Hello, my name is Professor Mohini Gray, and I am a rheumatologist and lead researcher at the University of Edinburgh. I would like to invite people with a rheumatic condition to consider becoming a “Patient Partner” in our groundbreaking research focusing on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Rheumatic conditions are very challenging to treat. The prescribed medications may come with their own set of side effects, that can sometimes be more distressing than the condition itself. In cases where inflammation is ongoing, joint and organ damage can result in pain and disability.
For the past two decades, I have devoted my career to advancing our understanding of the immune system. My current research focuses on the autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The pandemic was a particularly difficult time for my patients, not least because many of them felt isolated shielding at home. For some patients who contracted COVID-19 after receiving immune-suppressing therapies, the illness resulted in more severe outcomes. This experience has fuelled my determination to uncover the cause of RA and SLE with the aim of creating targeted treatments. These therapies would specifically remove the immune cells that cause the diseases while leaving other immune cells untouched to combat infections. My research heavily depends on the kindness of patients who have generously provided blood samples during their clinic visits or samples when they have an operation. We are now getting closer to our goal of understanding these conditions and pinpointing targets for novel treatments.
Your personal experiences, insights and collaboration with us are vital in ensuring that our work revolves around your needs and tackles the real world struggles you encounter daily. Therefore, I would like to offer you an opportunity to join us as a Partner in our research efforts. Our Patient Partners are invited to participate in meetings, which can be either online or in person. These meetings include focus groups, interviews or advisory boards where we aim to understand your perspectives and gather feedback. This process helps us identify the research priorities and ensures that we address questions and issues that’re important to you. Your voice will be heard and valued.
To learn more about how you can get involved, please contact me directly at mohini.gray@ed.ac.uk.
I look forward to partnering with you in this important endeavour.
Warmly,
Professor Mohini Gray,
Rheumatologist and Researcher
University of Edinburgh
