Alexandria, Virginia – July 1, 2023
For more than half a century, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) has served individuals living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) through research, support, advocacy, and education. NPF is the leading nonprofit funder of research related to psoriasis, PsA, and psoriatic disease comorbidities in the world.
NPF invests in research projects aimed at preventing, treating, and curing both psoriasis and PsA, as well as the common comorbidities of psoriatic disease, like cardiovascular disease and depression. In recent years, NPF-funded researchers have made incredible discoveries that led to many of today’s most effective treatments. For example, in 1998 Christopher Ritchlin, M.D., and teammates identified key differences between PsA and rheumatoid arthritis. Then in 2005, he was part of a team with Dafna Gladman, M.D., and colleagues who published clinical trials on what would become a landmark biologic for the treatment of PsA.
NPF research grants and fellowships also have a remarkable return on investment. The NPF Bridge Grant program launched in 2017 with a $100,000 award to Nicole Ward, Ph.D. Dr. Ward used that grant to receive subsequent funding of more than $1.3 million. In fact, from 2017 to 2022, NPF funded $850,000 through the Bridge Grant mechanism. Those projects went on to receive subsequent funding totaling more than $5.9 million.
This year, NPF is proud to announce $3.4 million in psoriatic disease research awards, including 9 awards to researchers studying the prevention, treatment, and mechanisms of PsA. This chronic, painful, and potentially debilitating disease impacts about 1 in 3 people with psoriasis. The investment in these awards is representative of NPF’s commitment to finding cures for all those who live with PsA and psoriasis.
“The high caliber of the NPF-funded research portfolio reflects the commitment of the National Psoriasis Foundation and the expert panel of scientific peer reviewers, co-chaired by Dr. Soumya Reddy of NYU Langone Health and Dr. Heather Teague of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute,” says Larry Green, M.D., FAAD, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Washington University School of Medicine. “NPF continues to be a driving force in improving the lives of those affected by psoriatic disease.”
Bridge Grant
Bridge Grants support researchers who have submitted meritorious, near-miss K-type (career development) and R-type (investigator-initiated project grant) applications to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or similar funding body, with a focus on psoriatic disease or related comorbidities. These Bridge Grants provide one year of funding while researchers improve their application for resubmission to the NIH.
K-Type Grant recipient: Rebecca Haberman, M.D., MSCI, New York University, Grossman School of Medicine.
R-Type Grant recipients were announced in February 2023: James Elder, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan; and Scott Simon, Ph.D., of the University of California Davis.
Discovery Grant
Discovery Grants fund researchers while they explore preliminary ideas and conduct proof-of-concept experiments. These projects may lead to new avenues of investigation in psoriatic disease research.
Grant recipients: Xintong Dong, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Dallas; Lihi Eder, M.D., Ph.D., Women’s College Hospital; Dafna Gladman, M.D., University Health Network; Paras Karmacharya, M.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Aaron Morris, Ph.D., The Regents of the University of Michigan; and Robert Winchester, M.D., The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.
Early Career Research Grants
Early Career Research Grants support scientists at the challenging early career stage and welcome them into the collaborative community of scientists, clinicians, and patients involved with psoriatic disease research.
Grant recipients: Angela R. Liu, BA, Case Western Reserve University – School of Medicine; and Axel Svedbom, Ph.D. in medical science, Karolinska Institutet.
The Sue Shoenberg Endowment for Early Career Research Grants was awarded to Angela Liu.
More than Skin Deep: Mental Health Grant
The More Than Skin Deep Mental Health Grant funds projects focused on investigating the impact of psoriatic disease on mental health, as well as interventions for addressing this comorbidity.
Grant recipients: Megan Noe, M.D., MPH, MSCE, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.; and Mona Ståhle, M.D., Karolinska Institutet.
These awards were made possible with significant contributions from Fred and Joan Weisman.
Translational Research Grant
Translational Research Grants fund research projects that focus on the rapid translation of basic scientific discoveries into clinical applications with a direct benefit for patients with psoriatic disease. This is often referred to as “bench-to-bedside” research.
Grant recipients: Maria de la Luz Garcia-Hernandez, Ph.D., University of Rochester; Satveer Mahil, Ph.D., King’s College London; and Victoria Casado-Medrano, Ph.D., Inhibitec Anticuerpos S.L.
General Research Funding
Thank you to Nancy and Don Alpert and Sara Lee and Barry Larner for your contributions.
2024 National Psoriasis Foundation applications will be released in the fall of 2023. For a complete list of NPF grant mechanisms and opportunities, visit: psoriasis.org/available-funding-opportunities.
About the National Psoriasis Foundation
The National Psoriasis Foundation is the leading nonprofit representing individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The mission of NPF is to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of more than 8 million individuals in the United States affected by this chronic immune-mediated disease. Learn more at psoriasis.org.