The 2020 ACR Awards of Distinction & Masters Class

This award reminds me that, ultimately, we conduct research to serve our patients. —Dr. Jordan

Distinguished Basic/Translational Investigator Award

M. Virginia Pascual, MD, Ronay Menschel Professor of Pediatrics and director of the Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children’s Health at Weill Cornell Medicine, is the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Basic/Translational Investigator Award for making outstanding contributions to rheumatology. She is currently the program director of an Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Center of Research Translation focused on pediatric lupus, funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

A native of Spain, Dr. Pascual received her medical degree from the Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, and completed her residency in pediatrics at Hospital “12 de Octubre,” U. Complutense in Madrid. She then came to the U.S. to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

As a physician-scientist specializing in pediatric rheumatology, Dr. Pascual’s research has focused on understanding the root causes of autoimmune disease, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and inflammatory arthritis in children. Dr. Pascual strives to translate laboratory findings into the identification of therapeutic targets and useful biomarkers.

“Over the course of my career, I’ve witnessed how therapeutics have evolved to target specific molecules in the immune system,” Dr. Pascual says. “This approach has been very successful, but most chronic inflammatory diseases are heterogeneous and not every patient responds to a given drug. An important challenge now is to find ways to predict which targeted therapy might be most effective in each patient. We, and many other groups around the world, are working toward this goal.”

Historically, Dr. Pascual says, few studies have been conducted on lupus in children, but through her research she has been able to analyze blood samples from children on a frequent basis and to apply innovative technologies and analytical methods. In doing this, she also hopes to gain a snapshot of early disease activity, even before symptoms appear.

Dr. Pascual’s studies have contributed to the discovery that type 1 interferon and interleukin 1 (IL-1) are important pathogenic players in SLE and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA), respectively. She and her colleagues were at the forefront of using IL-1 blockers in sJIA, which have shown excellent clinical benefits in nearly 70% of patients.

“I am tremendously grateful and honored to receive this award,” Dr. Pascual says. “I’m also humbled to be in the company of so many investigators in the rheumatology field who work tirelessly to advance our knowledge of rheumatic diseases.”