both come with a personal connection to lupus and an extensive financial background.
Both new board members who joined the Lupus Link Board of Directors in January share a connection with Lupus Link Minnesota’s mission of advancing knowledge and mobilizing resources to improve the lives of Minnesotans affected by lupus and related autoimmune diseases. Learn more about Tracey Galowitz, attorney at Galowitz Olson Law, PLLC, and Cindy Chang, registered nurse and RN referral coordinator for the Minneapolis VA Medical Center's Community Care Service Line.
Read MoreAt the Renaissance Festival last fall, my family tried an escape room for the first time. If you’re not familiar with the concept, these are themed rooms filled with challenges – usually a variety of puzzles or riddles – that need to be solved within a certain amount of time in order for the participants to unlock the room and escape …
Read MoreSupported by CentraCare Health Foundation, Lupus Link Minnesota will develop “Living with Lupus” programming to educate and support individuals affected by lupus and related autoimmune diseases, and promote awareness and understanding of lupus and its impact on the broader community.
Read MoreI find myself at times wanting it to be Spring. Do you? When you live in Minnesota who wouldn’t, right? When I see the sun peeking out over the cloud-laden skies in March, it’s almost as if Spring and Summer are teasing you. And yet I know there are many individuals who love winter and all the activities it has to offer from cross country skiing to snowmobiling. Many who are likely sad to see winter leave … including my son who can’t get enough ice fishing time!
Read MoreBoth new board members who joined the Lupus Link Board of Directors in January share a connection with Lupus Link Minnesota’s mission of advancing knowledge and mobilizing resources to improve the lives of Minnesotans affected by lupus and related autoimmune diseases. Learn more about Tracey Galowitz, attorney at Galowitz Olson Law, PLLC, and Cindy Chang, registered nurse and RN referral coordinator for the Minneapolis VA Medical Center's Community Care Service Line.
Read MoreThe Lupus Link Minnesota Board of Directors announces grants to fund lupus research at the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic. As an independent nonprofit organization, Lupus Link Minnesota funds research and researchers to find a cure and more effective treatments for people living with lupus.
A total of $70,000 has been awarded to projects by two Minnesota-based researchers in order to pursue these efforts. Those scientists and their projects are described below:
Read MoreIf you were at The Great (Point) 8K you might have had the chance to meet Lupus Link Minnesota’s newest board member, Christopher Dunn, and his wife, Kejal. Making their way to Minnesota from sunny Atlanta, Dunn is a Client Account Executive at ADP. He is passionate about the work of nonprofit organizations and has boundless enthusiasm for serving on the Board of Directors and connecting with the lupus and related autoimmune disease community ...
Read MoreIt’s that time of the year when society collectively turns to an attitude of gratitude. It might not be present everywhere, but it definitely has me reflecting on what we have at Lupus Link Minnesota. As much as I know this attitude should be present all year long, we’re often working toward the things we don’t have.
Read MoreMany people with lupus question having immunizations, thinking it may cause a flare. Here Paul Sufka, M.D., addresses those concerns:
The decision to receive any medical intervention should come down to evaluation of the potential risks and benefits.
Read More“Maybe stories are just data with a soul.”
― Brené Brown
I’m a very data-driven person. I love numbers, charts, Excel spreadsheets, and cool data visualizations. Having spent 17 years of my life engaged in lupus research, I’ve given many talks about lupus over the years. Most of these talks were vehicles for sharing data. My PowerPoint slides would be filled with tables, charts, figures, and whatever fancy, new-fangled, hyper-colored method I was using at the time to try to display my latest complex dataset. Swimming in the depths of numbers and data patterns is my idea of professional bliss.
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