Dermatology
Research
The research mission of our faculty is to elucidate the molecular and cellular basis of diseases affecting the skin and to apply this new knowledge to prevention, diagnosis, and cure of these diseases. Research activities include molecular biology and immunology of the skin, epidemiology, genetic determinants of skin diseases including melanoma and other skin cancers, and development of approaches to gene therapy in the skin.
The scope of skin disease related research at the University of Colorado is embodied in the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center Skin Diseases Research Center (UCAMC-SDRC). This NIAMS-funded center focuses on organizing and supporting research to better understand the molecular basis of human autoimmune, inflammatory, developmental, metabolic, and genetic skin diseases. The broad goal of this SDRC is to help member investigators develop models of human skin diseases as research platforms to study molecular mechanisms of disease. This provides us with the opportunity to develop innovative molecular approaches to correct disease processes and explore new treatment approaches. This center includes a multitude of investigators, many from within the Department of Dermatology along with partnerships from other UCAMC Departments or outside collaborators. The research interests of these investigators are broad: inflammation and immunity; epithelial biology; melanocyte biology; regenerative medicine and stem cell biology; molecular, cellular, and developmental biology; biochemistry; pharmacology; microbiology and virology; genetics and genomics; tissue repair; cutaneous carcinogenesis; and clinical research. This is a rich platform for interdisciplinary discovery in basic and translational research.
This center is built on the strong foundation of three collaborative research teams within the Anschutz Medical Campus, all headed by scientists with an established record of NIAMS-funded research: The Department of Dermatology, the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology, and the Human Medical Genetics Program. There are also strong collaborations with other centers on the AMC, especially the NCI-funded University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center.