The British Skin Foundation (BSF) Small Grant is a funding programme that supports small-scale or pilot research projects into skin disease and skin health in the UK and Republic of Ireland. It is designed to help researchers test new ideas, generate preliminary data, and build evidence that can later support applications for larger research grants. The current BSF Small Grant provides up to £15,000 per project to use within 12 months.
"The British Skin Foundation is proud to support three outstanding early-career researchers whose innovative projects have the potential to transform the future of skin disease research. By investing in the next generation of scientific talent, we are helping to drive progress towards new treatments and, ultimately, cures that could improve the lives of people living with skin disease—not only in the UK, but around the world." Phil Brady, Chief Operating Officer, British Skin Foundation
Congratulations to Dr Amaani Hussain with her project ‘Predicting infection risk during psoriasis biologic therapy: an economic evaluation of a machine learning approach using real-life BADBIR data’, Dr Tanzil Rujeedawa who will be working with NIHR BRC Associate Deputy Director and Theme Co-Lead Professor Neil Rajan on ‘Spatial mapping of macrophage niches in follicular skin tumours’, and Dr Emily Stephenson with ‘Mapping the skin environment driving mast cell disease in children’.
Dr Hussain said: “My project aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using an uncertainty-aware artificial intelligence model to predict infection risk and support biologic treatment selection for people with psoriasis, a common inflammatory skin disease. Although predictive AI models are increasingly being developed for healthcare, evidence of their cost-effectiveness remains limited and is essential before they can be implemented in routine NHS care. In collaboration with Dr Tara Homer, Senior Lecturer in Health Economics at Newcastle University, and Dr Chris Banerji, Theme Lead for Clinical AI at the Alan Turing Institute, we aim to generate the clinical and economic evidence needed to inform the adoption of AI-enabled decision support in psoriasis care.”
Dr Rujeedawa said: “I am delighted to be working with Professor Rajan on the Spatial Mapping of Macrophage Niches in Follicular Skin Tumours. Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHD) and CYLD Cutaneous Syndrome (CCS) are two rare conditions that cause numerous disfiguring skin tumours following puberty which can be deeply distressing to live with. Through this project, we seek to study the tumour microenvironment, in particular, how macrophages help shape it. The findings could reveal new treatment targets, aiming at the tumour's supportive environment rather than the tumour cells alone and potentially offering a medical alternative to surgery.”
Dr Stephenson said: “Paediatric cutaneous mastocytosis is a rare childhood skin condition caused by the build-up of mast cells, leading to severe itching, blistering, and allergic reactions. This project will use cutting-edge technologies to create the first detailed molecular map of affected skin, revealing how mast cells interact with the surrounding tissue. The findings will provide new insights into this poorly understood disease and lay the groundwork for more targeted treatments for affected children.”
Read more about the BSF Small Grant.