Global Skin Diseases Research Consortium (GSDRC)

The Global Skin Diseases Research Center (GSDRC) was established to foster collaboration among academic partners that actively maintain institutional skin research centers, which support basic, translational and/or clinical skin research. Current GSDRC member institutions include the following:

Columbia University Medical Center
Skin Disease Resource-Based Center (epiCURE)
Department of Dermatology
New York, NY USA
https://epicure.cumc.columbia.edu/  


University of Cologne
Collaborative Research Center (CRC 829)
“Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Skin Homeostasis”
Cologne, Germany
http://sfb829.uni-koeln.de/


Keio University School of Medicine
Department of Dermatology
Tokyo, Japan
https://keio.pure.elsevier.com/en/organisations/1540-department-of-dermatology


University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center
Anschutz Medical Campus
Skin Diseases Research Center
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/departments/Dermatology/research/SDRC/Pages/default.aspx


Stanford University
Genetic Skin Disease Center
Stanford Medicine Dermatology
Redwood City, CA
http://www.med.stanford.edu/dermatology/resources/gsdc.html


Institute of Medical Biology
Skin Biology Cluster
A*STAR
Singapore
https://www.a-star.edu.sg/imb


The long-term goal of the GSDRC is to provide global opportunities to spur innovation, create novel approaches and insights into cutaneous biology, disease pathogenesis, and clinical dermatology by coordinating multidisciplinary research aimed at discovering cutting-edge translational approaches to improve the care of patients with skin disease and to train the scientific leaders of tomorrow.  Another key mission of the GSDRC is to lead the development of a global view of dermatologic research.  The consortium encompasses a unique international resource for training and networking opportunities for PhD and MD/PhD students and post-doctoral fellows.  

The GSDRC framework for accomplishing these goals includes:

  • Symposia supported by the six Institutions

  • Summer school training programs for PhD and MD/PhD students and postdocs

  • Exchange of PhD and MD/PhD students and postdocs to learn new techniques and approaches, and to promote collaborative projects across Institutions

  • Exchange of faculty for short periods

  • Establish a web-based inventory to promote exchange of mouse models, other animal models, disease-specific iPS cells, reagents and protocols

  • Annual in-person meetings at SID and ESDR

At Columbia University, our Skin Disease Resource Center dramatically increased the size, scope and stature of dermatologic research at the Medical Center.  Without question, over the last twenty years, Columbia’s SDRC was the nucleus around which CUIMC built a national and international reputation as a center of excellence in dermatologic research.  Columbia’s SDRC supports three main research themes:

  • Genetics and immunology to discover novel treatment strategies for skin and hair disorders.
  • Skin cancer and stem cells to develop novel, mechanism-driven targeted prevention and treatment strategies for these cancers.

Our Skin Disease Resource-Based Center, epiCURE, is designed to eliminate barriers to translational research and accelerate the progress of investigation in skin disease research to rapidly advance from basepairs to bedside through three Research Cores. These are:

  • Skin Immunity, Integrity, and Disease Core (SIND): Facilitate high-quality skin-focused translational research through in vivo and ex vivo models that aim to mimic disease relevant aspects of human skin.
  • Skin Stem Cell Imaging and Manipulation Core (SCIM): Provides an array of histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular-based tools to characterize gross and microscopic morphology, functional features and gene expression in skin of human and genetically engineered laboratory animals.
  • Translational and Precision Medicine Resources Core (TRAP):  Offers cutting-edge approaches to assist investigators in biomarker discovery, assessment and validation.

Faculty

David Bickers

Locations

United States

Areas of Focus

Skin Diseases