Lupus Center of Excellence

Based in Pittsburgh, Pa., the Lupus Center of Excellence (LUCE) is a program of the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. The Center includes an outpatient clinical care facility at Magee-Womens Hospital, as well as a translational research function within the Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Science Tower, both located in Pittsburgh's Oakland area.

Lupus, an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own cells, is most common among women, especially those of Hispanic, African-American, and Native American descent.

The Center makes available to patients in a single location access to a multidisciplinary team of physician scientists. They hail From The Fields of rheumatology, cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology, neurology, and pain management. Partnering with such organizations as the Lupus Foundation of America, LUCE focuses its research work on discovering novel diagnosis and treatment methods for systemic lupus erythematosus and related autoimmune disorders.

The LUCE patient base of men and women is drawn from 25 states and six countries. Center co-directors are Susan Manzi, MD, MPH, and Joseph Ahearn, MD.

http://www.lupuscenter.org http://magee.upmc.com http://www.lupus.org