Alice Chan, MD, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Chan is studying a novel candidate gene, known as Mosaic, which was recently identified as a culprit for causing early and severe multiorgan autoimmunity in a unique breed of dog. The Mosaic gene, which is also found in humans, has been linked to early onset of Addison’s disease, arthritis, autoimmune cytopenias, hepatitis and uveitis. The study will shed light on the role of the genetics in mediating these issues, which may lead to new therapeutic targets in treating autoimmune diseases for those like Elizabeth that have a family history of the disease.