On June 21, 2019 the Division of Dermatology held its annual Resident Research Day at Women's College Hospital. This event is a one day showcase in which our PGY2, PGY3 and PGY4s are able to present and discuss their research, and have an opportunity to mingle with other residents and Dermatology faculty. Research is a core focus of training in our Residency Program, and every year features a very strong lineup of presentations. This year was no exception, and while all the research was thoroughly impressive, a few presentations stood out. Read on for more about the award winning projects from the residents themselves:
Best Paper - Yuanshen Huang, PGY2
The title of my paper was 'IL-10 is overexpressed in human cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and is required for maximal tumor growth in a mouse model'. IL-10 is elevated in advanced stage of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). However, it remains unknown whether the elevated IL-10 is a bystander or tumorigenic in CTCL. In this study, we aimed to address this question. Elevated IL-10 levels were found in both skin lesions from CTCL patients and in a murine model of CTCL. Further, in vivo experiments suggest that IL-10 plays a key role in promoting tumor growth of CTCL cells. Taking together, our study highlights the potential value of targeting IL-10 for CTCL, especially in its advanced stage.
Runner Up, Best Paper - Claudia Posso-De Los Rios, PGY4
The topic of my Research Day presentation was 'Insights into the gynaecology-dermatology clinic at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Canada, where I presented my experience in an elective rotation gynecology-dermatology clinic done at WCH for three months. I presented key features of normal anatomy, common genital dermatoses, clues for differential diagnosis, causes of treatment failure, common physician and patient mistakes, and how to approach a disease relapse. This award was given for the article: Vitamin D Level and Supplementation in Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial, one of two (the other being "Proceeding report of the third symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances [SHSA] 2018") research projects I participated in over the last academic year.
Best Quality Assurance Project - Meghan Clynick, PGY3
The objective of our study is to evaluate the impact of the teledermatology website/app DermaGO. DermaGO is a new Canadian primary, asynchronous (direct-to-patient) teledermatology service that allows patients to send a history and photos directly to a consultant dermatologist, and receive a diagnosis and prescription back without a referral from their PCP. Our goals include to assess the information and diagnostic quality, patient and provider satisfaction, and potential impacts on patient care from the patient, provider, and systemic perspectives through a chart review and surveys. We are at the stage of creating survey questions to fit with the HITREF Research Framework.
Best Clinical Research Project - Michal Bohdanowicz, PGY4
I worked with Dr. Drucker and a number of colleagues on a network meta-analysis of treatments for moderate-severe atopic dermatitis. With the number of new medications coming out for atopic dermatitis, this analysis will help dermatologists decide which treatment is best for their patients.
Best Basic Science Research - Tan Rajakulendran, PGY4
We had our annual Dermatology Resident Research day on June 21, 2019. It was a day filled with exciting presentations highlighting the research accomplishments of the residents. I had the opportunity this year to present an overview of my collaborative work with Dr. An-Wen Chan on uncovering mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies in BRAF-mutant melanoma. This work is in part generously funded by the C.R. Younger Foundation which selected the Division of Dermatology and Women's College Hospital to support melanoma research. I look forward to attending future Research Day presentations of the Division of Dermatology!
Best Basic Science Research - Anthony Mak, PGY3
We have conducted genome-wide screens in melanoma to identify genes involved in cell survival and proliferation. To date, we have screen both BRAF mutated and wild type melanoma cell lines. We plan on comparing the gene hits from different melanom types and validating gene hits that may serve as potential therapeutic targets.
