The Myositis Association (TMA) proudly announces the inaugural recipient of the Meredith C. Thomas Memorial Fellowship, a prestigious research grant established to honor the life and legacy of Meredith Thomas, who was diagnosed with antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) and passed away at age 33 in November 2023.
This year’s fellowship, totaling $107,500, has been awarded to Dr. Angeles Galindo Feria, a rheumatology specialist and postdoctoral researcher at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Dr. Galindo Feria’s research project, titled “Clinical and Immunological Determinants of Interstitial Lung Disease in Antisynthetase Syndrome,” aims to revolutionize how clinicians understand and manage lung complications in ASyS by integrating immune profiling with prognostic markers.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Ingrid Lundberg, a globally recognized expert in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, Dr. Galindo Feria will explore how overactive B and T cells contribute to lung damage in ASyS. Her goal is to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools—including saliva and sputum-based tests—that can predict which patients are at risk of severe, irreversible lung scarring. This approach could pave the way for precision medicine in ASyS, allowing for earlier and more targeted interventions.
This fellowship is a transformative opportunity to change how we understand and manage lung complications in antisynthetase syndrome. Our goal is to move beyond the current one-size-fits-all approach toward true precision medicine.
— Angeles Galindo Feria, MD, PhD
The fellowship was made possible through the Meredith’s Legacy fundraiser, launched by Meredith’s family to support early-career researchers dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with ASyS and ILD. Meredith’s story continues to inspire a new generation of scientists committed to tackling the challenges of rare autoimmune diseases.
ASyS is a complex condition that affects both muscles and lungs, with ILD being one of its most serious and life-threatening complications. Current treatments are often inadequate, and clinicians lack reliable tools to predict disease progression. TMA’s investment in research like Dr. Galindo Feria’s reflects its ongoing commitment to advancing scientific understanding and improving patient care.
Since 2002, TMA has awarded nearly $8.5 million in research grants to support studies across the spectrum of myositis diseases. The Meredith C. Thomas Memorial Fellowship marks a significant milestone in this journey—one that blends scientific innovation with heartfelt remembrance.