NPF-Funded Research

Project Summary:

Modern biologic treatments have greatly improved psoriasis care, but some patients still do not respond well, especially those who also have other inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema or hidradenitis suppurativa. New technologies now allow researchers to see not only which cells are involved in these diseases, but where they are located in the skin and how they interact. In this study, we will analyze skin samples from patients with psoriasis, eczema, hidradenitis suppurativa, and healthy volunteers to identify shared and unique disease patterns. Our goal is to create a detailed map of inflammatory skin diseases that can guide more precise, personalized treatment choices.

How will your project help improve the lives of the 125 million affected by psoriatic disease?

Our project uses new technologies to better understand psoriatic disease by allowing us to not only see what cells are involved (including immune cells) but to also investigate where they are located in the skin and how they interact with each other. Using this information, our goal is to create a detailed map of inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis that can guide more precise, personalized treatment choices to improve the lives of people affected by psoriatic disease.

Why is psoriatic disease research important to you, personally? What role will this award play in your research efforts or career development?

As an internist hoping to pursue further training in dermatology, I feel deeply passionate about psoriasis, a complex and systemic disease, with fast evolving and fascinating research. I am engaged in multiple psoriasis-focused projects, including transcriptomic analyses examining the effects of guselkumab in guttate and plaque psoriasis, a clinical trial assessing a music-based intervention for anxiety in psoriasis, and studies evaluating app-based photography to enable remote physician monitoring of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Receiving an NPF fellowship grant provides critical support to further develop my research skills and pursue innovative, patient-centered investigations in psoriasis and other inflammatory skin diseases. This grant will be instrumental in my goal of becoming an independent academic dermatologist committed to advancing translational and clinical research that improves the lives of patients with chronic inflammatory skin conditions

Researcher Profile:

Dr Amélie Spangenberg is a clinical research fellow in psoriasis and phototherapy who joined Dr Liao’s team at UCSF in 2025. She received her medical degree and BSc from King’s College London GKT School of Medicine in the U.K. and subsequently completed her internal medicine residency at MedStar Health Georgetown University Baltimore Program. She plans to pursue further training in dermatology and ultimately specialize in autoimmune dermatology including psoriasis.