Your Participation.

If you are eligible to participate, we will send you a 23andMe DNA-saliva kit at no cost along with a medical records release form. Our DNA kit includes detailed instructions on how to provide your saliva sample. We will also include a medical records release form that gives us permission to contact your physician to obtain your medical records pertaining to your lupus diagnosis (via Examination Management Services, Inc. a 23andMe service provider). Your privacy is important to us and your medical records will be protected and kept private in the same manner as your genetic and self-reported information. Once completed, you will send your kit and medical records release form back to us in the pre-paid packaging provided. We will also ask you to answer a short online survey (15 minutes) about your personal lupus journey, symptoms, response to treatments and more.

Within the 12 months after you join the study, we will ask you to complete five additional short surveys – one every other month. Each survey will take no longer than 5-10 minutes to complete and you will receive $5 in compensation for each one. There will also be one final survey at the completion of the study. This will take about 15 minutes to complete and your compensation will be $25. The total potential compensation (for completing five short bi-monthly surveys plus one final survey) of $50 will be paid out in an Amazon gift card by the end of the study.

Benefits for participants.

You can help advance medical research and contribute to the scientific understanding of lupus

You will receive one 23andMe® Personal Genome Service DNA kit delivered to your home at no cost, which will give you access to: Full DNA genotyping and analysis Your personalized genetic reports

You will be compensated (a potential of $50 for full participation) for completing five bi-monthly surveys and one final study survey

You can help advance medical research and contribute to the scientific understanding of lupus

You will receive a $20 Amazon gift card for joining the study and agreeing to the terms

You will be compensated (a potential of $70 for full participation) for completing five bi-monthly surveys and one final study survey

Our promise to you.

We promise updates on our study progress and promise to answer questions you may have throughout the study. As we grow our participant base and analyze the data, there may be additional opportunities to participate in more research. If you would like to continue your participation, you will have the opportunity to make ongoing contributions in future studies. We will communicate any additional research opportunities in newsletters, emails or on your Home page.

We believe your genetic data can be used for good.

No one can promise a cure or a treatment, but we promise to be transparent in our research efforts. We will also empower other researchers and scientists with lupus genetic data in a time when resources and funding can be scarce.

We believe your genetic data can be used for good.