The Neurological and Immunological Basis of Itch and Dermatological Disorders

Dr. Dong is a Professor in the Departments of Neuroscience, Dermatology, Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is also an Investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He completed his PhD degree in Biochemistry at UCLA and his postdoc training at Caltech. Dr. Dong is a pioneer and world leader in the field of itch and skin biology whose works have uncovered new therapeutic targets for many of these debilitating chronic itch and skin conditions. His laboratory has taken a multidisciplinary approach to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of pain and itch. His lab has identified and characterized a novel family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) called Mrgprs which are expressed in primary sensory neurons and innate immune cells and function as novel itch receptors. Dr. Dong has published over 150 papers, book chapters, reviews which have been highly cited and covered in the popular press like The New York Times, NBCnews.com, and The New Yorker. He has trained numerous successful PhD and MD/PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and physician scientists. He is also the scientific founder of Escient Pharmaceuticals in San Diego.

Dr. Kim is a Sol and Clara Kest Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also Director of the Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation and Sensation and Lead of the Allen Discovery Center for Neuroimmune Interactions. He completed his MD at the University of Washington School of Medicine and MTR and postdoctoral training at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kim is a pioneer in the field of itch biology and peripheral neuroimmunology, an inventor of itch-centered technologies, and has advanced multiple agents to FDA-approval in atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis. His laboratory uncovered the specific role of type 2 cytokines and Janus kinases and mediating itch at the neuroimmune interface. Dr. Kim has published over 150 papers, book chapters, and reviews which have been featured in Health Magazine, Women's Health, Reader's Digest, and CBS National News. He has trained many graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and physician-scientists. He is also co-founder of Alys Pharmaceuticals in Boston, Massachusetts Dr. Follansbee, a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, earned his undergraduate degree in Medical Biology from the University of New England, followed by a Master's in Biology from the same institution. He furthered his academic journey with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis, under the mentorship of Dr. Earl Carstens. Dr. Follansbee's expertise lies in the intricate domain of itch, a field in which he garnered international recognition, notably receiving the Handwerker Award from the International Forum for the Study of Itch (IFSI) in 2016. Presently, his research at Johns Hopkins working with Dr. Xinzhong Dong investigates the immune interactions within the meninges, exploring their role in bacterial meningitis defence mechanisms. Beyond scholarly articles and chapters, Dr. Follansbee recently authored a comprehensive textbook on fundamental itch research, solidifying his impact in the scientific community.