Meet the Councilor | Sara Brown, MD PhD FRCPE

IEC Councilor Sara Brown, MD PhD FRCPE, holds the Grant Chair of Dermatology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK. Professor Brown is a clinician and researcher; her work focuses on understanding molecular genetic mechanisms in atopic skin disease. She presented “Genetic and Ethnic Differences in Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis” as part of From Comparative Pathogenesis to Biomarker-guided Treatments in Psoriasis and Eczema, a symposium presented by the IEC and International Psoriasis Council on September 4 at the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

How does your vision or mission align with the IEC's?

My research work is directly motivated by questions and challenges presented by eczema patients and people affected by eczema. It’s such a complex, diverse, and unpredictable disease the challenges are huge, but genetic research offers real promise to address major questions and design more targeted treatments—that is my hope and ultimate goal.

What is your proudest accomplishment in the atopic dermatitis (AD) space?

My early research work contributed to understanding how and why filaggrin (coded by the gene FLG) contributes to eczema. Now this understanding is discussed in patient fora and online health-science pages so everyone can learn that having dry skin means you have a leaky skin barrier and using emollient treatment is therefore an important part of eczema treatment.

What do you value most about being involved with the IEC?

It’s very valuable to meet with clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates from all over the world, to share ideas and increase understanding from an international perspective, since different countries and cultures require different approaches. Working together in a global collaboration also brings a stronger voice for research and to support eczema care.

What do you see as the biggest need among AD patients?

The biggest need is treatment that more effectively gets to the root cause of eczema, by which I mean targeting the fundamental cellular mechanisms to address the drivers of disease, not only the inflammation.

Describe a professional experience that you won’t forget because of how it impacted your specialty or the way you practice.

We are not always successful in controlling severe eczema, but when the treatment works well it is unforgettable. I am particularly moved by parents who bring their child back to clinic after their eczema has improved and say, “He/she is like a different child”— because the child can sleep and play and enjoy a more normal life. It is very rewarding, and I wish we could achieve that freedom for every patient.

What's the most recent good thing you watched?

I love to watch my dog running on the beach and splashing in the (very cold) water! His approach to life is ‘of the moment’ which is the opposite of most of my professional life and work, where long term (often decades-long-term) aims predominate.