Simpson Lab at UW

Thanks to the LEO Foundation for a 2nd investment in my lab @uwdermatology.bsky.social @uwmedicine.bsky.social @uwiscrm.bsky.social. This "Serendipity Grant" lets us follow up on unexpected data in #HaileyHailey disease, a #rare #genetic #skin #blistering disorder:
simpsonskinlab.org/news/simpson...

When joining a small dept @uwdermatology.bsky.social I knew finding a peer grp would be crucial—I’m grateful for a crew of junior PIs @uwiscrm.bsky.social @uwmedicine.bsky.social. At a tough time for #academic #research labs it’s helpful to have supportive colleagues to share good news & struggles 🍻

Michael Martin gave a great talk on his project @uwdermatology.bsky.social testing new Rx for #HaileyHailey disease, a #genetic #skin #blistering disorder. Thx @drsakiyama.bsky.social & @amyserafino.bsky.social for fostering undergrad collab @uwmedicine.bsky.social & @gonzagauniversity.bsky.social!

Great talk from summer student Porter from @uwsom-wwami.bsky.social. In my lab @uwdermatology.bsky.social he is studying #epidermolysis #bullosa simplex, a #genetic #skin #blistering disease most severe in newborns/children. We’ve known the #EBS cause for >30 yrs, yet still have no approved therapy.

Mixed emotions as we bid farewell to Afua to start her M.D. journey at WSU! So grateful for our 3+yr partnership as my 1st hire, who built a strong foundation for our lab @uwdermatology.bsky.social and will always be queen 👑 of western blots 🤩 Looking forward to seeing this future physician thrive!

Human Skin Models Advance EBS Research Traditional mouse models for EBS are limited, prompting Simpson's lab to create more accurate human-based tissue models.

My lab @uwdermatology.bsky.social aims to find new therapies for #EpidermolysisBullosa Simplex (EBS) a #genetic #skin #disease causing life-threatening #blistering starting at birth. Every patient deserves a chance for a cure no matter how rare their disease: www.dermatologytimes.com/view/human-s...

Awesome story about #lamellar bodies, unique #keratinocyte #organelles secreted as the “mortar” of the #epidermis that prevents our #skin from drying out. We were ecstatic to play a small part. Especially cool since the organelle was discovered decades ago by Dr Odland at @uwdermatology.bsky.social.

Flower dependent trafficking of lamellar bodies facilitates maturation of the epidermal barrier - Nature Communications The barrier function of skin epidermis requires polarized secretion of lamellar bodies towards the body surface. Here, Rudd et al. identify Flower (FWE) as a novel regulator of lamellar body trafficki...

Karina & I were lucky to collaborate on this study by Creighton MD/PhD student & #derm applicant Justin Rudd of the Hansen Lab. Gorgeous #microscopy +omics illuminated the biology of #Odland (lamellar) bodies that were discovered @uwdermatology.bsky.social!
www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62105-1

1st time at Society for #Pediatric #Dermatology #SPD2025 mtg to share work from my lab @uwdermatology.bsky.social. Our new project models #EpidermolysisBullosa simplex which causes painful blistering but has no approved Rx despite approval for other forms. We are working to change that for patients.

Sent a plea to @murray.senate.gov to save #NIH & #StandUpforScience. We have so much to lose from a proposed 40% cut. Labs like ours working on rare dz w/o any approved therapy will be shuttered. NIH-funded research is what allows medicine to progress, clinical trials to advance and cures to emerge.

Future of NIH in the hands of five senators.

Write to them if you are in
PA -McCormick
WV - Moore Capito
ME - Collins
AL - Britt
LA - Cassidy

Wonderful start to summer @uwdermatology.bsky.social. Excited to welcome @uwsom-wwami.bsky.social med student Porter & @gonzagauniversity.bsky.social undergrad Michael for summer projects on rare #skin #blistering diseases #HaileyHailey & #EpidermolysisBullosa. Thanks to Arti for a delicious lunch!

Cuts to #NIH will not only limit federal funds for clinical trials, but will also slow or halt the basic research done in labs like ours that aim to discover the next generation of therapies. This is especially devastating for so many rare diseases, most of which still lack even 1 FDA-approved drug.

Congrats to Karina PhD student @uwdermatology.bsky.social who passed her general exam to be a doctoral candidate! 🥳🍾🎉 Her thesis will leverage a novel model of epidermolysis bullosa simplex to understand the biology of this orphan genetic skin blistering disorder that has no FDA-approved therapy🧬🔬🧫👩‍🔬

Can’t wait for #SIDChicago2026 in the Windy City, where we plan to unite #epidermal #differentiation #disorder researchers from PC Project, Foundation for Ichthyosis & Related Skin Types, and our #Darier & #HaileyHailey Disease Consortium for a synergistic pre-mtg symposium on these rare diseases.

Finally, on Day 4 of #SIDSanDiego2025 we bid farewell to colleagues, alums & mentors. What an energizing @siderm.bsky.social mtg! Proud of my team & their contagious enthusiasm. We met many new collaborators in academia/industry. This mtg gave me back some optimism in an uncertain time for science.

Day 3 of #SIDSanDiego2025 included an amazing talk by PhD student Karina from @uwdermatology.bsky.social featuring our new model of #EpidermolysisBullosa Simplex. More catching up w/wonderful friends & I was truly honored to be voted onto the @siderm.bsky.social Board of Directors for a 5-year term.

Day 2 of #SIDSanDiego2025 did not disappoint! More outstanding talks, a lively poster session, and an awesome Society for Investigative Dermatology social event on the USS Midway 🛳️ 🇺🇸 @siderm.bsky.social

Amazing Day 1 of #SID2025 in San Diego! 😎 So much fun meeting up w/lab alums & collaborators @siderm.bsky.social
Awesome science🔬🧫🧬at #Pachyonychia Symposium followed by an outstanding plenary talk on Hailey-Hailey disease by PhD student Jessica 🤩 @uwdermatology.bsky.social @uwmedicine.bsky.social

Congrats to Karina for taking home the 1st place poster prize 🏆 at the @uwiscrm.bsky.social Symposium. And kudos to Jessica, who gave an awesome trainee lightning⚡️talk. Proud of both our PhD students for representing the Simpson Lab @uwdermatology.bsky.social @uwmedicine.bsky.social.

Scientists fear Trump administration cuts to NIH could impact the health of Americans for generations Former National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins, who abruptly left his NIH research lab in February, fears aggressive downsizing could impact Americans' health.

This is a great 60 Minutes piece on the impact of NIH cuts on patients including those with Alzheimer’s. Great job by Kristin Weinstein from University of Washington highlighting the impacts on students (9:00). @uwmedicine.bsky.social www.cbsnews.com/news/scienti...

Incredible work from @aaandmoore.bsky.social! 🤩

Proud of Jess & Karina who won travel awards from Uplifting Athletes & UC Irvine Skin Bio Resource Ctr to present at the SID @siderm.bsky.social & PC Project mtg on their use of 3D models of #rare #genetic #skin #blistering disorders ( #HaileyHailey & #EpidermolysisBullosa) to find new therapies🤩🔬👩‍🔬🧫

NIH Funding Is Drying Up. Drug Discovery Could Go With It. Research funded by NIH was behind every single FDA drug approval from 2010 through 2016.

Dr. Paul Nghiem, UW Derm Chair & Director @mc3-institute.bsky.social, joined leading US researchers in sounding the alarm over recent cuts & delays in NIH-funded research. The future of life-saving discoveries is on the line. @barrons.com @uwmnewsroom.bsky.social

www.barrons.com/articles/nih...

Enjoyed meeting a great new crowd of scientists at the Amer Assoc for Anatomy @anatomyorg.bsky.social in Portland! Thank you to @anatomyorg.bsky.social for the invitation to share our work from @uwdermatology.bsky.social on mechanisms of #skin #blistering disease & potential new molecular therapies.

Love that JAKi is now on the list for SJS based on recent data…really hoping that pans out. They seem to work for everything else in derm😉 Also may work for idiopathic EM based on work from Yale. Just makes sense that an aberrantly activated anti-viral pathway may be to blame for some of these rxns.

Always love the excitement of the #AAD mtg for #dermatology. But as I sit in scientific sessions, I want my clinical/industry colleagues & patient advocacy groups to know #NIH funded research was critical for delivering nearly all modern therapies we use for our patients #AAD2025 #StandUpForScience

Yes. Unable to download summary statement all day.

On #RareDiseaseDay I’m proud to have 2 amazing PhD students @uwdermatology.bsky.social building organotypic models of #HaileyHailey disease & #EpidermolysisBullosa to find new therapies. Thanks to @pnrigenetics.bsky.social for hosting an outstanding symposium for clinicians, researchers & advocates.

Excited to attend #AAD2025 in Orlando next week and to lead our session on "Leveraging Teledermatology to Improve Patient Access." Mark your meeting agenda to join us on Sunday at 1:00 PM in Room W314B.