FSR Invests $700,000 Across Four Sarcoidosis Studies to Improve Diagnosis, Monitoring, and Patient Outcomes

CHICAGO, Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) has awarded $700,000 in grant funding to four awardees through its Early Career Fellowship and Established Investigator grant funding opportunities. The 2026 Established Investigator Grant has been awarded to Dr. Laura Koth from the University of California, San Francisco, and Dr. Thomas Weichhart from the Medical University of Vienna. The 2026 Early Career Fellowship Grant has been awarded to Dr. Katie Bechman from King’s College London, and Dr. Azar Kianzad from St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein.

“FSR is thrilled to support this outstanding group of researchers, whose work represents the future of sarcoidosis research,” said Mary McGowan, President and CEO of FSR. “By investing in both promising early-career scientists and established investigators, we are strengthening the global research community and accelerating discoveries that have the potential to improve the lives of people living with sarcoidosis and bring us closer to a cure.”

Introduced for the first time this year, the FSR Established Investigator Grant provides an opportunity for research investigators with an established career and commitment to sarcoidosis as demonstrated through publication history, scientific accomplishments, and extramural funding.

Dr. Laura Koth, Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and founder of the university’s sarcoidosis research program, will study Epigenetically Reprogrammed CD4+ T Cells as Biomarkers of Progressive Pulmonary Sarcoidosis with the broader aim of advancing biomarker-guided approaches and therapeutic development for patients with sarcoidosis. “As both a physician caring for patients with sarcoidosis and a scientist studying the disease, this award is especially meaningful because it will allow our team to pursue new directions focused on the immune mechanisms that drive progressive lung disease,” said Dr. Koth. “We hope this work will help identify future treatment targets while also supporting and developing junior investigators committed to advancing sarcoidosis research and improving outcomes for patients.”

Dr. Thomas Weichhart, Associate Professor at the Medical University of Vienna, leads a research program focused on immunometabolism, macrophage biology, and granulomatous inflammation. Dr. Weichhart will lead his project on Metabolic Signaling in Patient-Derived Granuloma Cultures for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment Monitoring, with the goal of improving disease stratification and treatment monitoring in sarcoidosis. “This award is especially meaningful to me because it supports a research program that has focused on sarcoidosis for many years. It will help us move our mechanistic discoveries closer to clinical application for patients.”

The FSR Early Career Fellowship Grant returns to help early-stage investigators develop specialized skills, gain experience within the field of sarcoidosis, and contribute directly to advancing knowledge about sarcoidosis and enhancing medical care for sarcoidosis patients. This program is especially exciting as 90% of FSR-funded fellows to date have stayed in the field of sarcoidosis and 50% went on to obtain larger federal grants on related projects, demonstrating the impact of the fellowship grant as a crucial part of the sarcoidosis researcher pipeline.

Dr. Katie Bechman, rheumatologist and epidemiologist at King’s College London and King’s College Hospital, will dedicate her fellowship work to her project Sarcoidosis Activity Score: Development and Validation of a Multisystem Disease Activity Score for Sarcoidosis, continuing her research efforts centered on the epidemiology and management of sarcoidosis. “This award is particularly meaningful to me because it supports work addressing a major unmet need in sarcoidosis research and clinical care: the rigorous and standardized assessment of multisystem disease activity,” Dr. Bechman said. “As a clinician and researcher caring for patients with complex sarcoidosis, this work represents an important step towards improving clinical decision-making, strengthening the evaluation of treatment outcomes and advancing both research and patient care in sarcoidosis.”

Dr. Azar Kianzad, pulmonologist at St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, will focus on her fellowship project From Inflammation to Fibrosis: Detecting Early-Stage Cardiac Sarcoidosis with Advanced Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Circulating Biomarkers, leveraging her expertise in pulmonary vascular disease, right ventricular (RV) failure, and cardiac sarcoidosis. “I am very honored to receive the Early Career Research Grant from the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research. This award will support my development as an independent researcher and help advance research to improve the early detection and management of cardiac sarcoidosis.”

For more information about FSR funding opportunities, click here.

About Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research
Established in 2000, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR), is the leading international non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and improving care for sarcoidosis patients through research, education, and support. Since inception, FSR has fostered $10 million in sarcoidosis-specific research efforts and has worked diligently to provide resources to thousands. For more information and to join our community, visit www.stopsarcoidosis.org.

About Sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas—clusters of immune cells—in one or more organs. The disease is complex, difficult to diagnose, and often presents with a wide range of symptoms. There is no known cure.

Media Contact:

Cathi Davis, FSR Communications and Marketing Director
312-341-0500, cathi@stopsarcoidosis.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/70da4192-7c00-4f83-8cac-3e8a38e4a715

FSR 2026 Grant Awardees

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research awards four awardees through its Early Career Fellowship and Established Investigator grants.

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