The Autoimmune Association is with you through every step of your autoimmune disease journey.

We’re the world’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to autoimmune disease advocacy, awareness, education, and research.

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No matter where you are on your journey, the Autoimmune Association can help.

Lace Up for Hope: Join the Hope Journey Walk!

Lace up your sneakers and join us on Sunday, October 12 for the Autoimmune Association Hope Journey Walk —a powerful and inspiring day dedicated to raising awareness and support for the 50 million Americans affected by autoimmune disease.

This isn’t just a walk—it’s a movement. Whether you’re living with autoimmune disease, love someone who is, or simply want to make a difference, the Hope Journey Walk brings our community together to create hope, community, and a brighter future.

Join us at the in-person event at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. or walk virtually from anywhere! Whether you’re on your favorite local trail, in your neighborhood, or even on a treadmill, every step taken and each dollar raised helps fund critical research, advocacy, and programs.

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Autoimmune Association News & Updates

Join Us for the Hope Journey Walk!

The Autoimmune Association is proud to announce the inaugural Hope Journey Walk, a national fundraising and awareness event that will take place on...

Become a Hope Journey Walk Sponsor

Your support will not only help us walk toward a cure—it’ll also show patients you’re walking beside them every step of the way.

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Art with a Mission: John von Bergen Gives Back to Autoimmune Community Through Sales

John copes with autoimmune disease through art that offers creative challenges and small accomplishments.

Meet Makenzie

Makenzie is navigating life with uncertainty and hope while searching for a formal diagnosis.

Four Pillars of the Autoimmune Association

For more than 30 years, the Autoimmune Association has been the nation’s leading advocate for the millions of people affected by autoimmune diseases through fostering and facilitating collaboration in the areas of education, public awareness, advocacy, and research.

Advocacy

The Autoimmune Association advocates on the federal and state levels for policies that put patients first – from hosting congressional briefings and issuing public comments to leading the National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups.

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Awareness

The Autoimmune Association raises widespread awareness and understanding of autoimmune diseases and their prevalence worldwide.

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Education

The Autoimmune Association is committed to empowering and educating patients to ensure they are supported throughout their journey from getting to a diagnosis, identifying treatment options, accessing care, managing comorbidities, and improving quality of life.

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Research

The Autoimmune Association convenes scientists, physicians, and researchers from across disciplines to explore the root cause of autoimmunity to unlock breakthrough treatments and someday, cures.

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Leading the way: Our plan for a strong future

Read the Strategic Roadmap that will guide the Autoimmune Association through the next five years and far beyond.

Our impact on fighting autoimmune diseases

The Autoimmune Association is the leading organization dedicated to autoimmune diseases. We’re proud of the difference we make each day, bringing us one step closer to a world without autoimmune disease.

100 +

Autoimmune diseases

80 %

Of those living with autoimmune disease are women

$3B +

Secured in federally funded autoimmune research in the last 3 years

$5M

Research funded by the Autoimmune Association

Autoimmune Research in Jeopardy: Restore NIH Funding Now

As the leading organization representing the 50 million Americans living with chronic conditions classified as autoimmune diseases, we stand firmly opposed to the recent broad-sweeping funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that threaten the future of autoimmune disease research.

While we commend the Make America Healthy Again Commission for advocating for a “comprehensive, national strategy to address the root causes of America’s chronic disease crisis,” the Trump Administration’s recent cuts to NIH research funding risks the extraordinary progress being made in preventing, diagnosing, treating, and understanding these historically overlooked and underfunded illnesses.

On average, it takes 4.5 years for an autoimmune diagnosis, with some searching much longer, and even then, there are limited options for relief. But research is changing that trajectory. Just as we are starting to glimpse the once-unimaginable possibility of cures, that momentum is on the verge of being lost.

Thanks to federally funded science, we now have immune-targeted therapies on the horizon with the promise of dramatically changing lives. Advances like CAR T-cell therapy, precision immunology, and AI-driven diagnostics are opening new frontiers in care. Without continued support, these transformative treatments may never be fully studied, developed, and eventually turned into treatments for people who are desperately waiting for relief.

The economic cost of autoimmune disease is staggering, with an estimated $180 billion spent annually in direct healthcare costs and untold billions in lost productivity.

But the human cost is far greater. Families torn apart, careers cut short, dreams deferred. Investing in autoimmune research isn’t just a matter of public health, it’s an investment in human potential and in hope.

We recently sent a letter to the Administration outlining the critical need for sustained investment in autoimmune research, and we look forward to working together to address our nation’s autoimmune disease crisis.

We urge the Trump Administration and Congress to restore and protect funding for autoimmune disease research. Our futures depend on it. With so much at stake, we cannot afford to turn back now.

The Economic Effects of Autoimmune Disease Research

Research undertaken and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has advanced diagnostics and therapies. This research is opening new frontiers in care and cures are on the line if we don’t continue to support the NIH.