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April 25, 2009 11:00 a.m. EST- 11:45 a.m. EST
What is Lupus?: Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Normally the body's immune system makes proteins called antibodies, to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens.
In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself. These antibodies -- called "auto-antibodies"
Special Guest: Mercedes Scelba-Shorte, a finalist from America’s Next Top Model and a spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America.
Special Guest: Annette Myarick is the CEO for the Lupus Foundation of America’s Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter. Prior to joining the LFA in 1991, she was with the Arthritis Foundation’s Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter for 14 years, most recently as the Vice President for Public Health Strategies. Annette has a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education from Temple University.
Special Guest: In 2000, Margaret Dowd directed the launch of the Lupus Research Institute, the nation’s nonprofit organization solely dedicated to novel research in lupus. Under Dowd’s leadership as president and CEO, the LRI has experienced phenomenal growth, made tremendous strides in pioneering discoveries for lupus, and is now considered a model for innovation in lupus research. She is also the Executive Director of the S.L.E. Lupus Foundation, the nearly 40-year-old organization headquartered in New York and Los Angeles, Dowd oversees the comprehensive delivery of patient services, education, public awareness and funding for research in lupus. She developed the model outreach programs that demonstrate the effective management of chronic disease among inner-city women, bringing strong leadership and community collaboration to assist people with lupus in disadvantaged neighborhoods in New York City and Los Angeles County. Dowd, who holds an MBA degree, began her career in the communications industry in New York.
