12.14.23
The National Eczema Association (NEA) has announced the recipients for its 2022 research grants.
From both US-based and international applications, the research projects of 13 outstanding investigators were selected, representing grants totaling nearly $730,000.
2022 marked a significant jump in NEA's investment in innovative eczema research, from $515,000 in 2021, with a new award tier and an increase from nine to 13 recipients.
The largest private nonprofit funder of eczema research, NEA has invested nearly $3 million since its first grant was awarded in 2004. Collectively, NEA-funded grants for basic science, clinical and translational research have supported a deeper understanding of the symptoms, comorbidities and burdens of eczema, provided insights into new treatment strategies, and furthered the ability to improve care and prevention.
Most notably, for every $1 NEA has invested in eczema research, grantees have collectively gone on to obtain an additional $13.14 in subsequent National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to support further research.
"Eczema is a chronic condition without a cure that affects over 31 million people in the US, many with severe, even debilitating impacts," said Julie Block, CEO of NEA. "Our best hope to improve patients' lives (and those of loved ones) is through research. Our 2022 research grant recipients represent both new and longstanding investigators working across disciplines to identify opportunities for better eczema therapies, better care, better outcomes – and one day, potentially, a cure."
The 2022 Research Grant Categories
Champion Research Grant– Encourages proven researchers to continue research on emerging or ongoing challenges in eczema or bring their expertise to the field of eczema.
Katrina Abuabara MD, MA, MSCE, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA – Dietary salt consumption as a predictor of atopic dermatitis heterogeneity and cardiac comorbidity;
Aaron Drucker MD, ScM, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Canada – Long-term safety of topical corticosteroids;
Henning Holle, PhD, University of Hull, Hull, England – Understanding and reducing psychosocial burden of eczema: An attentional bias approach; and
Francesca Levi-Schaffer, PharmD, PhD, Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel – Employing CD300a and Resolvin D1 to stop inflammation and induce resolution in atopic dermatitis.
Spotlight Research Grant – Promoting research tied to specific areas of interest, this year focuses on eczemas outside of atopic dermatitis.
Zelma Chiesa Fuxench MD, MSCE, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA – Validity of diagnostic codes for identifying seborrheic dermatitis in the health improvement network; and
Yin Li, PhD, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA – Occupational contact dermatitis among healthcare workers: Implications for healthcare system.
Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant – Created in collaboration with the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA), this award is intended to accelerate research that improves the health and quality of life of pediatric patients and their families.
Hassan Vahidnezhad MSc, PhD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA – Genetic landscape of pediatric patients with monogenic susceptibilities to AD.
Catalyst Research Grant – Designed to support talented early-career scientists on the path toward becoming the next generation of eczema thought leaders by supporting hypothesis-driven research projects.
Ofir Cohn PhD, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA – Deciphering how genetic variation associated with risk of eczema impacts human dendritic cell subset function;
Liwen Deng BS, PhD, president & fellows of Harvard College, Boston, MA – S. aureus neuroimmune signaling in itch and skin barrier damage;
Mengxu Ge, PhD, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA – Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in barrier function and allergic skin Inflammation;
Gerard Callejo Martin, PhD, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain – Smoothing the itch: Innovative strategies to alleviate chronic pruritus through modulation of TRESK channels;
Ge Peng, MD, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan – Elucidation of the pathogenic mechanism of atopic dermatitis associated brain inflammation;
Yiannis Vasilopoulos MSc, PhD, University of Patras, Patras, Greece – Decoding the complex architecture of atopic dermatitis in the post-genomic era (ATOMIC);
Matthew Vesely, MD, PhD, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT – VISTA as a potential therapeutic target in eczema; and
Sheng-Pei Wang, MD, MPH, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA – Understanding body dissatisfaction, eating behaviors, and eating disorders in children with eczema.
Engagement Research Grant – Intended for emerging investigators exploring a new research concept, piloting a new experiment, or undertaking a novel or secondary data analysis.
Sara Henderson MRes, PhD, Centre for Skin Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, England – The role of liquid hand and body soap in the dysbiosis of the skin microbiome during atopic dermatitis;
Ahnna Lee PhD, MSN, RN, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA – Predictors of AD disease course in childhood; and
Gil Yosipovitch MD, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL – Impact of an educational intervention on adolescent and medical student eczema knowledge (RASHE).