The American Acne and Rosacea Society (AARS) Is Now Accepting Applications for Research Grant Awards

MONTCLAIR, N.J. - Feb. 23, 2024 - PRLog -- The American Acne and Rosacea Society (AARS) is pleased to announce that it is now accepting grant applications for AARS Clinical Research Awards ($10K) and the AARS Research Scholar Award ($75K). Applications are available online at https://acneandrosacea.org/grant-opportunities. The application deadline is Friday, May 31, 2024.

The Society offers research grants to advance clinical science, while nurturing young investigators in the field of acne, rosacea, and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, through the AARS Clinical Research Awards. Dermatology residents, research fellows, and recent graduates are encouraged to apply for clinical research grants. The AARS Research Scholar Award is awarded to investigators working at the level of Instructor through Associate Professor in the field of acne, rosacea, or HS. The individual selected for the award must have a strong career goal within the field of dermatology generally and be dedicated to furthering knowledge concerning acne or rosacea specifically.

According to Guy Webster, MD, Chair of the AARS Grant Committee, AARS Clinical Research awards are intended to provide seed money to young investigators with a long-term interest in acne, rosacea, and HS. As he and the Committee evaluate grant applications, Dr. Webster says, "I like to see grants that are well thought out, and I like to see that applicants have a good mentor to support them in their research." Information on past grant awardees is available at https://acneandrosacea.org/grant-opportunities/.

The AARS Research Scholar Award is conferred on an annual basis to support promising research aimed at improving the care of patients with acne, rosacea, and HS. The AARS Grant Committee assesses the feasibility of the study, its potential to expand understanding of acne, rosacea, HS, and related diseases, and the likely practical impact of research findings. The recipient of the 2023 AARS Research Scholar Award is Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, of Yale University. His research is aimed at identifying novel antibiotic compounds for the treatment of acne.

Dr. Bunick and colleagues at the Bunick laboratory propose to elucidate fundamental mechanisms of action of tetracycline antibiotics with a goal to identify a highly selective agent for Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) that has higher efficacy and less risk of antibiotic resistance than currently used antibiotic therapies.