CHICAGO, Aug. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR), the leading international organization dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and improving care for sarcoidosis patients, is pleased to announce the appointment of fourteen new members to serve the organization’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). This brings the current SAB membership to 25 members.

The FSR SAB consists of world-renowned researchers, clinicians, and health industry leaders representing diverse professional disciplines with experience in advancing research, clinical trials, and the scientific understanding of sarcoidosis.

The FSR SAB provides guidance to the FSR Board of Directors and FSR leadership on scientific priorities and strategies, ensures FSR’s educational material reflects the most up-to-date scientific knowledge, and applies experience and rigor to ensure FSR’s grant funding is awarded towards the most innovative and scientifically promising research efforts.

“We are thrilled and honored to welcome these fourteen dedicated sarcoidosis experts to the SAB,” said Dr. Elliot Crouser MD, Physician and Professor at the Ohio State University and SAB Chair. “We look forward to advancing the mission of FSR, and the broad expertise reflected in this expanded advisory board should prove to be quite impactful.”

This panel reflects the most diverse set of expertise in FSR’s 25-year history. By bringing together experts in pulmonology, genetics, rheumatology, neurology, dermatology, and cardiology, FSR hopes to foster a multi-disciplinary approach to advancing the clinical, basic, and translational research needed to improve patient outcomes.

“Our new Scientific Advisory Board members’ expertise and dedication will be instrumental in advancing our mission to improve patient outcomes and advocate for innovative sarcoidosis research initiatives,” said Mary McGowan, FSR Chief Executive Officer. “Their diverse perspectives will help us navigate the complexities of modern medicine and ensure that our efforts remain patient-centered and strategic.”

The following new FSR SAB members begin their orientation in September 2024 with the official terms initiating in January 2025.

• Nicholas Arger, MD
  Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, University of California San Francisco

• Matthew Baker, MD, MS
  Clinical Chief in the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University

• Maneesh Bhargava, MBBS, PhD
  Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Minnesota
  

• David Birnie, MB, MRCP, MD
  Deputy Chief in the Division of Cardiology, University of Ottawa
  

• Avrom Caplan, MD
  Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology, New York University
  

• Jeffrey Gelfand, MD
  Associate Professor in the Division of Clinical Neurology, University of California San Francisco
  

• Mridu Gulati, MD, MPH
  Associate Professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale University
  

• Sotonye Imadojemu MD, MPH
  Director of the Cutaneous Sarcoidosis and Granulomatous Diseases Clinic, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  

• Jordana Kron, MD
  Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology, Virginia Commonwealth University
  

• Courtney Montgomery, PhD
  Director for the Center for Biomedical Data Sciences, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
  

• Natalia Rivera, PhD, MS
  Team Leader at the Center for Molecular Medicine and Research Specialist in the Respiratory Division, Karolinska Institute
  

• Lobelia Samavati, MD
  Director of Center for Sarcoidosis and Interstitial Lung Disease, Wayne State University
  

• Peter Sporn, MD
  Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University
  

• Arthur Yee, MD, PhD
  Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Cornell University and the Hospital for Special Surgery
  

For more information about the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, and sarcoidosis research and funding opportunities, please visit www.stopsarcoidosis.org.

About Sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas—tiny clumps of inflammatory cells—in one or more organs of the body. Despite increasing advances in research, sarcoidosis remains difficult to diagnose with limited treatment options and no known cure.

About the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR)
The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is the leading international organization dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and improving care for sarcoidosis patients through research, education, and support. Since its establishment in 2000, FSR has fostered over $6.5 million in sarcoidosis-specific research efforts. For more information and to join our community, visit www.stopsarcoidosis.org.

Contact:
Cathi Davis
312-341-0500
cathi@stopsarcoidosis.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e3f38b1a-791f-49b6-aa7c-092ad5e370e3