NEA AWARDS GRANTS FOR ECZEMA RESEARCH TOTALING NEARLY $1 MILLION

New research will explore key aspects of eczema from the science behind itch and inflammation, to the psychosocial burden, to new pathways for potential therapies  

NOVATO, Calif., Dec. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Eczema Association (NEA) today announced the recipients for its 2023 research grants. From both U.S.-based and international applications, the research projects of 18 outstanding investigators were selected, representing grants totaling nearly $1 million. NEA's commitment to innovative eczema research has continued to expand with an increasing number of yearly awardees and an annual investment that has nearly tripled over the past three years.  

With 2023 marking the 20th anniversary of its grantmaking, NEA has invested nearly $4 million since its first grant was awarded in 2004. Collectively, NEA-funded grants for basic science, clinical and translational research have supported a deeper understanding of the symptoms, comorbidities and burdens of eczema, provided insights into new treatment strategies, and furthered the ability to improve care and prevention.

Most notably, for every $1 NEA has invested in eczema research, grantees have collectively gone on to obtain an additional $10.12 in subsequent National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to support further research.

"Eczema is a chronic condition that affects over 31 million people in the U.S., many with severe, even debilitating impacts," says Julie Block, CEO of NEA. "We started the NEA grant program to fill a much-needed gap in research and, 20 years later, it's so encouraging to see the breadth and scope of work represented by the 2023 awardees. These are both new and longstanding investigators working across disciplines to identify opportunities for better eczema therapies, better care, better lives with eczema – and one day, we believe, a cure."

The 2023 research grants were awarded as follows:

Champion Research Grant– Encourages proven researchers to continue research on emerging or ongoing challenges in eczema or bring their expertise to the field of eczema.

• Katrina Abuabara MD, MA, MSCE, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
  • Dietary salt consumption as a predictor of atopic dermatitis heterogeneity and cardiac comorbidity
• Aaron Drucker MD, ScM, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Canada
  • Long-term safety of topical corticosteroids
• Henning Holle, PhD, University of Hull, Hull, England
  • Understanding and reducing psychosocial burden of eczema: An attentional bias approach
• Francesca Levi-Schaffer, PharmD, PhD, Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
  • Employing CD300a and Resolvin D1 to stop inflammation and induce resolution in atopic dermatitis

Spotlight Research Grant – Promoting research tied to specific areas of interest, this year focuses on eczemas outside of atopic dermatitis.

• Zelma Chiesa Fuxench MD, MSCE, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
  • Validity of diagnostic codes for identifying seborrheic dermatitis in the health improvement network
• Yin Li, PhD, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
  • Occupational contact dermatitis among healthcare workers: Implications for healthcare system

Childhood Eczema Challenge Grant – Created in collaboration with the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA), this award is intended to accelerate research that improves the health and quality of life of pediatric patients and their families.

• Hassan Vahidnezhad MSc, PhD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
  • Genetic landscape of pediatric patients with monogenic susceptibilities to AD

Catalyst Research Grant – Designed to support talented early-career scientists on the path toward becoming the next generation of eczema thought leaders by supporting hypothesis-driven research projects.

• Ofir Cohn PhD, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
  • Deciphering how genetic variation associated with risk of eczema impacts human dendritic cell subset function
• Liwen Deng BS, PhD, President & Fellows of Harvard College, Boston, MA
  • S. aureus neuroimmune signaling in itch and skin barrier damage
• Mengxu Ge, PhD, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
  • Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in barrier function and allergic skin Inflammation
• Gerard Callejo Martin, PhD, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • Smoothing the itch: Innovative strategies to alleviate chronic pruritus through modulation of TRESK channels
• Ge Peng, MD, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
  • Elucidation of the pathogenic mechanism of atopic dermatitis associated brain inflammation
• Yiannis Vasilopoulos MSc, PhD, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
  • Decoding the complex architecture of atopic dermatitis in the post-genomic era (ATOMIC)
• Matthew Vesely, MD, PhD, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
  • VISTA as a potential therapeutic target in eczema
• Sheng-Pei Wang, MD, MPH, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
  • Understanding body dissatisfaction, eating behaviors, and eating disorders in children with eczema

Engagement Research Grant – Intended for emerging investigators exploring a new research concept, piloting a new experiment, or undertaking a novel or secondary data analysis. 

• Sara Henderson MRes, PhD, Centre for Skin Sciences,, University of Bradford, Bradford, England
  • The role of liquid hand and body soap in the dysbiosis of the skin microbiome during atopic dermatitis
• Ahnna Lee PhD, MSN, RN, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
  • Predictors of AD disease course in childhood
• Gil Yosipovitch MD, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL,
  • Impact of an educational intervention on adolescent and medical student eczema knowledge (RASHE)

Learn more about NEA's ongoing support of eczema research.

About the National Eczema Association
Founded in 1988, the National Eczema Association (NEA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the largest patient advocacy organization serving the over 31 million Americans who live with eczema and those who care for them. NEA provides programs and resources to elevate the diverse lived experience of eczema, and help patients and caregivers understand their disease, actively engage in their care, find strength in one another – and improve their lives. Additionally, NEA advances critical eczema research and partners with key stakeholders to ensure the patient voice is represented and valued in education, care and treatment decision-making. The eczema community is at an exciting juncture, with increased recognition of the seriousness and burden of eczema and a surge in scientific interest and development of new treatments. Bolstered by NEA's strategic plan, Blueprint 2025, we are driving toward the ultimate vision: a world without eczema. Learn more at NationalEczema.org.

SOURCE National Eczema Association