A Message From BRI President Jane Buckner, MD

Over the past year, BRI has been working toward a new vision of creating a healthy immune system for everyone. In recent weeks, this has taken on new meaning as our teams expand their research to study how healthy immune systems react to harmful invaders like viruses — and why some people have no symptoms but others get very sick. I’d like to explain what’s driving me, and all of us at BRI, to pursue this broader mission.

As a researcher, I see our team making incredible progress toward solving the mysteries behind autoimmune diseases. But as a doctor, I’m acutely aware that we have a long way to go. Often, the best treatments we can offer suppress the immune system. These drugs can reduce the symptoms of autoimmune disease. But they worklike a sledgehammer that makes it harder for the immune system to protect your body from harmful invaders. Every week, I come face to face with patients who deserve better.

I see patients who suffer with chronic pain and increasing disability, despite our best efforts with current treatments. And I see patients who cannot tolerate these treatments or who develop infections due to their treatment.

At BRI, we’re learning from these failures and we’re determined to overcome them. We want our research to fuel a new generation of treatments that are more precise and more effective. These treatments will address the immune imbalances that cause everything from autoimmune disease to cancer. And they will lead us to a day when we can predict who will get autoimmune disease and stop it before it starts.

I’m immensely proud of everything we’ve done, but my dream is to develop cures that put us — and all doctors who treat immune disorders — out of business. Thanks to the support of people like you, we’re getting closer every day.

Originally published in BRING IT ON Newsletter - Spring 2020