Dr Fabien Vincent receives research fellowship to investigate lupus in Indigenous Australians

SCS researcher, Dr Fabien Vincent, has received a $50,000 Arthritis Australia Fellowship for his vital research into lupus.

A research fellow in the Rheumatology Research Group, Dr Vincent’s project investigates identifying molecular signatures in Indigenous Australians with systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus).

Lupus is an incurable severe chronic systemic illness that affects approximately one in every 2000 people in Australia. For unknown reasons, it is two to four times more frequent and severe in Indigenous Australians compared to the rest of the population in Australia.

Dr Vincent says that evidence suggests that the diagnostic label of lupus comprises different groups of patients, who can potentially be characterised by the measurement of singular markers in their blood.

However, the biological profile of Indigenous Australians with lupus is unknown, limiting their access to emerging targeted treatments. Dr Vincent's research aims to identify blood molecular signatures in Indigenous Australians with lupus.

“Identifying blood signatures in Indigenous Australians with lupus will increase our understanding of the disease at the molecular level, ultimately affecting the management of the disease," Dr Vincent said.

“Our ultimate goal is to help develop personalised and targeted therapies to improve the health of Indigenous Australians, to help close the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian lupus sufferers, and to have a better understanding of lupus pathogenesis.”