Fall 2022’s Awards, Appointments & Announcements in Rheumatology

During her own fellowship training, Dr. Blazer benefited from mentorship by Jill P. Buyon, MD, director of the Division of Rheumatology and the Lupus Center at NYU Langone, New York. “She is the person who encouraged me to think about doing bench science. So with these [LRA] grants, we are going to be able to provide mentorship opportunities for other trainees of color, an important step in improving that exposure.” 

Dr. Blazer’s award enables her to continue her current line of research focusing on genetic variants of the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene, which have been linked to both atherosclerosis and renal disease in populations of African ancestry. A significant number of African Americans carry these mutations, a baseline genetic risk that is heightened with the development of lupus. 

Dr. Blazer will also use the LRA award to further her work with collaborators in Ghana and Nigeria. She received the Commitment to Fellow and Faculty Development Award in 2018 from the Nigerian Society for Rheumatology. 

In the U.S., she will be laying the groundwork for other studies that examine the interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental factors, such as structural racism and economic deprivation. 

Dr. Blazer spends a lot of time with her patients early during their treatment, empowering them with education about their condition. That foundation of trust then becomes the basis for well-considered decisions about research study participation. “I think well-informed patients who are in a trusting environment are more than happy to participate in research,” she says.