Diego J. Lopez

Factors influencing the development and prognosis of eczema

Principle supervisor: A/Prof Adrian Lowe
Co-supervisors: DR Caroline Lodge, DR Nilakshi Waidyatillake, DR Dinh Bui and A/Prof John Su

Eczema, is a chronic inflammatory skin condition, characterized by defective skin barrier function and it affects both children and adults worldwide. Eczema has a heterogeneous presentation, which varies in terms of severity, age of onset, and response to treatment. There is limited information on the environmental factors determining eczema development and phenotypes.  For these reasons, my doctoral research aims are twofold: to investigate the effects of air pollution, hard water and temperature and humidity in atopic and non-atopic eczema development and to determine eczema phenotypes, their associated risk factors and associations with other outcomes. A better understanding of the environmental factors and eczema presentation can lead to improved preventive and therapeutic interventions.

PhD scholarship title and funding body: the Carlos Antonio Lopez scholarship (BECAL) and the Melbourne Research Scholarship (Fee offset)