The National Rosacea Society (NRS) awarded funding for three new studies, in addition to continuing support for three ongoing studies, as part of its research grants program.

Dr. Benjamin Kaffenberger, MD assistant professor of dermatology at the Ohio State University in Columbus, and colleagues were awarded $25,000 to develop a computer program for a rosacea scoring system that will identify and count rosacea lesions and measure redness to provide reliably reproducible scores for physicians and patients. Their goal is the creation of open-source, freely available software that may easily be used by scientific investigators, clinicians and patients to speed diagnosis and assessment, and to help make research easier and more consistent.

Raja Sivamani, MD associate professor of clinical dermatology at the University of California-Davis, and colleagues were awarded $25,000 to study how the skin and eyelid lipids are altered in individuals with cutaneous and ocular rosacea, and whether any deficiencies lead to the papules and pustules of rosacea as well as the eye dryness and irritation of ocular rosacea. They will also study how medications might alter the lipid profile to restore both the skin barrier and tear film stability.

Hester Lim, MD a postdoctoral research fellow in dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues were awarded $25,000 for a retrospective study of the association of rosacea with gastrointestinal (GI) disease over a five-year period, as well as the possible impact of medications in the relationship between rosacea and GI disease, including malabsorption, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Helicobacter pylori infection and others. The cases studied will include all individuals with a diagnosis of rosacea in the Johns Hopkins electronic medical record database since 2011.

The NRS also continues to fund three studies in 2017 by Anna Di Nardo, MD associate professor of dermatology at the University of California-San Diego, and colleagues, who are continuing their investigation of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides and the nervous system; Luis Garza, MD, associate professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University, who is studying the DNA of rosacea; and Wenqing Li, MD assistant professor of dermatology at Brown University in Providence, RI, who is investigating how hormone use and hormone levels associated with menopause and pregnancy may affect the risk of developing rosacea.

Call for 2018 Proposals 

Researchers interested in applying for 2018 grants may obtain forms and instructions through the research grants section of the NRS website, rosacea.org, or by contacting the National Rosacea Society, 196 James Street, Barrington, Illinois 60010, telephone 1-888-662-5874, email rosaceas@aol.com.

The deadline for submitting proposals to receive a research grant in 2018 is June 15, 2018.

Because the cause of rosacea is unknown, a high priority is given to studies relating to its pathogenesis, progression, mechanism of action, cell biology and potential genetic factors. Proposals relating to epidemiology, predisposition, quality of life and relationships with environmental and lifestyle factors may also be considered.