Research For researchers Research Committee The Alopecia UK Research Committee was established in 2018 to assess research funding applications and advise on our research strategy. We are delighted to have a Committee made up of scientists, researchers, psychologists, clinicians and patient representatives, all with a range of interests, specialisms and academic/work backgrounds. Policies Our Research committee follow the AMRC’s recommended Principles of Expert Review and abide by our Code of Practice and Conflict of Interest Policy. We endorse the AMRC positions on the use of animals in research, supporting research in universities, and public involvement. Below you can find information about each of our Research Committee members: Professor Desmond Tobin - Committee Chair Profession: Professor of Dermatological Science Relevant organisations/institutions: The Charles Institute of Dermatology, University College Dublin Research areas of interest/specialisms: Skin and Hair in Health and Disease using cellular and molecular biology research approaches. Work/academic background: Dr Desmond J. Tobin is Full Professor of Dermatological Science and Director of The Charles Institute of Dermatology at University College Dublin, Ireland. Prior to Sept 2018 he was Professor of Cell Biology and Director of the Centre for Skin Sciences at Bradford University, Britain. He holds a BSc from the National University of Ireland (Maynooth), a PhD from the University of London, Britain (St. John’s Institute of Dermatology) and post-doctorate from New York University Medical School’s Dept. of Dermatology, USA. Over the past ~25 years Des has researched in basic and applied skin/hair sciences, with a focus on the biology of human melanocytes /pigmentation in health and disease (incl. melanoma) and of hair growth disorders, especially those with an immune basis. Des holds fellowships from: Royal College of Pathologists, Royal Society of Biology, Institute of Trichologists, Royal Microscopical Society, Institute of Biomedical Science, and is an elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy. Des is a past president of the British Society for Investigative Dermatology, a founding member of the UK TREND Skin Health Working Group, and secretary to National and International Skin Registry Solutions (charity). He serves(ed) on several editorial boards, and scientific advisory panels including the UK-based Research Excellence Framework (REF2021). He has published over 200 publications. His H-Index is currently 68 (Scopus) and 81 (Google Scholar) Spring 2024. Relevant weblinks: University College Dublin, Charles Institute of Dermatology Dr Margo Gkini Profession: Consultant Dermatologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer Relevant organisations/institutions: Barts Health NHS Trust, London 401 General Army Hospital, Athens Research areas of interest/specialisms: Hair disorders Systemic and advanced treatments (biologics and small molecules) Psychodermatology Holistic approach Work/academic background: Dr. Maria-Angeliki Gkini is a Consultant Dermatologist at 401 General Army Hospital in Athens, Greece and a Locum Consultant Dermatologist and Hon Senior Lecturer at Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK. She has developed a special interest in hair diseases while running hair specialist clinics and her PhD thesis focused on the efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma in non-scarring alopecias. Her other special interests include advanced treatments (biologics and small molecules), inflammatory diseases and psychodermatology/psychotrichology. Dr Gkini is very passionate about the holistic management of her patients (screening for comorbidities and management) and treats them as a whole. She has a strong research interest and she has served as a principal or sub-investigator in more than 45 studies, being able to offer innovative and promising treatments to her patients. She has participated as a speaker/invited speaker at many national and international congresses and she has published her research in international peer-reviewed journals. Dr Gkini has also been awarded numerous prizes and grants by prestigious institutions and organisations, such as the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, the British Association of Dermatologists and the Royal College of Physicians. Dr Kevin McElwee Profession: Research Consultant and Scientist Relevant organisations/institutions: Honorary Visiting Professor, University of Bradford, UK Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia, Canada Research areas of interest/specialisms: Research on hair loss, particularly alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia Immune regulation in relation to hair loss, hair growth and cycling The role of mesenchymal cells in hair growth promotion and regenerative therapy Skin cancers, particularly basal cell carcinomas and their relationship to hair follicles Work/academic background: Dr. Kevin McElwee is currently a consultant for several companies developing treatments for alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia. He is also the Chief Scientific Officer for RepliCel Life Sciences, a Canadian company that develops regenerative therapies using cells derived from hair follicles. Dr. McElwee was previously a Professor in the Centre for Skin Sciences at the University of Bradford, UK and an Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology and Skin Health at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Dr. McElwee has worked as a hair research scientist for more than 25 years and has published over 120 medical journal articles and academic book chapters on hair loss research. Dr. McElwee received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland and his PhD from the University of Dundee, Scotland. His postdoctoral training included three years at the Jackson Laboratory in Maine, USA and four years at the University of Marburg, Germany, studying various hair loss diseases. Relevant weblinks: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ResearchHairORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1020-3832LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-mcelwee2/ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kevin-McelweeGoogle Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=DCGr8IgAAAAJ Dr Susan Holmes Profession: Consultant Dermatologist Relevant organisations/institutions: Consultant Dermatologist NHS GGC Honorary Associate Clinical Professor, University of Glasgow Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians Member of the British Association of Dermatologists Member of the European Hair Research Society Member of the British Hair and Nail Society Member of the Scottish Dermatological Society Research areas of interest/specialisms: All aspects of alopecia Work/academic background: Susan qualified in medicine from the University of Glasgow with BSc (Hons) MBChB in 1989, later obtaining an MD in 2000. She undertook dermatology training in Glasgow under Professor Rona Mackie and became a dermatology consultant at Glasgow Royal Infirmary in 1999. She developed an interest in alopecia as a trainee, working with Professor Colin Munro on the genetics of monilethrix. Susan established an alopecia clinic in Glasgow in 1999 and has a longstanding interest and involvement in alopecia research. Professor Clare Bennett Profession: Professor of Cellular Immunology Relevant organisations/institutions: University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute Research areas of interest/specialisms: Expert on Langerhans cells and other myeloid cells in the skin Impact of skin immune pathology (graft-versus-host disease) on skin function Interactions between skin immune cells and melanomas Cancer immunotherapy Work/academic background: Professor Bennett is an immunologist with a track record investigating how immune cells in our skin develop and function. She is particularly interested in understanding how diseases in the skin can affect the ability of the skin immune system to protect us from infection. During her post-doc she developed new models to study Langerhans cells, specialised immune cells that form a network throughout the outer layer of our skin. Her subsequent work has re-defined our understanding of how Langerhans cells form and what they do. Professor Bennett completed her PhD at the University of Edinburgh before moving to Amsterdam in the Netherlands for her post-doctoral work. In 2006 she moved to UCL in London, where she has established her research career. Professor Bennett currently sits on national and international grant funding panels and is an active member of the British Society for Immunology. Relevant weblinks: Read further information about Professor Bennett's research group. Read further information about Professor Bennett's research activity. Dr Claire Higgins Profession: Reader in Skin Regeneration and Principal Investigator Relevant organisations/institutions: Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London Research areas of interest/specialisms: Research on hair cycling, hair development and hair loss, specifically in human hair Work/academic background: Dr. Claire Higgins is currently a Reader (equivalent to an Associate Professor) in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London. She is also the Principal Investigator of the ‘Skin Regeneration Laboratory’ who use interdisciplinary approaches to improve our holistic understanding of skin and hair, both in homeostasis conditions and after disease or injury. Claire has studied the nuances of the hair follicle for the past 20 years. She conducted a PhD researching hair development and hair shedding (2003-2007) at the University of Durham, before postdoctoral studies at Columbia University, NY, where she researched various hair and skin diseases including trichomegaly, alopecia areata, palmoplantar keratoderma and epidermolysis bullosa. In her own lab, which she started in 2014, she supervises a variety of projects, encompassing evolution of hair, hair pigmentation, scleroderma, androgenetic alopecia, hair cycling and hair innervation. Claire is currently the President of the European Hair Research Society, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting research into hair and hair disorders, in Europe. She is also the Vice-President of the Institute of Trichologists, a professional association for Trichologists which was founded in 1902 (originally it was a College of Diseases of the Hair), in London. In 2023 she organised the European Hair Research Society annual meeting, which was attended by >200 people from 30 different countries. Manage Cookie Preferences