Portland, Oregon – July 1, 2022
For 55 years, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) has served individuals living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) through research, patient support, advocacy, and education. Today, NPF is the world’s leading nonprofit funder of research related to psoriasis, PsA, and psoriatic disease comorbidities. In recent years, NPF has invested over $30 million into psoriatic disease research.
NPF is proud to announce a $3.2 million investment in psoriatic disease research support in Fiscal Year 2022 (July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022). Despite the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, NPF remains steadfast in its mission to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of the 125 million people affected.
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. NPF funded 1, R01-level, $100,000 award.
Grant recipient: Siba Raychaudhuri, M.D., University of California, Davis
Discovery Grant
Discovery Grants fund researchers while they explore preliminary ideas and conduct proof-of-concept experiments. These grants may lead to new avenues of investigation in psoriatic disease research. The NPF funded 2 awards in the amount of $75,000, for a total commitment of $150,000.
Grant recipients: Chaoran Li, Ph.D., Emory University; and Junko Takeshita, M.D., Ph.D., MSCE, University of Pennsylvania
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. NPF funded 2 awards in the amount of $50,000, for a total commitment of $100,000.
Grant recipients: Erez Cohen, Ph.D., University of Michigan; and Raminderjit Kaur, Ph.D., Cleveland Clinic Foundation
The Sue Shoenberg Endowment for Early Career Research Grants was awarded to Erez Cohen, Ph.D., University of Michigan.
More than Skin Deep: Mental Health Grant
The More Than Skin Deep Mental Health Grant funds projects focused on the investigation of the impact of psoriatic disease on mental health, as well as interventions for addressing this comorbidity. NPF funded 1, $100,000 award.
Grant recipient: Mona Stahle, M.D., Ph.D., Karolinska Institutet
This More than Skin Deep: Mental Health Grant was made possible by contributions from the Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Fred and Joan Weisman Fund, and the Thomas Andrew Speaker Memorial Fund.
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. NPF funded 1, $200,000 award.
Grant recipient: Nicole Ward, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center
2021 recipients beginning second-year funding include: Mrinal Sarkar, Ph.D., The Regents of the University of Michigan (Dr. M. Alan Menter Translational Research Grant Recipient); and Daniella Schwartz, M.D., University of Pittsburgh
Psoriatic Disease Research Fellowship
Psoriatic Disease Research Fellowship awards provide support to eligible institutions to develop and enhance the opportunities for physicians training for research careers in dermatology, rheumatology, pediatric dermatology, and pediatric rheumatology. Fellowships are awarded in the amount of $50,000, for 1-year of research conducted between July 1 and June 30. In Fiscal Year 2022, NPF awarded 6 fellowships, for a total commitment of $300,000.
Fellowship recipients: Ashley Gray, M.D., Ohio State University, mentored by Benjamin Kaffenberger, M.D., MS; Antonio Ji-Xu, M.D., University of California, Davis, mentored by Emanual Maverakis, M.D.; Joy Jin, BA, University of California, San Francisco, mentored by Wilson Liao, M.D., Sally Tan Renehan, M.D., MPH, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, mentored by Alexa Kimball, M.D., MPH.; Danielle Yee, M.D., University of Southern California, mentored by April Armstrong, M.D., MPH; and Zachary Carr, M.D., Northwestern University, mentored by Amy Paller, M.D.
The Dr. Mark G. Lebwohl Psoriatic Disease Research Fellowship was awarded to Zachary Carr, M.D., Northwestern University, mentored by Amy Paller, M.D.
Psoriatic Disease Research Fellowships are made possible by generous contributions from Dr. Mark G. Lebwohl, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Janssen Biotech.
Summer Student Research Grant
Through Summer Student Research Grants, NPF supports undergraduate and medical students conducting research focused on psoriatic disease or related comorbidities. This is done under the mentorship of well-established researchers in the psoriatic disease community – often introducing them to the psoriatic disease research area. Grants are awarded in the amount of $5,000, for 10 weeks of summer research between the months of May and October. In Fiscal Year 2022, NPF made 4 awards, for a total commitment of $20,000.
Grant recipients: Ellen Chao, University of California, Davis, mentored by Samuel Hwang M.D., Ph.D.; Ayana McLaren, B.S., Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, mentored by Harald Stauss M.D.; Isabella Stein, Ph.D., Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, mentored by Stephanie Annett Ph.D.; and Teresa Xiao, BA, University of Chicago, mentored by Arlene Ruiz de Luzuriaga, M.D., MPH, MBA.
This grant was made possible in part by contributions from Don and Nancy Alpert.
Priority Research Funding
The 2019 -2024 NPF Strategic Plan, outlined a goal to lead collaborative, transformational research in psoriatic disease. This goal enabled NPF to amplify its commitment to priority research funding. NPF allocated over $2.0 million in renewal funding across two priority research mechanisms in Fiscal Year 2022.
PsA Diagnostic Test Grant
The PsA Diagnostic Test Grant funds research focused on the development of a diagnostic test for PsA that may reduce diagnostic delays and instances of misdiagnoses to lessen the irreversible joint damage seen without appropriate and timely treatment. Funded in multiple phases, the first year of support was awarded in 2019, to establish proof-of-concept data to 6 unique projects. Renewal for a second year of funding was awarded upon validation of the approach and feasibility of the project and was then followed by a competitive renewal process in 2021 between the 6 projects for up to 3 additional years of funding to confirm the initial findings, followed by development and validation of a diagnostic test.
Grant recipients funded through the competitive renewal in Fiscal Year 2021, and receiving continued funding for the fourth year of the program in Fiscal Year 2022 include: Vinod Chandran MBBS, M.D., DM, Ph.D., University Health Network, University of Toronto; Jose Scher M.D., New York University School of Medicine
This grant was made possible by contributions from William “Bill” and Jodi Felton, AbbVie, and Amgen.
Psoriasis Prevention Initiative
Announced in the fall of 2021, NPF made a Fiscal Year 2022 investment of $1.5 million to continue progress on the Psoriasis Prevention Initiative (PPI). Launched in 2020, the PPI was created to prevent the onset of psoriatic disease, disease relapse, and/or related comorbidities. After awarding one year of funding to three projects during the initial phase of the PPI, one project was selected for phase 2 funding after a competitive renewal process evaluating progress and promising future potential of each of the three projects.
Competitive Renewal Grant Recipient: Joel M. Gelfand, M.D., MSCE, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
This grant was made possible in part by contributions from Stacey Butler, and from Chip Newton
General Research Donations:
Significant donations made to NPF research efforts that were not designated to a specific grant were made by: Daniel Farrington, Donald A. Grilli, Michael Graff and Carol Ostrow, Virginia Morris Kincaid Foundation, Michael and Carolyn Laub, Seiden Family Fund, and Dale and Karen White.
2023 National Psoriasis Foundation applications will be released in the fall of 2022. To learn more about NPF funding opportunities and deadlines visit: psoriasis.org/available-funding-opportunities