National Psoriasis Foundation awards Discovery Grants to researchers

The National Psoriasis Foundation announced it has awarded eight 1-year, $75,000 Discovery Grants to nine researchers in support of psoriatic disease research.

“The goal of our Discovery Grant program is to fund innovative ideas that hold the most promise for improving the lives of people with psoriatic disease,” Michael Siegel, PhD, director of research, National Psoriasis Foundation, said in a press release. “Through the early support of these projects, we aim to help scientists gain enough data to compete for long-term funding from the [NIH] and other federal agencies.”

The release listed the Discovery Grant recipients:

Kareem Graham, PhD, of Emory University School of Medicine, who will study whether an enzyme involved in how the body processes fat could be a new target for psoriasis treatment;
Hans Haecker, MD, PhD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, will study whether a model of a single genetic mutation often found in patients will be useful in understanding psoriatic arthritis triggers;
Sam Hwang, MD, PhD, of the Medical College of Wisconsin, received the A. Marilyn Sime Discovery Grant. He will use brain scans to study pathways involved with psoriatic itch and will test wither the technique can be used to measure improvements in itch following treatment;
Andrew Johnston, PhD, of the University of Michigan, will study bacteria in the tonsils of patients with psoriasis to determine if there’s a connection between strep throat and psoriasis;
Shruti Naik, PhD, of Rockefeller University, who will study the role of skin stem cells in psoriasis;
Gerlinde Obermoser, MD, of Baylor Research Institute, will study skin samples from palmoplantar psoriasis to learn more about involved inflammatory proteins;
Eileen Remold-O’Donnell, PhD, of Boston Children’s Hospital, will look at a possible treatment by controlling the levels of two different enzymes involved in release of interleukin 17; and
Nicole Ward, PhD, and Thomas McCormick, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University, will research whether omega-3 fatty acids could improve psoriasis symptoms.

Reference: www.psoriasis.org