2022 Grants for Rosacea Research

The National Rosacea Society (NRS) is dedicated to improving the lives of patients with rosacea, a widespread but poorly understood disorder. Its mission is to raise awareness of rosacea, provide public health information on the disorder, and support medical research. To this end, the NRS established a donation-funded research grants program in 1999, which has awarded more than $1.6 million in grants for 77 studies to date, leading to further research into the immune and nervous systems, facial blood vessels, microbes, Demodex mites, and genetics.¹

In 2022, the NRS awarded funding for 2 new studies, along with continued support for 2 ongoing studies, to increase our knowledge of the potential causes and other important aspects of rosacea.² Better understanding may lead to improvements in treatment and prevention methods, and possibly a cure. Due to the unknown cause of rosacea, research proposals on pathogenesis, disease progression, mechanism of action, cell biology, and possible genetic factors were prioritized. Proposals on epidemiology, predisposition, quality of life, and environmental and lifestyle factors were also considered. “Studies this year are using innovative methods to further identify rosacea’s mechanisms,” said Dr Yolanda Helfrich, professor of dermatology at the University of Michigan and a member of the NRS medical advisory board.²

Dr Samantha Herbert, research fellow, and Dr Emanual Maverakis, professor of dermatology, at the University of California-Davis, received $10,000 to study and characterize the pathophysiology of rosacea using single-cell RNA sequencing.^2,3

Dr Arisa Ortiz, associate professor of dermatology and director of laser and cosmetic surgery at the University of California-San Diego, was awarded $5,000 to examine the effects of laser therapy on the skin microbiome.^2,3

Ongoing research includes the study of the eye surface and the microbiome’s role in rosacea pathogenesis conducted by Dr Sezen Karakus, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, and the investigation of whether skin inflammation is caused by intracellular signals that have recently been discovered to be increased in rosacea lesions, conducted by Dr Emmanuel Contassot, project leader in the dermatology department at the University Hospital of Basel.²

“Over the years, ongoing research has enabled more targeted therapy with an ever-more sophisticated understanding of rosacea’s disease processes, and we are grateful for the support of the many individual donors who make it possible,” said Dr Helfrich.²

For more information about the NRS research grants program, visit https://www.rosacea.org/grants/program. The deadline for submitting a proposal to receive a 2023 research grant is June 16.

References

1. Research grants program. National Rosacea Society. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.rosacea.org/grants/program

2. National Rosacea Society awards 2022 grants for rosacea research. Press release. National Rosacea Society. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.rosacea.org/press/2022/november/national-rosacea-society-awards-2022-grants-for-rosacea-research

3. Awarded grants. National Rosacea Society. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.rosacea.org/grants/awards