Presentation:
Evolutionary Interplay Between Human Genetic Variation, the Skin Microbiome, and Psoriasis (Omer Gokcumen, PhD): Psoriasis is a prevalent skin disease, affecting millions of people. However, we do not know why some people are more susceptible to psoriasis than others. We have now collected data that provide valuable hints to answer this question. First, we established that genetic variants that lead to susceptibility to inflammatory skin disease significantly affect the microbiome. Second, we found that some of the genetic variants that predispose to psoriasis may also have benefits in protection against specific pathogens. Combining these insights with next-generation tools and sophisticated computational analyses, we are focusing on systematically investigating the interactions between genetic variation, the composition of the microbial communities on the skin, and the immune response of affected individuals.
These informal talks are part of the GEM Work-in-Progress series held at 4:00 p.m. on the 4th Monday of each month. Spring 2018 talks will take place in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Building, located on UB's Downtown Campus. The speaker schedule is on the GEM website (www.buffalo.edu/gem).
If you would like to present at a GEM Work-in-Progress session, let us know (coe-gem@buffalo.edu) and we will get you onto the schedule
Sara Thomas
Email: msthomas@buffalo.edu
Phone: 7168293890