NEW YORK, March 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- American Skin Association (ASA) has announced the awarding of two coveted research grants under the ASA Milstein Research Scholar Awards program. Douglas Osborne, PhD of University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus received the ASA Milstein Research Scholar Award for Melanoma/Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer and Benjamin Ungar, MD of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai received the ASA Milstein Research Scholar Award in Atopic Dermatitis.

In addition, 11 other promising grants were awarded in this cycle. This year's grants were again made possible through the generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporations who share ASA's determination to find cures for these devasting diseases.

For over thirty years, in advancement of its vital mission to serve the more than 100 million Americans afflicted with skin disorders, ASA and its affiliates have funded over $50 million in grants to enhance treatments and continue working towards cures for melanoma, vitiligo, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and other skin diseases.

"Dermatology remains one of the most underfunded areas of medicine," said ASA Chairman, Howard P. Milstein. "We believe these important grants in support of cutting-edge dermatological research will improve the chances of finding long sought-after cures and bring hope to many suffering patients."

In addition to the newly announced grants, ASA has also renewed its support for SPOTS (Sun Protection Outreach Teaching by Students), a public health outreach educational program taught by medical school students and aimed at middle and high school teens. Now in its second year of a three-year grant commitment, ASA's funding has allowed the SPOTS program to increase its outreach to schools in the St. Louis area, create a seamless onboarding process for participants, and develop a new website.

SPOTS's team of academic dermatologists, led by Dr. Lynn Cornelius of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, aim to teach students about early detection of skin cancer and smart prevention measures in hopes that increasing their knowledge and positively impacting their behaviors and attitudes about sun protection.

ASA's Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) is comprised of leading scientists and physicians who administer the annual grant process. Through their leadership, ASA's grant program has supported the work of nearly 300 investigators, ranging from talented young researchers in the early phases of their careers to recognized leaders in the field of dermatology.

"This year's promising new class of awardees brings hope to so many. ASA's Medical Advisory Committee is eager for the future findings that these projects may bring," said ASA President and Co-Chair of the MAC, Dr. David A. Norris.

ASA provides significant special research awards to established investigators and medical students studying melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and skin diseases. Through these grants, ASA has promoted the early careers of many gifted young investigators and has had a profound impact both on dermatology research and clinical care of dermatologic disease. In particular, ASA-funded researchers have had a broad impact on melanoma research, improving our understanding of its diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. With an exclusive focus on skin disease research, ASA has helped open new frontiers in skin science, producing results that can change how we understand and treat skin disease.

The following are the recipients of the 2020 Investigative Scientist Award, Research Scholar Awards, Research Grants, and Medical Student Grants:

ASA Daneen and Charles Stiefel Investigative Scientist Award for Melanoma Research

Yuri Bunimovich, MD, PhD

University of Pittsburgh

Improving Immune Checkpoint Therapy by Targeting Neurons

ASA Milstein Research Scholar Award for Melanoma/Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer

Douglas Osborne, PhD

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Role of IL-37 in Regulatory T cells and Melanoma

ASA Milstein Research Scholar Award in Atopic Dermatitis

Benjamin Ungar, MD

Icahn School of Medicine

The Relationship Between the Skin Microbiome and Immune and Barrier Dysregulation in Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis Patients

ASA Calder Research Scholar Award in Vitiligo/Pigment Cell Disorders

Indermeet Kohli, PhD

Henry Ford Health System

Visible Light and Ultraviolet A1 for Vitiligo Phototherapy

ASA Melly Family Research Grant in Psoriasis/Inflammatory Skin Disease

Prashiela Manga, PhD

New York School of Medicine

Investigation of Post Inflammatory Hyper Pigmentation

ASA Mulvaney Family Foundation Research Grant in Vitiligo/Pigment Cell Disorders

Bassel Mahmoud, MD, PhD, FAAD

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Melanocyte Transplantation Plus Topical JAK Inhibitor for Treatment of Vitiligo: A Randomized Study

ASA Mulvaney Family Foundation Research Grant in Vitiligo/Pigment Cell Disorders

Tamara Terzian, PhD

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Targeted Therapy for Vitiligo

ASA Pfizer Research Grant for Vitiligo/Pigment Cell Disorders

Manuel Garber, PhD

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Defining Cell Type Specific Epidermis Regulatory Elements to Enable Vitiligo Functional Genomics

ASA Ping Y. Tai Foundation Research Grant in Skin Cancer/Melanoma

Dan Filipescu, PhD

Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai

MacroH2A as a Novel Chromatin Regulator of the Melanoma Microenvironment

ASA J.T. Tai & Co. Foundation Medical Student Grants Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research

Samantha Guhan

Massachusetts General Hospital

Cyclin - Dependent Kinase 9 as a Therapeutic Target in Uveal and Triple-Wild Type Melanoma

ASA J.T. Tai & Co. Foundation Medical Student Grants Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research

Natella Maglakelidze

Pennsylvania State College of Medicine

Defining Aire Function in UV-Induced DNA Damage Response and Early Stage Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer

ASA J.T. Tai & Co. Foundation Medical Student Grants Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research

Catherine Wang

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health

Role of CD200 in Modulating Immunoregulatory Macrophages in Merkel Cell Carcinoma

ASA Cohen Family Medical Student Research Grant

Eliot Zhu

University of Iowa

Targetable Drivers of Drug Resistance to BRAF Inhibitors in Melanoma

ABOUT AMERICAN SKIN ASSOCIATION

A unique collaboration of patients, families, advocates, physicians and scientists, ASA has evolved over three decades as a leading force in efforts to defeat melanoma, skin cancer and other skin diseases. Established to serve the now more than 100 million Americans – one third of the U.S. population – afflicted with skin disorders, the organization's mission remains to: advance research, champion skin health particularly among children, and drive public awareness about skin disease. For more information, visit americanskin.org.

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SOURCE American Skin Association