Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation Danby Research Grants

May 25, 2021

For the past five years, the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation (HSF) has proudly sponsored up to $10,000 for research projects that will have a sustained, powerful influence on our understanding of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This competitive grants program is named after Dr. William “Bill” Danby (1943-2016), a curious and dedicated dermatologist who developed what was probably the first specialty Hidradenitis Suppurativa practice in the US. Dr. Danby was a past-president of the HSF (2014-2015) and was very involved in educating other dermatologists and health care providers about HS.

The goal of the Danby HSF Research Grants is to stimulate the development of new research programs in the field of HS capable of competing for long-term funding from the NIH or other agencies in the future. Dr. Amanda Nelson, an assistant professor and cell biologist from Penn State College of Medicine, was awarded the first 2017 Danby Grant to use a special 3D imaging technique to examine the structural architecture of HS skin and to identify stem cells in HS.

Two awards were made in 2018. Dr. Angel Byrd, the Ethnic Skin Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins Department of Dermatology, was awarded a grant to establish a tissue bank and study the cells that enter HS skin lesions. Dr. Martina Porter, a Research Fellow and dermatologist at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, is conducting a clinical trial of sclerotherapy to treat HS skin tunnels.

In 2019, two awards were made. Dr. John Frew, an investigative dermatologist at Rockefeller University, received an award for a pilot study of brodalumab in HS, a potential new treatment. Dr. Abrar Qureshi, Chair of Dermatology at Brown University, received an award to develop a new Hidradenitis Suppurativa Screening Tool (HST). 

In 2020, Dr. Lauren Orenstein, assistant professor at Department of Dermatology in the Emory University School of Medicine, was awarded a Danby Research Grant for her study to determine patterns of biologic prescriptions and pain medication usage in HS patients in different racial and gender groups.

Most recently, in 2021 two awards were made to fund exciting research projects.  Dr. Nneamaka Ezekwe, an investigator with the Department of Dermatology at the Henry Ford Health System, was awarded a grant to help fund research into the effect of diet and nutrition on inflammation in HS.  Dr. Carmelo Carmona-Rivera, conducting research at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NAIMS) division of the NIH, was awarded a grant for his work on spatial-temporal definition of the pathogenic cell to cell interactions that promote dysregulation of the skin architecture in HS.  

The HSF is very excited to sponsoring all these research projects and talented investigators.

2022 Danby Research Grant Application

Purpose: The Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation (HSF) is seeking grant applications that encourage research into the disease hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The goal is to stimulate the development of new research programs in the field of HS capable of competing for long-term funding from the National Institutes of Health or other agencies in the future.

Anticipated number of awards: 1-2 new grants may be awarded in 2022. Awards are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of sufficiently meritorious applications.

Budget: Applicants may request up to $10,000 (direct costs only) per year. 

Important dates: Applications are due ealy December each year (2022 applications are due 12/4/21). 2022 Award notifications will be made no later than April 1, 2022, with project work to start by June 1, 2022. 

Download the 2022 Application Guidelines

Danby Research Grant Awardees

Carmelo Carmona-Rivera, PhD

2021 Awardee: Spatial-temporal definition of the pathogenic cell to cell interactions that promote dysregulation of the skin architecture in HS

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Lauren Orenstein, MD

2020 Awardee: Race and Sex Disparities in Biologic Medication Prescription for Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Its Influence on Opioid Use

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John Frew, MD

2019 Awardee: A Pilot Study to Identify Biomarkers in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Brodalumab

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Mohammadreza Nasiriavanaki, PhD

2019 Awardee: Study of Photoacoustic Hidradenitis Suppurativa-Specific Radiomic Signatures

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Mahroo Tajalli

2019 Awardee: Study to Evaluate the Utility and Validity of the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Screening Tool (HST)

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Angel S. Byrd, MD, PhD

2018 Awardee: Establishment of a Fresh Tissue Bank for Hidradenitis Suppurativa to Elucidate Immunopathological Mechanisms

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Martina Porter, MD

2018 Awardee: A Single Center Study to Evaluate the Effect of Sclerotherapy on Fistulas and Sinus Tracts in Adult Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using Ultrasound Assessment

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