News

October 12, 2021 – The Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) announces four important milestones reached behind their pledge to address issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in pediatric dermatology research.

1. Having identified the ever-present importance of advancing and preserving equity, diversity, and inclusion in its organization and the field, PeDRA’s Board of Directors has voted to approve the transition of the EDI Task Force, originally formed in January 2021, to an EDI Committee with standing representation on the PeDRA Board of Directors and Executive Committee. This change is reflected in a recent update to PeDRA’s bylaws and will officially go into effect on November 1, 2021.

2. PeDRA has approved the formation of the Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders Focused Study Group as its ninth collaborative research group. Under the direction of Dr. Nanette Silverberg of Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, this group will conduct studies with a goal of achieving health equity for pediatric skin disease patients of color with an additional focus on the pigmentary disorders such as vitiligo.

3. PeDRA contributed four publications to the special EDI issue of Pediatric Dermatology, which address disparities in public assistance formularies, training in pediatric skin of color, achieving equity and inclusion in the field, and an analysis of EDI in PeDRA’s membership, leadership, programs, and funding.

4. To complement this year’s theme of building bridges, a special focus will be given at the virtual 2021 PeDRA Annual Conference to diversity and inclusion in research. This will include a keynote presentation from renowned advocate for social justice, Dorothy Roberts, JD of the University of Pennsylvania, and a special emphasis on diversity and inclusion during the conference’s small group breakout sessions on the afternoon of Friday, October 15.

These milestones represent important progress in the effort to achieve equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout research and medicine and align closely with PeDRA’s mission to create, inspire, and sustain research to prevent, treat, and cure childhood skin disease.

Initial objectives of the EDI Committee will be to increase opportunities for underrepresented in medicine trainees to participate in research, educate PeDRA members on performing inclusive and equitable research, support research that addresses EDI in pediatric dermatology, and increase diversity of PeDRA membership and leadership.  

Clinician scientists and other stakeholders interested in learning more or getting involved in PeDRA’s EDI efforts are encouraged to become a PeDRA member, attend the virtual 2021 PeDRA Annual Conference, and apply for PeDRA Grants and Awards which have a renewed focus on EDI issues. Email PeDRA at info@pedraresearch.org to connect with the Skin of Color Focused Study Group and explore www.pedraresearch.org for more information.

August 3, 2021 – The National Eczema Association (NEA) and PeDRA announce that the second annual Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant has been awarded to Jennifer Schoch, MD of the University of Florida for her grant proposal titled “Neonatal Cutaneous Microbiome Predictors of Infantile Eczema.” The grant of $50,000 commenced August 1, 2021.

Nearly 10 million U.S. children under the age of 18 are affected by eczema, with one-third affected by moderate-to-severe disease. Despite recent therapeutic advances, the burdens on these patients and their families can be significant, and many important research questions remain unanswered. In 2020, NEA and PeDRA together created the Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant to accelerate research that improves the health and quality of life of pediatric eczema patients and their families.

Dr. Schoch’s investigation builds on animal models that suggest that immune tolerance to cutaneous microbes is acquired early in life and can prevent inflammation upon later re-exposure. Dr. Schoch and her team hypothesize that a parallel exists in humans, specifically that exposure to microbes such as Staphylococcus species early in life confers tolerance and reduces inflammation upon re-exposure. And because Staphylococcus aureus has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis/eczema, this early tolerance could be critical in prevention of eczema. In preliminary data from a pilot study, the team found a decrease in microbial diversity in week 2 of life. For this grant, Dr. Schoch and her team will correlate differences in the neonatal skin microbiome with the subsequent development of infantile eczema by age one. Specifically, they will compare relative abundance of Staphylococcus aureus from the neonatal period in infants who developed eczema by one year of life, compared to infants who do not develop eczema by one year, toward the goal of understanding how the early establishment of the skin microbiome contributes to healthy and disease states.

“Looking at the first two years of the Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant, I am thrilled to see one project aimed at addressing disparities and another at understanding the earliest triggers of eczema,” said Michael Siegel, PhD, executive director of PeDRA.  “We are so excited to see the momentum build with our partnership with NEA around research questions that matter to patients and their families.”

“Dr. Schoch’s work with the microbiome has important implications for our youngest eczema patients, with the potential to lead to preventative approaches that can avert a lifetime with eczema,” said Julie Block, president and CEO of NEA. “This is exactly why we joined with PeDRA to create a grant specifically supporting childhood eczema research.”

In addition to providing meaningful research funding to those awarded, the Challenge Grant furthers the missions and strategic priorities of both NEA and PeDRA. For more information on the Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant and other funding opportunities, visit PeDRA’s Grants & Awards page or https://nationaleczema.org/research/research-we-fund/for-researchers/. 

About the National Eczema Association (NEA)

Founded in 1988, NEA is the largest, 501(c)(3) non-profit, US patient advocacy organization serving people affected by eczema. NEA is the driving force for an eczema community fueled by knowledge, strengthened through collective action and propelled by the promise for a better future. For more on NEA, visit https://nationalecezma.org

May 18, 2021 – Seven trainees have been awarded 2021 PeDRA Research Fellowships to conduct one year of mentored research under the guidance of a senior investigator. Now in its second year, the Research Fellowship program is building on the success of its 2020 launch with a 40% increase in awards made. The program has quickly become a critical pillar of PeDRA’s grants and awards portfolio by providing invaluable career support to up-and-coming fellows and critical research support to established mentors. 2021 Research Fellowships amount to a direct investment of $140,000 in support of PeDRA’s mission to create, inspire, and sustain research to prevent, treat, and cure childhood skin disease.   

Click through the links below to learn more about each of this year’s Research Fellowships:

• Wenelia Baghoomian will conduct a project titled “The Impact of Topical Prescription Drug Delivery Devices in the Adherence and Ease of Use of Corticosteroids in Pediatric Patients with Atopic Dermatitis” under the mentorship of Eric Simpson, MD at OHSU.
• Mitchell Braun will conduct a project titled “Long Term Outcomes and Quality of Life in PHACE Syndrome” under the mentorship of Erin Mathes, MD at UCSF.
• Henry Chen will conduct a project titled “Identifying Dysregulated Immune Related Gene Networks at the Single‐Cell Level in Pediatric Morphea” under the mentorship of Heidi Jacobe, MD at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
• Emily Croce, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC will conduct a project titled “Effects of poverty and environmental exposures across race and ethnicity in children with atopic dermatitis” under the mentorship of Moise Levy, MD at the University of Texas at Austin.
• Ashley Ng will conduct a project titled “Multi Center Phenotype–Genotype Analysis of Vascular Overgrowth Syndromes” under the mentorship of Beth Drolet, MD at the University of Wisconsin.
• Angel Pagan will conduct a project titled “Investigating the Role of Age, Race and Ethnicity in Response to Immunomodulating Agents in Children with Moderate to Severe Atopic Dermatitis” under the mentorship of Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD at Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
• Jennifer Gionah will conduct a project titled “Characterization of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Pediatric Psoriasis” under the mentorship of Wynnis Tom, MD at UCSD.

To learn more about Research Fellowships and other funding opportunities, visit PeDRA’s Grants & Awards Page or send us an email.  If you aren’t already a PeDRA member, join us to be eligible to mentor a research fellow in 2022. 

Interested in supporting projects focused on childhood skin diseases through the PeDRA Research Fellowships Program? 
Click here to donate now or email us to discuss named fellowship opportunities.

Special thanks to AbbVie, Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Sun Pharma for their support of 2021 PeDRA Research Fellowships.     

April 14, 2021 – Nine investigators or teams have received funding through the 2020 PeDRA Research Grants, Consensus Grant, and Weston Career Development Award (CDA) programs.  Research Grants are given to support early-stage research projects to lay the foundation for larger scale studies in future. The Weston CDA is given to develop the career of a promising clinician scientist through one year of mentored research. Now in its second year, the Consensus Grant is given to support the creation of consensus guidelines, best practice recommendations, or consensus treatment plans for the treatment of diseases in the field of pediatric dermatology.   

Together, these nine awards represent a contribution of $149,454 and bring PeDRA’s total 2020 investment in projects, initiatives, and investigators to more than $280,000, or almost twice the investment made in 2019, which had been the highest total in PeDRA’s history.   

Click through the links below to learn more about each of these grants and awards:

Research Grants

• Kristen Berrebi, MD from the University of Iowa was awarded $9,850 to pursue a study titled “A Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study on the Utility of Ancillary Studies in the Risk Assessment and Management of Spitz Nevi, Atypical Spitzoid Tumors, and Spitzoid Melanoma in the Pediatric Population.”
• Yvonne Chiu, MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin, together with Co-PI’s Beth Drolet, MD and Michele Ramien, MD, was awarded $15,000 to pursue a study titled “Clinical and Genetic Characterization of Recurrent Reactive Infectious Mucocutaneous Eruption.”
• Carrie Coughlin, MD from Washington University was awarded $15,000 to pursue a study titled “Beyond the phenotype – A targeted sequencing study to identify the spectrum of genetic mutations in pyogenic granulomas.”
• Sonia Kamath, MD from the University of Southern California was awarded $15,000 to pursue a study titled “Characterization of the presenting cutaneous manifestations of juvenile dermatomyositis.”
• Reid Oldenberg, MD, PhD from the University of California San Diego was awarded $15,000 to pursue a study titled “Optimizing Clinical Application of Lymphocyte Activation Tests for the Detection of Causative Medications in severe cutaneous Adverse Reactions.”
• Antonia Reimer-Taschenbrecker, MD and Co-PI Amy Paller, MD from Northwestern University, were awarded $15,000 to pursue a study titled “Deciphering the “ugly duckling” – Natural history and molecular characterization of epidermolysis bullosa nevi.”
• Amy Paller, MD and Co-PI Jennifer Boles Scott, MD from Northwestern University were awarded $15,000 to pursue a study titled “TNF inhibitor-induced psoriasiform dermatitis in children: Clinical and mechanistic analyses.”

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Weston Career Development Award
Supported in partnership with the Society for Pediatric Dermatology

• Emily Gurnee, MD from the University of Colorado Denver was awarded $40,000 to conduct a one-year project titled “Investigating the role of Staphylococci in Pediatric Skin Disease” under the mentorship of Anna Bruckner, MD.

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Consensus Grant

• A team led by Lara Wine Lee, MD, PhD from the Medical University of South Carolina were awarded $24,604 to generate guidelines for capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation syndrome (CM-AVM).

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Applications are currently being accepted for the 2021 Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant with a deadline of May 4, and the next opportunity to apply for a Research Grant, Consensus Grant, or Weston CDA will be December 2021. To learn more about these and other research funding opportunities, visit PeDRA’s Grants & Awards Page.      

Interested in supporting projects focused on childhood skin diseases through the PeDRA Grants and Awards Program? Click here to donate now or email us to discuss named grant opportunities.

April 5, 2021 – PeDRA is excited to acknowledge two of its members as recipients of 2021 Research Awards from the Dermatology Foundation. Carrie Coughlin, MD of Washington University and chair of the PeDRA Outcomes Committee received a Pediatric Dermatology Career Development Award for a project titled Choice Help: Optimizing Outcomes by Supporting Encounters for kids with Congenital Melanocytic Nevi. Dawn Eichenfield, MD, PhD from the University of California San Diego and recipient of a 2018 PeDRA Research Grant received a Pediatric Dermatology Career Development Award for a project titled Characterizing the Genetics and Epigenetics of Linear Morphea.

Together with Lisa Arkin, MD (Pediatric Dermatology Career Development Award, year 2), Jeff Yu, MD (Pediatric Dermatology Career Development Award, year 3), Joy Wan, MD, MSCE (Public Health Career Development Award, year 2) there are a total of five PeDRA members now being funding by the Dermatology Foundation to develop their careers and advance important science in the field. 

Visit the Dermatology Foundation website for information on all Research Awards granted in 2021 and to learn more about future funding opportunities. To learn about research funding opportunities from PeDRA, visit the Grants & Awards Page.  

February 25, 2021 – The Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) is proud to announce the latest benefit being made available to PeDRA Members – the PeDRA Research App. The App builds on overwhelmingly positive feedback for the 2020 PeDRA Annual Conference app to provide a perpetual home for virtual education, research studies, resources, and more. Among other things, Active, Trainee, and Affiliate PeDRA Members can use the app to access the new series of PeDRA Podcasts, join discussions and live meetings of Focused Study Groups, and view an up-to-late list of PeDRA publications.

Perhaps most importantly, members can use the app to stay connected to each another even though they may be geographically dispersed and facing ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the app is to carry the energy and productivity of a PeDRA Annual Conference throughout the year to bring us ever closer to PeDRA’s vision of changing lives and healing children with skin disease through collaboration and discovery.

To access the app, members should follow this link from their Apple or Android device and use the email linked to their member profile to log in. A web version of the app is also available and can be accessed through the same link.

If you aren’t a PeDRA member and want to check out the PeDRA Research App, please consider joining PeDRA today!         

November 10, 2020 – Under the direction of Andrea Zaenglein, MD of Penn State Health and Moise Levy, MD of Dell Medical School, the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance Use of Retinoids in Ichthyosis Work Group has published a consensus manuscript on the use of topical and systemic retinoids for the care of children and adolescents with ichthyosis and other disorders of cornification.  Available as an open access paper on-line in the journal Pediatric Dermatology, the manuscript presents consensus-based recommendations assembled using a modified Delphi process that brought together existing evidence and expert opinion from a group of 24 experts from pediatric dermatology, general dermatology, pediatric cariology, obstetrics-gynecology, bone development, and ophthalmology. Ultimately, the hope is for these recommendations to benefit families living with this rare group of genetic skin diseases through better-informed treatment decisions and improved management of disease.

The manuscript addresses many clinical scenarios and patient-centric considerations, including skin comfort, long-term safety, and shared decision-making.  The Work Group provides a total of 28 consensus statements regarding effects on the skin, topical use, dosing, effects on bone, effects on the eye, effects on lipids and liver, psychiatric effects, contraception, impact of iPLEDGE.  In conclusion, the manuscript touts the effectiveness of systemic retinoids in children and adolescents, while clearly defining a list of 21 practice gaps that remain for future study.    

Explore the PeDRA Publication Page for more on this manuscript, as well as each of PeDRA’s other peer-reviewed publications.    

July 28, 2020 – PeDRA and the National Eczema Association (NEA) have announced that their inaugural Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant will be awarded to Junko Takeshita, MD, PhD, MSCE of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. The grant of $50,000 will commence in August 2020.

Nearly 10 million U.S children under the age of 18 are affected by eczema, with one-third affected by moderate-to-severe disease. Despite recent therapeutic advances, the burdens on these patients and their families can be significant, and many important research questions remain unanswered.

NEA and PeDRA together created the Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant to accelerate research that improves the health and quality of life of pediatric eczema patients and their families.

Takeshita will be awarded for her grant proposal titled “Understanding Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Health Care Utilization for Childhood Atopic Dermatitis.” Atopic dermatitis (AD) disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic children and is associated with significant financial burden in the U.S. In previous research, Takeshita and her team found that Black children are less likely than white children to seek any outpatient care for their AD, and among children who do access care, Black and Hispanic children are more likely to go to the emergency room for their AD than white children. For this grant, Takeshita aims to identify and understand the barriers to outpatient health care use and reasons for specific health care utilization patterns, especially emergency room use, for AD among white, Black and Hispanic children from the caregiver perspective. The qualitative study will include interviews with caregivers of white, Black, and Hispanic children with AD across a spectrum of health care use patterns.

The findings will directly inform the development and implementation of future interventions to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in health care use for childhood AD, optimize care utilization, and improve outcomes.

In addition to providing meaningful research funding to those awarded, the Challenge Grant furthers the missions and strategic priorities of both NEA and PeDRA.  For more information on the 2020 Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant, visit https://pedraresearch.org/grants-awards or https://nationaleczema.org/research/research-we-fund/for-researchers/. 

About National Eczema Association (NEA)

Founded in 1988, NEA is the largest, 501(c)(3) non-profit, US patient advocacy organization serving people affected by eczema.  NEA’s mission is to improve the health and quality of life for individuals with eczema through research, support, and education.  For more on NEA visit https://nationalecezma.org