The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) is an American voluntary health organization based in New York City whose mission is to find better treatments and ultimately prevent and cure systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus), a debilitating autoimmune disease, through supporting medical research.
[2] The organizations's fundraising efforts include committing money to lupus research and charity walk-a-thons under the "Walk with Us to Cure Lupus" program, which raises funds and public awareness of the disease.
Research funded by the LRA has included the 2008 International SLE Genetics Consortium (SLEGEN), which identified several genes associated with lupus.
One hundred percent of all donations from the public including donations in support of the "Walk with Us to Cure Lupus" program go directly to research programs because the LRA's board of directors funds all administrative and fundraising costs.
[7] LRA uses a peer review system to make all funding decisions.