Research Overview

Center for Medical
Mycology

Clinical Trials Unit

Murdough Family
Center for Psoriasis

Skin Diseases
Research Center

Skin Study Center

Training Grant

• Program Overview
• Core Facilities
• Members and their Research
• Membership Information
  

 

Program Overview

Mission:

To generate a new knowledge base that will have a significant and sustained impact on cutaneous biology aimed at improving the quality of life of patients with skin disease.

Objectives:

1. To integrate the components and activities of the Skin Diseases Research Center (SDRC)
2. To manage the fiscal operations
3. To coordinate the core facilities and pilot and feasibility awarded programs
4. To implement an enrichment program
5. To foster new SDRC initiatives

Current Initiatives:

1. To translate innovative basic research to patients with skin disease
2. To facilitate utilization of genomics and informatics for skin diseases

The SDRC at Case Western Reserve University / University Hospital Health Systems promotes cooperative interaction among investigators engaged directly in skin diseases research with those conducting state-of-the-art biomedical research in other disciplines that have relevance to skin disease. The Center's primary goal is to integrate groups of investigators from Case, UHC, and other institutions into a cohesive unit that will advance research relevant to the diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment of skin diseases. The Center has attracted a number of outstanding scientists and has been instrumental in developing new technologies and encouraging their timely transfer to the clinical setting. The SDRC has also developed informative educational programs in dermatologic diseases for its investigators, physicians and the public. Major programs include: a pilot and feasibility grants program, core facilities to support research, a visiting lectureship program, special national and regional educational programs, a scholars exchange program, and a minority student and fellow research program.

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Core Facilities

The SDRC encompasses four Research Core facilities:

• Morphology Core (A)
• Cell Culture/Molecular Technology Core (B)
• Translational Research Core (C)
• Animal Experimentation Core (D)

These Cores provide skin specific expertise in technological services, training and consultation to SDRC members and to investigators directing the Pilot and Feasibility (P & F) Studies. This program provides seed money to allow young researchers or established scientists an opportunity to test an innovative hypothesis, collect preliminary data and develop a skin-related independent research project The studies highlight interactions among the four thematic research areas of the SDRC:

1. Immunology/Microbiology
2. Photocarcinogenesis/Photobiology/ Photomedicine
3. Oncology
4. Cell Biology

A highly effective Administrative Core and Enrichment Program maximizes cooperative interaction at all levels.

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Members and their Research

Kevin D. Cooper, MD M.A. Ghannoum,PhD,EMBA Faton Agani, PhD Nihal Ahmad, PhD David Askew, PhD Radhika Atit, PhD Elma Baron, MD David Barzilai, MD,PhD Harihara Baskaran, PhD Melvin Berger, MD, PhD W. Henry Boom, MD Susann M. Brady-Kalnay, PhD Ann-Marie Broome, PhD Henri Brunegraber, MD,PhD Arnold I. Caplan, PhD Lloyd A. Culp, PhD Catherine A. Demko, PhD Claire M. Doerschuk, MD W. John Durfee, DVM, DACLAM Richard L. Eckert, PhD Tatiana Efimova, PhD Thomas T. Egelhoff, PhD Robert L. Fairchild, PhD Stanton L. Gerson, MD Anita C. Gilliam, MD,PhD Alison K. Hall, PhD Tariq M. Haqqi, PhD M.L. (Nikki) Harter, PhD Vincent C. Hascall, Jr., PhD Stephen E. Haynesworth, PhD Peter S. Heeger, MD Frederick P. Heinzel, MD Sudha K. Iyengar, PhD James W. Jacobberger, PhD Kefei Kang, MD Pratima Karnik, PhD James W. Kazura, MD Timothy J. Kinsella, MD Nanette R. Kleinmann, DVM Neil J. Korman, MD,PhD Michael E. Lamm, MD Mary J. Laughlin, MD

Michael M. Lederman, MD Paul Viktor Lehmann, MD,PhD Alan D. Levine, PhD Lian-Jie Li, MD Henry W. Lim, MD John B. Lowe, MD Guangbin Luo, MD Paul N. MacDonald, PhD Edward V. Maytin, MD,PhD Grace A. McComsey, MD Thomas S. McCormick, PhD William C. Merrick, PhD R. Tyler Miller, MD George Minowanda, MD Paradi Mirmirani, MD Vincent M. Monnier, MD Pranab K. Mukherjee, MSc,PhD Hasan Mukhtar, PhD Joseph H. Nadeau, PhD Susant T. Nedorost, MD Anna-Liisa Nieminen, PhD Nancy L. Oleinick, PhD Eric Pearlman, PhD Thomas G. Pretlow, MD J. Sunil Rao, PhD Scot C. Remick, MD, FACP Rolf Renne, PhD Ellen A. Rorke, PhD David R. Sell, PhD Nora G. Singer, MD J. Michael Sorrell, PhD Faith M. Strickland, PhD Man-Sun Sy, PhD Magdalena Tary-Lehmann, MD,PHD Zahra Toossi, MD Martina L. Veigl, PhD Nicole L. Ward, MSc, PhD Aaron Weinberg, DMD,PhD Jean F. Welter, MD,PhD, MSc Christopher C. Whalen, MD,MS James K.V. Wilson, MD Shwu-Yuan Wu, PhD

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Membership Information

The strong record of achievement of the SDRC at Case/UHHS is due to the accomplishments of the individual investigators and the synergistic interactions fostered by the Center grant. When the SDRC was originally funded in 1988, its membership was 13 (four from the Department of Dermatology, ten from five other departments). At the present time it is comprised of more than 70 members from 34 different departments and Centers within Case, University Hospitals of Cleveland, the Cleveland VA Medical Center, the Lerner Research Institute of Cleveland Clinic and Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. SDRC investigators in the aggregate average approximately $10 million annually to funded research projects relevant to skin.

Taken together, the research base of the SDRC at Case has breadth and depth, is multidisciplinary and interrelated, and provides an excellent, vibrant platform for advancing the interests of patients with skin disease through the SDRC mechanisms.

Members of our University community are encouraged to participate in the Center's enrichment programs (i.e., seminar series, visiting scholars' program, P&F research-in-progress lunches, etc.) and are offered the opportunity to submit proposals to the Pilot & Feasibility Study Program (P&FS). A major benefit of membership in the SDRC is unrestricted access to the Core facilities.

The primary criterion for membership in the SDRC is a commitment to research applications in skin diseases. Interdisciplinary collaborations involving skin-related research are also looked upon favorably. Membership in the SDRC requires approval by the Director with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.

The guidelines for membership are as follows:

1. A member of the Department of Dermatology who is actively engaged in research
2. A non-member of the Department of Dermatology with a funded research project directly relevant to dermatology or the SDRC's cores
3. A non-member of the Department of Dermatology who has been awarded an SDRC P&F grant
4. A non-member of the Department of Dermatology who has a productive collaboration with a member of the Department of Dermatology on a skin-related project

Continued membership requires:

1. Ongoing productivity in skin-related research leading to the publication of peer-reviewed articles and acquisition of extramural grants
2. Participation in SDRC-related activities including its cores, committees, and enrichment program activities

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