Skin Diseases Research Core Center

This application requests competitive renewal of the UT Southwestern SDRC. It is supported by a record of achievement over the past 4 years that includes: (1) 2-fold expansion in the number of research-funded, full- time faculty members in the Department of Dermatology; (2) parallel 2- fold rise in annual competitive funding of dermatology faculty members (from $1.4 to $2.8 M); (3) stable number of active members comprised of a new mix of basic scientists, clinical investigators, and technology experts (achieved in the face of passage of several previous members to the helm of prestigious facilities in other major institutions); (4) 2-fold increase in annual competitive funding for skin disease-related research by SDRC investigators (from $3.5 to $7.4 M); (5) highly successful Core Laboratory Program with 3 components graduating into self-sustained status (Patient Access and Data Management, Photobiology, and Protein Chemistry), 1 component expanded (Tissue Culture and Phenotype), and 3 new components created (Bioinformatics, Skin Engineering and Cutting-Edge Technology); (6) 36-fold return on investment in P&F Projects in just the first half of the current funding period (from $319,253 to $11,488,650); (7) outstanding record of training 28 research fellows (many of whom have become faculty members of academic departments in the U.S. and the world); (8) large number of high quality publications(at least 236 published or in press as a direct result of SDRC funding); (9) enrichment program that has brought distinguished scientists to provide seminars, and co-sponsored an international symposium on contact dermatitis; and (1) endowment that has supplemental SDRC funds, thus partially achieving self-sustenance and greater allocations for Core and P&F Programs, respectively. The SDRC has been the key force in advancing skin and skin disease- related research in the Dept. of NIH funding coupled with proceeds from private benefaction should consolidate the Center into an increasingly effective, fully-sustained unit of biomedical excellence.