Exercise Your Creativity in Clinical Research 

The Physician Scientist Career Development Award (CDA) supports the academic career of a physician scientist who is devoted to clinical dermatology, and assists in the transition from fellowship to established investigator. This award is intended for the academic investigator demonstrating significant creativity in clinically relevant research.

louis-reed-pwcKF7L4-no-unsplash

Know Before You Apply

All Foundation-funded research must be conducted in the U.S. under the sponsorship of a department/division of dermatology that is ACGME-approved for training in dermatology. Applicants must meet the DF’s general eligibility requirements, in addition to award-specific requirements presented on or before the time of funding. Applicants from minority populations are encouraged to apply.

The DF encourages applications concerning health issues impacting applicants from minority populations, including, but not limited to, racial minorities, sexual ¬ gender/LGBTQ minorities, and underserved/disadvantaged populations.

Am I eligible?

If you meet all of the requirements below, you may be eligible to apply for the Physician Scientist Career Development Award.

  • M.D.; M.D., Ph.D.; or D.O. degree
  • Completed training in a U.S. dermatology residency program
  • Appropriate initial training in relevant research (i.e., a two- to three-year research fellowship or postdoctoral training)
  • Clinically oriented investigator in the early stages of academic career
  • Demonstrates a strong commitment to skin research

How do I apply for the Physician Scientist Career Development Award?

The DF is now accepting applications for career development awards, fellowships and research grants via our CDAFG Research Award Application Portal. The Applicant Instructions provided below include essential information potential applicants need to know to evaluate the various award opportunities and develop a successful application and research proposal. Interested individuals are strongly encouraged to read sections II and III before assembling their application.

The DF has also prepared a Quick Reference Guide to enable users to quickly acclimate to the online application system.

Application deadline: October 16, 2023

Featured Award Recipient

Development of Targeted Immunotherapy for, and Transcriptional Profiling of, γδ T Cell Diseases

Gamma-delta (gd) T-cells are involved in infection, inflammation, and cancer. We propose novel methods to develop T-cell–based immunotherapies to combat gd T-cell cancers, which may lead to lasting remission. We will also perform comprehensive immune profiling of gd T-cells in COVID-19, in psoriasis, and in gd T-cell lymphoma, to better understand potential consequences of gd T-cell depletion and the pathways that drive gd-mediated diseases.

PS-CDA-Christoph-Ellebrecht

Christoph T. Ellebrecht, M.D.

University of Pennsylvania

Physician Scientist Career Development Award

Award Recipients | Physician Scientist Career Development Award

Eric Merrill, M.D.
University of California, San Francisco
Cutaneous Lymphocyte – Fibroblast Niches

Goran Micevic, M.D., Ph.D.
Yale University
Identifying CD8+ T-cells Necessary for a Durable Immune Response to Melanoma

Allen Oak, M.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Defining the Role of Mechanotransduction in Scarring Alopecias for Therapeutic Gain

Elisabeth Pedersen, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Michigan
Understanding Melanogenesis in Basal Cell Carcinoma

Dekker C. Deacon, M.D., Ph.D. - Year 2
University of Utah
Genomic Markers of Lentigo Maligna Melanoma Progression

Anna Eisenstein, M.D., Ph.D. - Year 2
Yale University School of Medicine
The IL33-Mediated Skin-Gut-Immune Axis In the Development of Atopic Dermatitis and Oral Allergy

Anna Kersh, MD., Ph.D. - Year 2
University of Pennsylvania Hospital
Understanding the Molecular Pathogenesis of Lichen Planus and Lichenoid Dermatoses

Wei-Che Ko, M.D. - Year 2
University of Massachusetts
Defining Fundamental Mechanisms of Human Inflammation in Allergic Skin

Benjamin A. Nanes, M.D., Ph.D. - Year 2
Southwestern Med. School Univ. of Texas
Modulation of Force Generation and Differentiation by Keratin Filaments During Epidermal Remodeling

Rivka Stone, M.D., Ph.D. - Year 2
University of Miami
Identifying Early Genomic Biomarkers of Skin Fibrosis Following Radiation Injury

Chen Wang, M.D., Ph.D. - Year 3
Stanford University
Identification of Disease Driving T-Cells and Antigens in Alopecia Areata