PeDRA

Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance

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Webinar: Reviewing and Publishing – Making an Impact in Pediatric Dermatology

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Co-editors of Pediatric Dermatology, Lionel Bercovitch, MD, and Andrea Zaenglein, MD, and chair of PeDRA’s Outcomes Committee, Carrie Coughlin, MD, MPHS, offer guidance to reviewers on how to evaluate a manuscript and advice to authors on preparing a strong manuscript for submission. These skill-sets are not only important for career success, but they help make a positive impact in the field of pediatric dermatology.

Presented in partnership with the SPD Junior Faculty and Fellows Committee.

Reviewing and Publishing – Making an Impact in Pediatric Dermatology
Recorded Live – Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at 5:30 PM PT / 8:30 PM ET

watch now

Speakers

Andrea Zaenglein, MD

Speaker

Professor of Dermatology and Pediatric Dermatology at Penn State Health

Co-Editor of Pediatric Dermatology

    Lionel Bercovitch, MD

    Speaker

    Director, Pediatric Dermatology, Professor of Dermatology at Brown University

    Co-Editor of Pediatric Dermatology

      Carrie C. Coughlin, MD, MPHS

      Speaker

      Assistant Professor, Dermatology and Pediatrics, Director – Section of Pediatric Dermatology, Director – Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine

      Chair, PeDRA Outcomes Committee

        Three PeDRA Members Receive 2020 Research Awards from the Dermatology Foundation

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        March 24, 2020 – The pediatric dermatology community is proud to recognize three PeDRA members as recipients of 2020 Research Awards from the Dermatology Foundation.  Lisa Arkin, MD of the University of Wisconsin received a Pediatric Dermatology Career Development Award for a project titled Towards a Precision-based Treatment for Facial Vascular Stains, Leo Shmuylovich, MD, PhD of Washington University received a Dermatologist Investigator Research Fellowship to study Laser Stimulated Thermal Imaging of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer, andJoy Wan, MD, MSCE of the University of Pennsylvania received a Career Development Award for a project titled Neurocognitive Functioning of Children with Atopic Dermatitis. 

        Together with Elena Hawryluk, MD, PhD (Pediatric Dermatology Career Development Award, year 3) and Jeff Yu, MD (Pediatric Dermatology Career Development Award, year 2), this brings the total of active Dermatology Foundation-funded PeDRA members to five, and impacts projects spanning three of PeDRA’s five working groups. 

        Visit the Dermatology Foundation website for information on all Research Awards granted in 2020 and to learn more about future funding opportunities.  To learn about research funding opportunities from PeDRA, visit the Grants & Awards Page.  

        Congenital Melanocytic Nevi (CMN) Registry

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        Principal Investigators:

        Carrie C Coughlin, MD, MPHD
        Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

        Harper Price, MD
        Phoenix Children’s Hospital

        Michael Sargen, MD, PhD
        NIH, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics

        Overview:

        To improve care for patients with congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN), we need long-term data. A registry in partnership with Nevus Outreach and PeDRA will improve data collection and provide support for a variety of investigations of long-term outcomes and under-reported comorbidities.

        We are housing a registry within PeDRA with the support of Nevus Outreach. Investigators seeking to use registry data will submit a formal project proposal. All project proposals will be reviewed by the registry’s research task force.

        Status:

        If you are interested in learning more or participating in the registry, please contact Dr. Carrie Coughlin.

        PeDRA Publishes Proceedings and Abstracts from the 2022 PeDRA Annual Conference

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        May 2, 2023 – A special online supplement to the journal Pediatric Dermatology has been published featuring proceedings and abstracts from the 10th PeDRA Annual Conference, which took place November 3-5, 2022 in Bethesda, MD. Proceedings from a PeDRA Annual Conference have not been published since the inaugural 2012 PeDRA Annual Conference, while abstracts have never before been published.

        The PeDRA Annual Conference is the flagship program of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA). Every fall, it brings together multidisciplinary scientists, patient stakeholders, industry partners, and others in support of PeDRA’s mission to create, inspire, and sustain research to prevent, treat, and cure childhood skin disease.   

        The 2022 PeDRA Annual Conference welcomed 318 attendees under the theme of Reimagining Community through a hybrid, virtual and in-person format. The conference was chaired by Michele Ramien, MD from the University of Calgary with support from vice chair, Lisa Arkin, MD from the University of Wisconsin. The agenda featured best-selling authors David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA and Vic Strecher, PhD, MPH; the director of NIAMS, Lindsey Criswell, MD, MPH, DSc; and the return of Melissa Marshall to lead the 7th Early Investigator Forum. Complementing its strong line-up of speakers, the conference also included the 2nd NextGen Research Forum, 2nd Dash for Discovery fun run/walk, 18 hours of collaborative breakout session time, three skill-building workshops, and 108 posters on display through two poster sessions.

        Morgan Dykman, the current PeDRA Fellow, was the first author on the proceedings publication, while 90 of the 108 accepted abstracts appear in the online supplement. The online supplement can be accessed for free by PeDRA members through the member dashboard on the PeDRA website, or through any institute providing access to Pediatric Dermatology.

        Explore the PeDRA website to learn more about the upcoming 11th PeDRA Annual Conference, taking place November 9-11 in Atlanta, GA as well as past PeDRA Annual Conferences. Early-bird registration and abstract submissions for the 11th PeDRA Annual Conference are expected to open at the end of May 2023.

        PeDRA Fellow Shares First-Time Experience at AAD

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        March 31, 2023 – My name is Morgan Dykman and I am a third-year medical student at the University of Minnesota. As the PeDRA Fellow, I am fortunate to have many opportunities, including representing PeDRA at meetings and events. I recently attended the world renowned American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, where I enjoyed numerous talks by peds derm rockstars, met fellow PeDRA members in person for the first time, and participated in PeDRA partnership meetings.

        Admittedly, the Pre-AAD SPD Meeting and AAD Conference hosted more amazing talks than I could attend. To kick things off, I felt inspired during the opening session of the Pre-AAD SPD Meeting, where we were welcomed by Dr. Adelaide Hebert, from the University of Texas Medical School – Houston and the first pediatric dermatology fellow. Following this, I attended one of the most dynamic talks of the weekend by Dr. Chesahna Kindred, who shared the history of black hair and the CROWN act, a law that that is currently being passed in states across the country to protect individuals against race-based hairstyles. During this session, I realized that my exposure to hair identity and hair in the pediatric space was lacking, leading me to seek out Dr. Britt Craiglow’s talk on alopecia areata in kids, where I learned about the latest treatment updates, including the use of oral minoxidil.

        As an extrovert, the best part of the Conference was connecting with friends, mentors, and collaborators from across the country. At the Pre-AAD SPD Reception, I met Dr. Lionel Bercovitch, the editor-in-chief of Pediatric Dermatology, who published my first manuscript ever! However, despite all the famous dermatologists in attendance, my favorite connection at the meeting was with Olivia Davies, a past PeDRA Fellow. After multiple Zoom meetings and emails, it was so exciting to actually meet in person. The community and the energy that forms at in-person events is incredible, and something I didn’t realize I was missing.

        Beyond collaborating with dermatology trainees and pediatric dermatologists, I met so many other amazing non-profit representatives, community members, and industry partners. I spent an afternoon working the Coalition of\ Skin Diseases booth with Brindley Brooks, founder of HS Connect. I attended industry meetings with PeDRA Board Members, where we formed connections and discussed funding for future research. One of my passions is advocating for patients with disabilities, and during one luncheon, I had the opportunity to speak up for patients and promote the PeDRA Down Syndrome subgroup.

        To conclude, the AAD Conference was a wild ride. I left feeling, well, tired, but also more curious than ever. The energy of the Conference was palpable. The innovation that was presented and actively taking place was inspiring. I was thriving on the early morning and late nights. I look forward to seeing everyone again at AAD in San Diego, but for now, I need a nap.

        You can view Morgan’s experience at AAD on PeDRA’s Instagram in the events highlight and learn more about past PeDRA Fellows here.

        PeDRA Announces Recipients of 2022 Consensus Grant, 2022 Weston CDA, 2023 Emerging Investigators Research Grant

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        March 23, 2023 – PeDRA is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2022 Consensus Grant and William Weston Career Development Award (Weston CDA), along with the first round awardee of the new Emerging Investigators Research Grants (EIRG) Program.

        PeDRA’s Grants and Fellowships Program is driven by PeDRA’s mission to create, inspire, and sustain research to prevent, treat, and cure childhood skin disease. The Consensus Grant Program provides up to $25,000 of support for the creation of consensus recommendations, best practice recommendations, or consensus treatment plans for the treatment of diseases in the field of pediatric dermatology in the United States and/or Canada. Run in partnership with the Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD), the Weston CDA supports one early career investigator in the conduct of an innovative research study under the direction of a senior mentor and provides up to $40,000 per year to support salary and research activities for up to two years. The new EIRG Program supports short-term (12-week maximum) mentored research experiences for medical students and pediatric residents to conduct projects relevant to pediatric dermatology.

        Click through the links below to learn more about each of these grant recipients and their funded projects.

        2022 Consensus Grant

        Irene Lara-Corrales, MD, MSc of the University of Toronto and Michele Ramien, MDCM, MSc of the University of Calgary, will conduct a project titled “Management of Reactive Infectious Mucocutaneous Eruption (RIME) in Children.”

        2022 William Weston Career Development Award – Supported in partnership with SPD

        Anna Cristina Garza-Mayers, MD, PhD of Massachusetts General Hospital, will conduct a project titled “Identifying and improving gaps in the care of pediatric vitiligo.”

        2023 Emerging Investigator Research Grant

        Kaylin Beiter, PhD of Louisiana State University under the mentorship of Anna Cristina Garza-Mayers, MD, PhD of Massachusetts General Hospital, will conduct a project titled “Geomapping of Pediatric Dermatologists: A practical intervention towards health equity.”

        As a friendly reminder, the deadline to submit applications for the 2023 Research Fellowships Program is Thursday, March 30, 2023, and there are two more opportunities to apply for the EIRG Program, with upcoming application deadlines of May 4 and August 3, 2023.

        Visit PeDRA’s Grants and Fellowships page to learn more about PeDRA’s funding opportunities.

        Interested in supporting research projects focused on childhood skin diseases through the PeDRA Grants and Fellowships Program? Donate now or email us to discuss named grants opportunities.

        Transepidermal Water Loss in Children with Congenital Melanocytic Nevi

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        Principal Investigator:

        Lacey Kruse, MD
        Northwestern University

        Overview:

        Little is known about the skin barrier in congenital nevi. Information about the barrier could contribute to understanding of symptoms (xerosis, itch) children with CMN experience. We will enroll children (< 20 years of age) with medium, large, and giant congenital nevi. We will measure TEWL (multiple measurements in standardized locations) of nevi and “normal” perilesional skin. We plan to meet with our PeDRA statistician to help determine how many patients we need to enroll. We plan to start enrollment at 1-2 sites, then expand to the rest of our collaborators.

        Status:

        This project is in planning stages with hopes to begin enrollment in summer of 2023.

        Identifying and improving gaps in the care of pediatric vitiligo

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        Principal Investigator:

        Anna Cristina Garza-Mayers, MD, PhD
        Massachusetts General Hospital

        Overview:

        Vitiligo is an acquired disorder of pigment loss in the skin present in approximately 1% of the population. It can be psychologically devastating, particularly in children and patients with darker skin. There is data to suggest vitiligo is associated with hearing and vision loss, but few studies have included children. Studies also suggest that a main treatment of vitiligo, narrowband UVB phototherapy, is not as commonly used in children, though it is safe and effective in adults. Newer therapeutic options may similarly not be as accessible to pediatric patients. The goals of this project are two-fold and will evaluate screening for systemic disease as well as access to therapeutics in children, to identify and improve gaps in the longitudinal care of pediatric vitiligo.

        Status:

        This project was funded by a 2022 Weston Career Development Award.

        Geomapping of Pediatric Dermatologists: A practical intervention towards health equity

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        Fellow

        Kaylin Beiter, PhD
        Louisiana State University

        Mentor

        Anna Cristina Garza-Mayers, MD, PhD
        Massachusetts General Hospital

        Overview

        Pediatric dermatology (PD) is a medical subspecialty that is often challenging for patients and families to access. This disparity in access is worse for individuals from racial and ethnic minority communities, especially with Medicaid insurance. Moreover, when individuals from these communities are able to access care, they are unlikely to be treated by a physician with a shared demographic background. The goal of our project is to first minimize barriers to accessing PD care via geomapping of all Pediatric Dermatologists in the country along with their contact information and accepted insurance plans. In addition, we seek to provide this information to medical students in order to improve mentorship within the PD subspecialty. In particular, we will assess whether institutions with PD faculty also provide financial support for formal elective rotations for medical students from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds in order to enhance their mentorship and eventual entry into Pediatric Dermatology.

        Status

        This project was funded through a 2023 PeDRA Emerging Investigator Research Grant.

        Management of Reactive Infectious Mucocutaneous Eruption (RIME) in Children

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        Co-Principal Investigators:

        Irene Lara-Corrales, MD, MSc
        University of Toronto


        Michele Ramien, MDCM, MSc
        University of Calgary

        Overview:

        Reactive infectious mucocutaneous eruption (RIME) is a reaction of the skin and mucosa (moist linings of the body) to infections. The infections are usually in the body’s airways, and they trigger skin reactions that look like blisters or a burn.

        RIME is a problem for kids because it happens more to kids than adults. We don’t know why it happens, or why some kids get RIME and others don’t. Most doctors don’t know what to do to help when a kid with RIME comes to their clinic or hospital. Right now, we don’t have instructions on RIME for doctors.

        Our group of dermatologists (skin doctors) is interested in RIME. We want to make clear instructions for other doctors, so they know how to tell that a kid has RIME and how to make them better. To do this, we will review what is written about RIME in medical journals and books. Our group has experience looking after kids with RIME, so when there is not a clear answer from journals and books, we will use our experience to suggest what to do.

        Status:

        This was funded through a 2022 PeDRA Consensus Guidelines Grant.