Selena Gomez donation to support lupus research at Keck School of Medicine of USC

Singer Selena Gomez, a longtime advocate for lupus research, has made a donation to the Keck School of Medicine of USC to support research of the chronic inflammatory disease.

The entertainer created the Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research that will initially support a pilot research program focusing on treating complications of lupus, led by Janos Peti-Peterdi, professor of physiology and biophysics at the Keck School of Medicine.

“I continue to be optimistic about the progress being made in lupus research and am proud to support the promising work at the Keck School of Medicine,” Gomez said. “I am hopeful for the millions of us around the world that may benefit from this.”

Targeting breakthroughs

The research program potentially lays the foundation for targeted therapeutic treatment breakthroughs. This is a collaborative effort between Peti-Peterdi and Chaim Jacob, professor of medicine at the Keck School, who specialize in lupus research.

We are hopeful that our research, with Selena’s support, will help those affected by this disease lead full, healthy lives.

Janos Peti-Peterdi

“We are extremely pleased to partner with Selena in her efforts to promote awareness and medical research toward a much-needed cure for lupus,” Peti-Peterdi said. “Complications from systemic lupus cause serious damage and we are hopeful that our research, with Selena’s support, will help those affected by this disease lead full, healthy lives.”

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects more than 1.5 million Americans and more than 5 million people worldwide. Currently there is no cure.

Peti-Peterdi is among the nation’s prominent researchers looking at complications from lupus. His interdisciplinary research team includes experts in the genetics and pathogenesis of lupus who have conducted groundbreaking work using imaging techniques to model new methods for understanding the true sources of lupus complications.