What's in this newsletter

Evidence Synthesis (ES)

Over the last 6 months, the ES research team has been growing and systematically reviewing published literature on the global epidemiological burden of atopic dermatitis.

The ES team completed the first cycle of a living review, covering an 18-month period. Among 111 included studies, we found a notable lack of data in the African region and 45% of all studies were based in just 3 countries: South Korea, the United States of America, and Japan. These findings reinforce the urgent need for epidemiological work in underrepresented areas.

Want to learn more? Keep an eye out for an upcoming publication.

To understand global trends over time, we have also launched a retrospective review covering a 30-year period (1992–2022). To facilitate this large piece of work, we have grown our team through collaborations with the University of Queensland, the Department of Dermatology at National Taiwan University Hospital, and Singapore’s National Skin Centre. In line with GADA’s commitment to research sustainability, we are also actively engaging and supporting young medical trainees through involvement in this workstream.

International Consensus Exercise

Epidemiological Study Designs for Atopic Dermatitis Research (EPISTAR)

GADA has officially initiated the epidemiological Study Designs for Atopic Dermatitis Research (EPISTAR) project during the past 6 months under the leadership of Professors Christian Apfelbacher and Carsten Flohr. EPISTAR aims to create recommendations for future population-based epidemiological studies to promote harmonisation and standardization of data across studies.

This harmonisation exercise involves 3 phases:

Phase 1: What variables to include in future research? (Completed)

A list of key conceptual categories and variables identified through existing literature has been reviewed and reached consensus on its inclusion by the EPISTAR steering group, consisting of clinical dermatologists, epidemiologists and patients across all continents.

Phase 2: How to measure the variables? (June-August 2025)

As a next step, a group of epidemiologists, methodologists, clinicians, patients, and policymakers representing diverse countries and regions will be recruited for participation in an international 2-round e-Delphi survey. Participants will vote on how each variable should be measured, afterward those that remain unresolved will be carried over to the next phase.

Phase 3: Agreement and recommendation (Autumn 2025)

Lastly, an online Consensus Conference will be held to resolve items that do not reach consensus and come to a final agreement on methodological recommendations for all future population-based epidemiological studies on atopic dermatitis.

Digital Ecosystem

Back in May last year, Dr Jinane El Khoury, a clinical Assistant Professor at the Lebanese American University (LAU), reached out to GADA with the hope to generate new epidemiological data on atopic dermatitis in Lebanon and improve the standard of data collection. In just 6 months, the first register utilising the GADA Digital Ecosystem (DE) was launched thanks to the efforts of Jinane and her team. This web-based electronic data capture platform represents a significant advancement in linking patient data across multiple university hospitals and will shed light on the characteristics and distribution of atopic dermatitis in Lebanon.

Read more

Dr Piers Allen, visited Alicante in February to meet our partner Swiss4ward, host of the GADA website and digital ecosystem platform. Following this trip, the team is now working on rejuvenating the map on the GADA website, adding additional functionalities and updating the available data.

ISAD GADA fellowship:

In March 2025, we launched the inaugural ISAD-GADA fellowship.

The fellowship aims to support early-career dermatologists or researchers in the field of epidemiology and public health, enabling them to work with the Global Atopic Dermatitis Atlas (GADA) team, gain relevant research skills and to take the lead on a small GADA research project for 6-months.

From a field of strong applications, along with our colleagues at the ISAD, we are very pleased to announce the winner of this inaugural fellowship as Dr Gloria Masenga.

Short biography

Dr Masenga is a dermato-venerologist at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre in Moshia, Tanzania. Her research to date has involved global and regional dermatology initiatives, including leadership roles in ethnic hair and anti-skin bleaching campaigns, clinical research on atopic dermatitis and parasitic infections, and planning of dermatology training programs.

Project outline

Dr Masenga's project will explore the epidemiology and impact of atopic dermatitis in Tanzania's Kilimanjaro region. She will be visiting the GADA coordinating centre in London, England, and we’re excited to follow the progress of her work. Stay tuned to our social media channels for updates on her journey.

The first International Eczema Council (IEC) Fellowship awardee

Dr Christabel Ovesuor, a dermatologist based in Asaba, Nigeria, was awarded the first International Eczema Council clinical fellowship. In collaboration with the IEC, we are thrilled to host and introduce our various projects to her at St John’s Institute of Dermatology. She has been involved in various research activities including GADA workstreams, commercial and non-commercial trials as well as clinics. We hope the exchange of experience can further assist her in atopic dermatitis research journey and broaden her network.

• WHA-resolution: Skin diseases are recognised as a global public health priority in the 78th World Health Assembly.

• Joint Atlas awayday: Grand Challenges in Global Skin Heath in tackling the burden of skin diseases.

• Joint reception with GlobalSkin: Together with patients, we improve lives.

• ISAD 2024 14th Georg Rajka Symposium- Doha: where we debuted GADA.

• ISAD-WHO meeting: Inspiring topics around patient access to treatments in Sub-Saharan African primary care settings.