Mentee
Santanna Patterson
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Mentor
Beth Drolet, MD
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Overview
Severe blistering mucocutaneous reactions are a group of rare skin diseases that cause painful skin blisters and sores in the mouth, nose, eyes, or genitals. The cause of these diseases is unknown. We believe that children that develop these diseases have differences in their DNA that lead to an increased chance of developing these conditions. My project, “Genetic Characterization and Phenotypic Correlation of Severe Blistering Mucocutaneous Reactions,” aims to identify the differences in the DNA of children with the disease compared to their unaffected parents to determine if there is a connection between the identified differences in the children’s DNA and the severity of the disease or number of times the disease occurs in their lifetime. This study will play a key role in better understanding how these diseases develop, identifying patients that may develop these diseases in the future, and improving care for patients with severe blistering mucocutaneous reactions.
Status
This project was funded through a 2024 PeDRA Emerging Investigator Research Grant.
