The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) awarded more than $1.9 million in research funding in 2016, including 23 new projects from around the world. Established and emerging scientists received awards for their innovative work in advancing the research of psoriatic disease. Research funded by NPF grants and fellowships spans basic science and clinical approaches, investigating topics such as novel treatments, the genetic basis of psoriatic disease, and the role of the microbiome in disease development.

Awards were distributed for the following grants and fellowships.

Discovery Grants. Allowing researchers to undertake preliminary and proof-of-concept studies, the goal of this grant is to help researchers develop competitive grant proposals that will lead to long-term funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other federal agencies. 2016 Discovery Grants include the A. Marilyn Sime Discovery Grant, awarded to Lihi Eder, M.D., Ph.D., the Karen and Dale White Discovery Grant on behalf of the National Psoriasis Foundation Staff, awarded to Andrew Johnston, Ph.D., and the Ostrow Graff Family Discovery Grant, awarded to Amy Paller, M.D. Other 2016 Discovery Grant recipients include Unnikrishanan Chandrasekharan, Ph.D., Joseph Larkin, Ph.D., Golnaz Vahedi, Ph.D., and Brian Zabel, Ph.D.  

Translational Research Grants. These grants are focused on helping scientific discoveries from clinical, laboratory or population-based studies move rapidly into treatments that have a clear benefit for patients with psoriatic disease. NPF awarded Translational Research Grants to Stephen Ley, Ph.D., Peter Marinkovich, M.D., and Mrinal Sarkar, Ph.D.

Psoriatic Arthritis Research Grant. A special collaboration with the Arthritis National Research Foundation (ANRF), NPF and ANRF jointly funds one translational research project focused specifically on psoriatic arthritis. The Bill and Jodi Felton Psoriatic Arthritis Research Grant was awarded to Lam (Alex) Tsoi, Ph.D.

Early Career Research Grants. Just added in 2016, this grant was created to support graduate students and post-doctoral researchers conducting investigations in psoriatic disease and comorbidities. This grant helps launch innovative projects and encourages young scientists to focus their research on psoriatic disease. NPF awarded Early Career Research Grants to Jackelyn Golden, Ph.D., Oliver Harrison, Ph.D., Denuja Karunakaran, Ph.D., and Denis Mogilenko, Ph.D.

The National Psoriasis Foundation Fellowship Program. This program aims to increase the number of clinician-scientists focused on studying and treating psoriatic disease and related conditions. NPF awarded Amgen Medical Dermatology Fellowships to Peter Hashim, M.D., Shalini Krishnasamy, M.D., Stephen Lockwood, M.D., Pablo Michel, M.D., Megan Noe, M.D., M.P.H., and Di Yan, B.A. Yun (Larry) Tong, M.D. received the Dr. Mark G. Lebwohl Medical Dermatology Fellowship. 

Yvonne Baumer, Ph.D., is the inaugural recipient of the NIH-NPF Robertson Fellowship in Translational Medicine, which provides support for an early career clinical and translational scientist to conduct research at the National Institutes of Health focusing on research and patient care in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis or related comorbidities.

To learn more about NPF grants and fellowships, go to: https://www.psoriasis.org/grants