Dermatology About Us Message from the Chair Contact Us Clinical Expertise Education & Training MD Student Clerkships Dermatology Residency Program Dermatology Fellowship Program Continuing Education Faculty Research Faculty Research Clinical Innovation Incubator Program Faculty Research Home Research Research: Clinical Departments Dermatology: Home Dermatology: Research Dermatology: Research > Faculty Research Explore Dermatology Faculty-Specific Research Kristen Kelly, MD Professor and Chair, Department of Dermatology The Kelly Lab does translational and clinical research related to non-invasive skin imaging, development of energy-based therapeutics for skin conditions and pathogenesis of vascular conditions. They are fortunate to collaborate with scientists and clinicians across the UC Irvine campus and UCI Health, with the intent of always improving skin health and patient outcomes. Mihaela Balu, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology Mihaela Balu’s laboratory is focused on integrating and advancing modern biophotonics technologies, such as nonlinear optical microscopy to the clinical setting. Balu’s main research goal is to use this technique as a non-invasive imaging tool for visualizing, quantifying and understanding the microscopic and molecular processes that underlie skin biology with a particular interest in melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Anand K. Ganesan, MD, PhD Professor, Departments of Dermatology & Biological Chemistry Associate Dean for Physician Scientist Development Vice Chair for Research, Dermatology The Ganesan Lab focuses on understanding how genetics, the environment and the immune system modulate melanocyte function, both in the context of normal homeostasis and disease (hyperpigmentation, vitiligo and melanoma). The lab uses multi-level translational research approaches to tackle clinically relevant problems. They leverage collaborations across campus and their own expertise to employ the latest molecular genetics, genomics, computational biology, advanced chemistry and engineering approaches to tackle research questions. An overarching goal of the lab is to train the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists in the latest research methods. They employ team science in all their projects, and scientific teams often involve high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, residents, postdoctoral scholars and junior faculty members. Lab alumni include leaders in local industry and NIH-funded researchers at institutions around the United States. Sergei A. Grando, MD, PhD, DSci Distinguished Professor, Departments of Dermatology & Biological Chemistry Director of the Immunobullous Clinic The goals of Sergio Grando’s research are to understand how autoantibodies to M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor expressed on the keratinocyte cell membrane contribute to cell detachment in pemphigus vulgaris and to use this information to develop a safe non-steroidal treatment of patients with this severe, potentially lethal mucocutaneous blistering disease. His current research elaborates on the results showing that acute patients with pemphigus vulgaris and healthy donors produce autoantibodies that target different epitopes of the M3 receptor and the skin of neonatal mice lacking this receptor and the skin of patients with pemphigus vulgaris display similarly altered epidermal morphology. He is currently testing a working hypothesis that protective antibodies from healthy donors and M3-selective cholinergic may serve as an “antidote” to treat acute patients with pemphigus vulgaris. Bonnie Lee, MD Professor, Departments of Dermatology & Pathology Director, Dermatology Residency Program Co-Director, Dermatopathology The Lee Research Group is focused on improving clinical pathologic correlation. Her team is currently investigating the histopathologic features of melanoma, specifically its immunohistochemical expression of PRAME and applications of artificial intelligence in quantifying and predicting PRAME expression as well as melanoma prognosis. Michelle Min, MD, MSci Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology Director, Rheumatologic Dermatology Michelle Min is the Director of Rheumatologic-Dermatology. She has a special interest in treating inflammatory skin conditions, including atopic dermatitis (eczema), psoriasis, dermatomyositis, cutaneous lupus, morphea, scleroderma, eosinophilic fasciitis and granulomatous conditions. She conducts clinical trials in partnership with pharmaceutical sponsors and investigator-initiated studies. Given her interest in autoimmune diseases and rheumatologic-dermatology, she often collaborates with other specialists in an interdisciplinary fashion. She has spoken nationally and internationally regarding her research and enjoys advancing the field of dermatology. Jessica Shiu, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology Director of Resident Research, Dermatology The Shiu Lab is interested in tissue homeostatic mechanisms that affect melanocyte-related skin conditions, with a particular interest in vitiligo. By combining clinical trials, patient-centered and basic science research, we aim to understand why repigmentation in vitiligo lesions after treatment is often patchy and uneven. We utilize single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics of patient samples, mouse models and human organoid skin models to push our understanding of melanocyte-related skin disorders and improve treatment options for patients. Janellen Smith, MD Professor, Department of Dermatology Director of OncoDermatology Janellen Smith’s research focuses on the study of adverse treatment effects during and after cancer therapy, with a particular emphasis on oncodermatology. She is currently leading a clinical trial investigating a novel agent for managing EGFR inhibitor-related side effects. In addition, she is actively collecting and analyzing data on cancer therapy-related adverse effects and managing multiple IRB-approved projects in this area. Smith’s work extends to national dataset analyses, where she explores treatment modalities for angiosarcoma. Her team has also contributed various case reports addressing topics in general dermatology and oncodermatology. Collaborating with Christopher Zachary, Smith is evaluating an innovative laser treatment for basal cell carcinoma, EGFR-related acneiform eruptions to further advance the intersection of dermatology and oncology. Bryan Sun, MD, PhD Associate Professor, Departments of Dermatology & Biological Chemistry Director of Faculty Development in Research, Dermatology The Sun Lab investigates the molecular and genetic factors that shape skin health and contribute to disease, with a specific interest in non-coding RNAs and epigenetic regulation. By combining patient-centered research with studies of genetic mosaicism and rare skin disorders, we aim to uncover disease-driving genetic variants and reveal new insights into epithelial biology. Our core methods include the direct study of patient skin samples, human organoid skin models, genome editing and engineering, and a range of classical genetic and genomic techniques. Christopher B. Zachary, MD Recall Faculty, Department of Dermatology Christopher Zachary's interests include dermatologic laser surgery, skin cancer, Mohs surgery, melanoma, and aesthetic treatments including skin rejuvenation, fillers and toxins. The Zachary lab joined forces with Bruce Tromberg and Mihaela Balu in the Beckman Laser Institute to create Infraderm about eight years ago to build a Fast Large Area Multiphoton Exoscope (FLAME), which can now scan large areas quickly to provide submicron detailed information about skin conditions. Early investigations demonstrated intraepidermal changes of lentigo maligna in vivo, and more recently, the intricate development of new collagen around passively absorbed calcium hydroxyapatite particles in the dermis. We have also developed Controlled Hyperthermia and Monitored Protocol (CHAMP) for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma by apoptosis. He is also exploring the utility of emerging technology, such as artificial intelligence models for detecting basal cell carcinoma using optical coherence tomography (OCT).