Westmead Dermatology The Centre for Translational Skin Research, The Department of Dermatology at Westmead Hospital, and the Melanoma and Skin Condition Team at the Centre for Cancer Research, WIMR, welcome Petrina Chand to the team as a Master’s student. Here is more about Petrina and her exciting research project:
By Petrina
Hi everyone! My name is Petrina Chand and I’m currently studying Master of Philosophy (Medicine and Health) at the University of Sydney. Prior to starting my Master of Philosophy degree, I graduated with a Bachelor of Medical Science (major in Biomedical Science) and a Master of Public Health. In my free time, I love photography, especially capturing spectacular sunrises and sunsets, making flower arrangements and travelling. I’ve suffered from Atopic Dermatitis since childhood.
Through the guidance and support of my supervisors, Professor Pablo Fernandez-Penas and Dr Ali Azimi, my research project uses proteomics to investigate the effect of PDE4 inhibitor on Atopic Dermatitis.
Atopic Dermatitis (AD) or Eczema is a common inflammatory skin disease characterized by the development of chronic or relapsing eczematous lesions. Studies have shown that patients with mild to moderate AD who are treated with Crisaborole experience rapid and clinically relevant improvement in their condition. However, the mechanism of action of Crisaborole on AD and its potential effect on skin biology including adaptive immunity and skin barrier repair is still unclear.
My project will combine the non-invasive tape-stripping sample collection method with SWATH mass spectrometry-based proteomics pipeline to investigate the molecular effect of Crisaborole on AD pathophysiology and its potential mechanism of action on the lesion. This proposal will systematically compare the proteome profile of samples from AD patients before and after treatment with Crisaborole ointment. Changes in molecular pathways and biological functions including but not limited to inflammation, adaptive immunity, skin barrier and skin repair at different stages of the disease will be investigated using bioinformatics tools. The findings from my research project will aid in our understanding of the mechanism of the action of Crisaborole on AD, and the molecular processes and pathways underlying the lesion.
As I’m very passionate about Atopic Dermatitis, I hope to combine research with more clinical experience in dermatology, to gain a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of Atopic Dermatitis in the future.
I’m greatly looking forward to working on this research project. Also, I would like to thank Professor Pablo Fernandez-Penas and Dr Ali Azimi for this amazing opportunity and for becoming my supervisors.
