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Dr. Craig Elmets, Director, and
Drs. Mohammad Athar and
David Chaplin, Co-Directors |
The Skin Disease Research Center (SDRC) is an interdisciplinary center of excellence in investigative dermatology and cutaneous biology at UAB which is funded by the National Institutes of Arthritis, Musculo-skeletal and Skin Diseases of the NIH. Our goal is to generate new knowledge that will have a substantive impact on the treatment and prevention of diseases of the skin. This goal is achieved at the SDRC by:
- fostering meaningful collaborations between scientists in the Department of Dermatology and those in other disciplines
- applying the tools of cellular and molecular biology to the analysis of the biology and pathology of skin
- training young investigators in this area as they become fully independent researchers
- attracting talented new scientists into the areas of dermatology and cutaneous biology and training them to become independent researchers
- providing essential resources in a cost effective manner
The four thematic emphases of the SDRC are 1) immunodermatology and cutaneous microbiology; 2) skin cancer; 3) biochemistry of the skin; and 4) genetics and developmental biology. However, the center is enhanced by investigators in other skin-related disciplines. The UAB Skin Diseases Research Center is comprised of 39 investigators from 14 different departments. Craig Elmets, M.D. is the SDRC director and Mohammad Athar, Ph.D. and David Chaplin, M.D., Ph.D. are co-directors.
Core Facilities
The goals of the Center are achieved through three Core facilities which integrate intellectual and technical resources at UAB with the demands of investigative dermatology. These include:
- Skin Cell Culture Core
- Tissue Resources and Molecular Pathology Core
- Skin Proteomics Core
Pilot and Feasibility Studies:
In addition, the SDRC includes three or four Pilot and Feasibility Studies each year. These studies are intended to allow for novel avenues of dermatologic research by new scientists or by established investigators from other fields. Current projects for the 2009/2010 year include: Human induced pluripotent stem cells to investigate inherited skin diseases (Dr. Louise T. Chow); Role of the innate immune system in regulation of UVB induced skin carcinogenesis (Dr. Nabiha Yusuf); and Investigating the requirement for Tbet expression during psoriasis (Dr. Laurie Harrington).
Past and Current Pilot and Feasibility Studies
Meet Our SDRC Investigators
