Fellow
Courtney Smith
University of California, Los Angeles
Mentor
Howa Yeung, MD, MSc
Emory University School of Medicine
Overview
Acne may be influenced by hormone therapy in transgender adolescents and may worsen mental health and quality of life. We need data on who develops acne and how acne is treated after starting hormone therapy to improve acne outcomes in transgender adolescents. This proposal compares the risk of acne development and acne treatment patterns in transgender and non-transgender adolescents in healthcare systems across 3 states. We hope to inform new hormonal acne treatment paradigms aimed to improve the skin and mental health of transgender adolescents. Courtney Smith will learn how to design and analyze epidemiologic research under the mentorship of Dr. Howa Yeung and gain clinical experiences in caring for adolescents with skin diseases from diverse backgrounds. Support from the PeDRA Research Fellowship will help Courtney Smith build on her career goals to apply research to improve skin health disparities as a future academic pediatric dermatologist.
Status
This project was funded through a 2024 PeDRA Research Fellowship Grant.
