Dr. Kahlenberg completed her BS in Biology (Summa Cum Laude) at Denison University, her MD, PhD, and Internal Medicine training at Case Western Reserve University and her fellowship in Rheumatology at the University of Michigan. Her clinical work is centered on the care of complicated lupus patients, including those with refractory skin disease. Her independent research laboratory (est. 2013) is funded by multiple NIH (including R01) and foundation awards and combines translational approaches using patient samples and murine models to uncover the mechanisms that drive lupus and other autoimmune diseases. In particular, she is focused on unraveling the pathogenic mechanisms in cutaneous lupus, the factors that drive photosensitivity, and how skin inflammation can influence systemic lupus activity. She has published 108 papers in high impact journals including Science Translational Medicine, JCI, and Nature Immunology. Seminal discoveries from her lab include the role for IFN-kappa and of dysfunction of “normal” keratinocytes in lupus skin disease. As a testament to her impact within lupus research, her work has received institutional accolades, including being named the inaugural Giles Bole and Dorothy Mulkey Research Chair in Rheumatology at U-M, and national recognition from the Arthritis National Research Foundation, The Rheumatology Research Foundation, and the Lupus Foundation of America. In addition, in 2018, she was awarded a PECASE, the top award given by the President of the United States to outstanding early career scientists and engineers. In 2022 she was named an American College of Rheumatology Henry Kunkel Young Investigator awardee, the top award for early physician scientists in Rheumatology. In 2023, she was admitted into the Henry Kunkel Society. In her spare time, she enjoys organic gardening, working on the family farm “EMMA Acres” run by her husband, Mark, and spending time with her husband and children.

Globally, I am interested in understanding how the innate immune system impacts the development of autoimmune diseases and their subsequent complications. Specifically, I am interested in mechanisms by which innate immunity is dysregulated in autoimmune disease and how this can influence the development of disease flares. I have a strong background in inflammasome and interferon biology, and I have focused my research on how these pathways impact systemic lupus and other diseases. We utilize translational (analysis of human samples) and basic (murine models) to generate this understanding. My ultimate goals are to use the knowledge we gain to prevent patients with a pre-disposition for autoimmunity from getting sick and to develop novel and less toxic therapies when illness strikes.

My clinical interests center around my research interests with a focus on sick patients who are unable to find answers or care in traditional outpatient settings. I continue to hone two areas of clinical expertise. The first is treating patients with dysregulated innate immunity, such is seen in auto-inflammatory diseases such as TRAPS, FCAS, and FMF. These disorders have dysfunctional inflammasomes and are treated with novel IL-1 blockade drugs. Secondly, I treat complicated lupus patients, especially those with refractory skin disease. Both of these patient populations benefit from my research experience and also contribute to our research work. This complementary approach allows me to ask and answer novel clinical and translational questions.

Our lab is focused on uncovering the mechanisms that drive lupus, lupus flares, and the development of subsequent complications. We use basic, translational, and clinical approaches coupled with state-of-the-art omics techniques to uncover new therapeutic avenues. Specific areas of interest include the effects of interferons on the immune system, drivers of photosensitivity, and mitochondrial dysregulation in lupus skin