La Roche-Posay, the brand recommended by 25,000 dermatologists, announced the winners of the 9th annual La Roche-Posay North American Foundation’s 2014 Research Awards, which supports the work of outstanding candidates with promising projects in the field of clinical, biological and pharmacological research linked to dermatology. This year, three winners were chosen to continue their research in the field: Thomas Strub, M.D., received the first place grant of $10,000, while Shadmehr Demehri, M.D., and Emily Newsom, M.D., were named the second and third place winners respectively, and each received a $5,000 grant.
The winners were selected by the La Roche-Posay North American Scientific Committee, which was comprised of academic leaders, including committee chairman Daniel Schachter, M.D. (University of Toronto), Jean Bolognia, M.D. (Yale University), Joseph Jorizzo, M.D. (Weill Cornell Medical College & Wake Forest University), Ken Tomecki, MD (Cleveland Clinic), Ivan Camacho, M.D. (University of Miami) and Vincent Ho, MD (University of British Columbia). The committee evaluated each of the submitted research proposals before naming Strub, Demehri and Newsom as the most promising candidates.
“The La Roche-Posay Foundation helps to foster dermatology” said Dr. Schachter, the Chairman of the Awards Committee. “This is a great opportunity to support young researchers early in their careers. This year’s winners presented excellent research proposals and will now be better able to continue their great work. We congratulate each of them and will be excited to see the results of their research.”
Strub, of the Department of Oncological Sciences & Dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine was awarded first prize for his study titled, Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying Drug Resistance of Malignant Melanoma. “It is a privilege for me to be chosen by The La Roche-Posay North American Foundation for supporting my research goals,” he says. “Melanoma therapies remain limited and drug resistance invariably occurs with patients ultimately relapsing. I hope my research will shed light onto the epigenome of resistant melanoma tumors and insight on the elements involved in melanoma, which will ultimately improve patient outcomes.”
Demehri, of the Division of Dermatology, Washington University received second prize for his study titled, The Role of Calcipotriol in Treatment of Pre-cancerous Skin Lesions. “It’s a great honor to be a recipient of La Roche-Posay North American Foundation’s research award,” says Demehri. “My research focuses on determining the role of immune activation in cancer therapy. Specifically, I aim to understand the effects of epithelial cytokine expression on induction of anti-tumor immunity. Considering the rising prevalence of skin cancer in our population, the outcomes our investigation can have significant impact on care for patients with skin and other types of cancers.”
Newsom, of Wayne State University, Department of Dermatology, was awarded third prize for her study titled, Mapping Cytogenetic Abnormalities in Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma using FISH. “I appreciate the La Roche-Posay North American Foundation’s commitment to furthering research in dermatology. This award will allow me to advance my career and research in cutaneous lymphoma,” says Newsom.
These three gifted researchers were recognized at the La Roche-Posay North American Foundation Awards dinner during the 2014 American Academy of Dermatology 72nd annual meeting held March 21st – 25th in Denver, Colorado.
Created in France in 1985, the La Roche-Posay Foundation is dedicated to supporting dermatological research aimed at improving the quality of life for men, women and children all over the world. The La Roche-Posay Foundation seeks to extend its mission on a global scale, and currently exists in four continents, including Europe, Latin America and Asia, as well as North America, where it was established in 2005.