NPF grants support advancement of psoriatic disease research

The National Psoriasis Foundation, NPF, has awarded $2.3 million in research grants and fellowships in 2018. This year's awards bring the total amount NPF has invested in the advancement of psoriatic disease research to more than $19 million.

Receiving over 140 applications from around the world, NPF is funding 45 projects focused on psoriatic disease and related comorbidities. Covering critical research topics that advance the science behind psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, all projects align with the NPF mission of driving efforts to find a cure for psoriatic disease and improving the lives of those affected. Awards were distributed for the following 2018 grants and fellowships.

Discovery Grants

Discovery Grants fund researchers while they explore preliminary ideas and conduct proof-of-concept experiments. The goal is to stimulate the development of new research programs in the field of psoriatic disease capable of competing for long-term funding from the National Institutes of Health, NIH, or other agencies in the future. Recipients include:

NPF Discovery Grant supported by the Bucks Creek Foundation was awarded to Sam Hwang, M.D., Ph.D., University of California, Davis.

Other 2018 Discovery Grant recipients include: Edward Amento, M.D., Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Anne Bowcock, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Lihi Eder, M.D., Ph.D., Women's College Hospital, Jaehwan Kim, M.D., Ph.D., Rockefeller University / Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Alexis Ogdie, M.D., MSCE, University of Pennsylvania, Eva Reali, Ph.D., I.R.C.C.S Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, and Lam (Alex) Tsoi, Ph.D., University of Michigan.

Translational Grants

Translational Research Grants fund research initiatives that focus on the rapid translation of basic scientific discoveries into clinical applications with a clear benefit for patients with psoriatic disease.

2018 grant recipients include Iannis Adamopoulos, D.Phil, University of California, Davis, Steven Ley, Ph.D., Imperial College London, and Brian Volkman, Ph.D., Medical College of Wisconsin.

Early Career Grants

Early Career Research Grants support graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and researchers at similar trainee-level positions interested in conducting projects focused on psoriatic disease. The goal is to support scientists at this challenging early career stage and to welcome them into the collaborative community of scientists, clinicians, and patients involved with NPF research.

Recipients of this award are ultimately expected to compete for future funding through NPF Discovery or Translational Research Grants and establish successful long-term careers conducting psoriatic disease research.

Six researchers were awarded Karen and Dale White Research Center of Excellence Early Career Research Grants. Recipients include: Holly Anderton, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Anthony Getschman, Ph.D., Medical College of Wisconsin, Charlotte Hurabielle-Claverie, M.D., MSc, NIH, NIAID, Lourdes Perez Chada, M.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Carlotta Tacconi, Ph.D., ETH Zurich, and Zhaolin Zhang, Ph.D., University of Michigan.

Bridge Grants

Bridge Grants support researchers who have submitted meritorious but unfunded K-type (career development) or R-type applications to the NIH, or similar funding bodies, with a focus on psoriatic disease or related comorbidities. This grant provides a critical year of additional support to near-miss applicants so that they can collect data that strengthens a future successful NIH or similar funding application. Recipients include:

NPF Bridge Grant supported by Michael and Melissa Weinbaum & The Attilio & Beverly Petrocelli Foundation was awarded to Nisarg Shah, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego.

An additional Bridge Grant was awarded to Unnikrishnan Chandrasekharan, Ph.D., Cleveland Clinic.

Pediatric Psoriasis Challenge Grant

In 2018, the NPF chose to focus the challenge grant on pediatric psoriasis and offered this grant in collaboration with the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance, PeDRA. The grant supports up to two projects that address any aspect of psoriatic disease, including the cause, diagnosis, or treatment of pediatric psoriasis and/or related comorbidities. The grant was awarded to Amy Paller, M.D., M.S., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Summer Student Research Grants

NPF Summer Student Research Grants support undergraduate and medical students interested in conducting research focused on psoriatic disease or related comorbidities. This grant fosters the development of promising young scientists who will go on to become bench researchers or clinician scientists focused on improving the lives of those living with psoriatic disease.

A total of 16 Summer Student Research Grants were supported through the generosity of Dr. Lacy and Edie Williams, The Don and Nancy Alpert Family Fund, Bill and Jodi Felton, and Robert and Lauren Fales.

Psoriatic Disease Research Fellowship

The Psoriatic Disease Research Fellowship provides support to eligible institutions to develop and enhance the opportunities for physicians and scientists training for research careers in academic dermatology, rheumatology, pediatric dermatology, and pediatric rheumatology.

The Dr. Mark G. Lebwohl Psoriatic Disease Research Fellowship was awarded to Bruce Strober, M.D., Ph.D., University of Connecticut Health Center.

Seven additional Psoriatic Disease Research Fellowships were awarded through the generous support from Abbvie, Amgen, and Eli Lilly. Recipients include: April Armstrong, M.D., MPH, University of Southern California, Radjesh Bisoendial, M.D., Ph.D., Maasstad Hospital, Joel Gelfand, M.D., MSCE, University of Pennsylvania, Mahmoud Ghannoum, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University, Alexa Kimball, M.D., MPH, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Wilson Liao, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, and Douglas Lienesch, M.D., University of Pittsburgh.

NIH-NPF Robertson Fellowship in Translational Medicine

The NIH-NPF Robertson Fellowship in Translational Medicine provides support for an early career clinical and translational scientist to conduct research at the NIH focusing on research and patient care in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis or related comorbidities. The fellowship was awarded to Daniella Schwartz, M.D., NIH, NIAMS.

The 2019 grants and fellowships application process has begun. To learn more about current opportunities and deadlines, visit https://www.psoriasis.org/grants and https://www.psoriasis.org/fellowships. For more information about our grantees visit https://www.psoriasis.org/research/portfolio.

Serving its community through more than 50 years of patient support, advocacy, research funding, and education, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) is the world's leading nonprofit fighting for individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The NPF mission is to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and dramatically improve the lives of more than 8 million Americans affected by this chronic immune-mediated disease. As part of that effort, NPF created its Patient Navigation Center to offer personalized assistance to everyone with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. To date, NPF has funded more than $19 million in research grants and fellowships that help drive discoveries that may lead to more and better treatments and ultimately a cure.