2026 Colton Center for Autoimmunity Awardees

Etienne Caron, PhD — Assistant Professor of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine
Esen Sefik, PhD — Assistant Professor of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine
Project: Deciphering the HLA-E immunopeptidome in autoimmunity
 

Brian Hafler, MD, PhD — Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale School of Medicine
Tomokazu S. Sumida, MD, PhD — Assistant Professor of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine
Project: Immune checkpoint control of retinal myeloid cells: a TIM-3 dependent mechanism in age-related macular degeneration
 

Gregory Craven, PhD — Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University
Carrie L. Lucas, PhD — Associate Professor of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine
Project: Mutant-selective inhibitors of PI3Kδ(E1021K) for activated PI3Kδ syndrome
 

Matthew Simon, PhD — Associate Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Associate Professor at the Institute of Biomolecular Design & Discovery, Yale University
Project: Developing an RNA-targeted therapeutic for treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus
 

William Damsky, MD, PhD — Associate Professor of Dermatology and Dermatopathology, Yale School of Medicine
Jeffrey Cohen, MD, MPH — Associate Professor of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine
Project: Detergent-based immune profiling system (DIPS): a platform diagnostic for personalized treatment selection for inflammatory skin and other disease
 

Ruslan Medzhitov, PhD — Sterling Professor of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine
Steven Erickson — Associate Research Scientist, Yale School of Medicine
Project: Reprogramming immune memory to suppress allergic responses
 

Thuy Tran, MD, PhD — Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology), Yale School of Medicine
Richard Bucala, MD, PhD — Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology), Professor of Pathology and of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), Yale School of Medicine
Project: Generating a bispecific MIF and D-DT monoclonal antibody for treating systemic sclerosis
 

Jun Lu, PhD — Professor of Genetics, and Professor of Epidemiology (secondary appointment), Yale School of Medicine
Project: Target the glycoRNA pathway for autoimmune diseases

Carrie L. Lucas, PhD — Associate Professor of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine
Project: Eliminating aberrantly activated lymphocytes driving autoimmunity

“The 2026 Colton Awardees exemplify the spirit of bold, cross-disciplinary research that drives innovation in the field of autoimmunity,” said Joseph Craft, MD, Paul B. Beeson Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology), Professor of Immunobiology, and Scientific Director of the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale. “By supporting highly collaborative, translational projects across Yale, the Colton Center aims to help catalyze the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics for autoimmune disease.”

“These awards are designed to help investigators advance promising ideas through key proof-of-concept and validation milestones—positioning projects for partnership, licensing, or future venture creation. We look forward to working closely with the 2026 awardees as they move their innovations forward," added Makoto Yoshioka, PhD, Operational Director of the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale

The Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale is a member of a broader network of the Colton Consortium supported by a generous gift from Judith and Stewart Colton and seeks to translate academic discovery into transformative medical solutions for patients with autoimmune diseases. For more information, visit https://ventures.yale.edu/colton-center-for-autoimmunity.

Xiaohui Yu, Sr. Colton Associate, contributed research and writing support for this article.