Travel Awards Program

The Travel Awards Program helps offset costs to attend skin biology and diseases-related conferences, which provide early career scientists with an invaluable learning and training experience, as well as exposure to a breadth of current research in cutaneous biology and diseases.

APPLICATION CYCLE IS CLOSED

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Applicants must be non-faculty trainees (post-doctoral fellow, resident, graduate student, trainee, etc.), who currently work in the laboratory of a SBDRC member at the University of Michigan. Applicants must have submitted an abstract that has been accepted for presentation at the upcoming meeting. Applicants chosen for oral presentation (session or e-poster) will be given preference.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants must submit the following information in a PDF to Carmel McKeon, UM-SBDRC Center Administrator at [email protected]

  • Name of UM-SBDRC member sponsor;
  • Confirmation of abstract acceptance and meeting registration;
  • Abstract of their presentation;
  • One paragraph that briefly describes the work they will be presenting at the meeting, including an explanation of why attendance at the meeting is important for their training;
  • Itemized budget. Budget request up to the cap of the award offered ($500), which can include the costs of SID annual membership (which discounts the registration fee at this conference), airline ticket, registration fee, abstract fee, hotel costs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Applicants chosen to receive a Travel Award are required to formally discuss the key presentations from the meeting that are relevant to their work and that of their coworkers at a lab meeting.

2024 SID Annual Meeting

Travel Award Recipients

2024

  • Yuntain Wu, PhD Student, Biostatistics, University of Michigan: “Modeling Prurigo Nodularis and Atopic Dermatitis lesional skin identifies disease-biased regulatory mechanisms using single cell multiomic data”
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their ISID abstract: Alex Tsoi, PhD; Matthew Patrick, MEng, PhD; and Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology
  • Mack Reynolds, PhD Student, Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Michigan: "Cutaneous IFN-k expression drives nitric oxide-mediate macrophage metabolic remodeling during Staphylococcus aureus infection" 
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their ISID abstract: Mary O'Riordan, PhD: U-M Microbiology and Immunology; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology
  • Matthew Mattoon, Post-Baccalaureate Trainee, University of Michigan: "Hair follicles are critical modulators of skin barrier function"
    • SBDRC member co-authoring their SID abstract: Sunny Wong, PhD: U-M Dermatology
  •  Rundong Jiang, PhD Student, Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Michigan: "Dynamic keratinocyte-neutrophil-fibroblast communication network characterizes inflammatory responses in generalized pustular psoriasis"
    • SBDRC member co-authoring their SID abstract: Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD; Allison Billi, MD, PhD; and Alex Tsoi, PhD: U-M Dermatology; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology
  • Priyanka Verma, Research Fellow, Internal Medicine/Rheumatology, University of Michigan: "The metaorganismal TMAO pathway links fibrosis and the gut in systemic sclerosis"
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: John Varga, MD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology; Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology
  • Tran Do, MD, PhD, House Officer, Dermatology, University of Michigan: "Single-Cell Analysis Reveals Distinct Subpopulations of T Cells and Elevated IL26 and IL17 Levels in Palmoplantar Pustulosis Lesions"
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD; and Alex Tsoi: U-M Dermatology; Mehrnaz Gharaee-Kermani, DVM, MPH, PhD; and J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology; Robert Modlin: MD, UCLA Dermatology
  • Benjamin Klein, MD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Internal Medicine (Rheumatology), University of Michigan: “Epidermal ZBP1 stabilizes mitochondrial Z-DNA to drive UV-induced IFN signaling in autoimmune photosensitivity”
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD; Mehrnaz Gharaee-Kermani, DVM, MPH, PhD; and Jessica Turnier, MD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology; Mary O'Riordan, PhD: U-M Microbiology and Immunology; Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology
  • Lisa Wirtz, PhD Student, Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan: "Striatin-Interacting Protein 1 (STRIP1) stabilizes CTTNBP2NL to ensure proper barrier formation in the developing mouse skin epidermis" 
    • SBDRC member co-authoring their SID abstract: Hisham Bazzi, PhD: U-M Cell & Developmental Biology
  • Grace Hile, MD, Pediatric Dermatology Fellow, Dermatology, University of Michigan: "Cross-disease comparison of dermatomyositis and SLE identifies non-classical monocytes and JAK-1 signaling as drivers of endothelial cell death in DM skin"
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD; Mehrnaz Gharaee-Kermani, DVM, MPH, PhD; Jessica Turnier, MD; and Eliza (Pei-Suen) Tsou: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology; Elisabeth Pedersen, MD, PhD; Mio Nakamura, MD; Allison Billi, MD, PhD; and Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology

2023

  • Amanda Orosco, PhD Student, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan: “Towards a genetically- and phenotypically-relevant mouse model for Pachyonychia Congenit”
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their ISID abstract: Pierre Coulombe, PhD: U-M Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Benjamin Klein, MD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine (Rheumatology), University of Michigan: “Mitochondrial Z-DNA as a new activator of UV-driven interferon responses in keratinocytes”
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their ISID abstract:  J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology; Mary O'Riordan, PhD: U-M Microbiology and Immunology
  • Erez Cohen, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan: “Alterations in keratin expression, cell identity and tissue homeostasis in skin diseases”
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their ISID abstract: Pierre Coulombe, PhD: U-M Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Haihan Zhang, PhD Student, Graduate Student Research Assistant, Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan: “Multi-condition TWAS for inflammatory skin disorders highlights roles of genetic signals in cytokine-stimulated keratinocytes”
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their ISID abstract: Matthew Patrick, MEng, PhD; Mrinal Sarkar, PhD; James Elder, MD, PhD; Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD; Alex Tsoi, PhD: U-M Dermatology; Bethany Perez White, PhD: Northwestern Dermatology
  • Mitra Maz, MD/PhD Student, Medical Scientist Training Program (Internal Medicine/Rheumatology), University of Michigan Medical School: “Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals cellular drivers of UV-mediated skin injury in cutaneous lupus”
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their ISID abstract: Mehrnaz Gharaee-Kermani, DVM, MPH, PhD; Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology
  • Uppala Ranjitha, PhD Student, Immunology Program Graduate Student, University of Michigan: “HERC6 is an Interferon induced E3 ubiquitin ligase that negatively regulates sex-specific STING-IRF3 responses through modulation of LATS2/VGLL3 Hippo signaling”
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their ISID abstract: Mrinal Sarkar, PhD; Olesya Plazyo, PhD; Allison Billi, MD, PhD; Alex Tsoi, PhD; Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology
  • Suzanne Shoffner-Beck, MD/PhD Student, Medical Scientist Training Program (Biomedical Engineering), University of Michigan Medical School: “Lupus fibroblasts hyperrespond to inflammatory cytokines and upregulate pro-fibrotic collagens in patients with scarring skin lesions”
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their ISID abstract: Kelly Arnold, PhD: U-M Biomedical Engineering; Alex Tsoi, PhD; Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology

2022

  • Qinmengge Li, PhD Student, Graduate Student Research Assistant, Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Alex Tsoi, PhD; James T. Elder, MD, PhD; and Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology
  • Enze Xing, MD/PhD Student, Medical Student and Immunology Program Graduate Student, University of Michigan
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology
  • Yutein (Andy) Chung, PhD, NIH T32 Research Fellow, Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Alex Tsoi, PhD; Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology; Bethany Perez White, PhD: Northwestern Dermatology
  • Haihan Zhang, PhD Student, Graduate Student Research Assistant, Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Alex Tsoi, PhD and James T. Elder, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology
  • Zhaolin Zhang, PhD, Research Lab Specialist, Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Alex Tsoi, PhD and James T. Elder, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology
  • Joey Kirma, NIH Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program Intern, University of Michigan
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Alex Tsoi, PhD; Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology
  • Uppala Ranjitha, PhD Student, Immunology Program Graduate Student, University of Michigan
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Alex Tsoi, PhD; Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD; Mrinal Sarkar, PhD: U-M Dermatology; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology
  • Elisabeth Pedersen, MD, PhD, House Officer and Resident Trainee on NIH T32, Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Andrzej Dlugosz, MD; Marina Grachtchouk, PhD: U-M Dermatology; Paul Harms, MD, PhD: U-M Pathology
  • Grace Hile, MD, House Officer and Resident Trainee on NIH T32, Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan
    • SBDRC members co-authoring their SID abstract: Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD: U-M Dermatology; J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, PhD: U-M Internal Medicine/Rheumatology

Director

Gary J. Fisher, PhD

Gary J. Fisher, PhD

Director, UM-SBDRC Travel Awards Program

Contact information