Fotios Koumpouras, MD

Fotios Koumpouras, MD, director of the Yale Lupus Program, specializes in the treatment and management of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and related disease. He also sees patients with difficult-to-diagnose rheumatic diseases, including ones with dermatologic manifestations. These disorders can cause damage, pain, and inflammation in any part of the body. “These diseases are complex and require up-to-date and specialized knowledge as well as medical experience to recognize and treat them appropriately, which in turn can have tremendously positive impacts on people’s lives,” he says.

When he sees a new patient, Dr. Koumpouras likes to “find out exactly what is going on and get it treated. Knowing is half the battle," he says. Many of his patients travel long distances to receive their care with Dr. Koumpouras and at Yale. “Having telemedicine as an option has really helped many of my patients continue their care even though they live far away or out of state,” he says.

An assistant professor of medicine (rheumatology) at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Koumpouras currently heads up several clinical trials to evaluate promising medications for patients with lupus. This offers patients access to cutting-edge clinical therapeutics under investigation. “I have worked diligently to develop a clinical trial portfolio that addresses the many facets of SLE disease, including trials focused on pain, or rash, or kidney disease, for example,” he says. “Being part of the Lupus Clinical Investigator Network places us among top-flight lupus centers that are focused on lupus care.” In addition, he works together with the basic and translational laboratories at Yale to aid the efforts in accelerating discoveries in lupus disease. These laboratories together with the clinical program, form the foundation of the Yale Lupus Program.

There is no cure for lupus, but he hopes this work will lead to finding a cure and better treatment options for patients.