Jean-Phillip Okhovat, MD
University of California, Los Angeles; David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology
2014 Mentorship Grant Recipient
Mentorship Grant Proposal
Mentor: Kanade Shinkai, MD, PhD, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology
My interest in the field of acne and rosacea began recently as I have had the opportunity to conduct basic science research in acne under the guidance of Dr. Jenny Kim in the Department of Dermatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. As such, I decided to apply and pursue an AARS mentorship experience with Dr. Kanade Shinkai, Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco.
My goals during my mentorship experience with Dr. Shinkai will encompass a combination of mentorship, clinical experience, and research opportunities. I will plan to meet twice a week with Dr. Shinkai to go over my research projects and guide my future career in academic dermatology. I plan to work alongside Dr. Shinkai in the Acne and Rosacea clinic and multidisciplinary Polycystic Ovary Syndrome clinic held at the University of California, San Francisco. This clinic is staffed by a 12-person clinical and research team that actively manages a database with clinical, biochemical, morphometric, genetic, and psychological/ quality of life information about the UCSF PCOS cohort (approximately 300 patients). The main focus of my research with Dr. Shinkai will investigate cutaneous features of subtypes of PCOS (4 main clinical phenotypes) by examining the clinic database. Specifically, my research will look at detailed analysis of the four subtypes of women with PCOS regarding acne, hirsutism, androgenic alopecia, seborrheic dermatitis, and acanthosis nigricans based on comprehensive dermatologic exams. This work will also correlate cutaneous findings in these patients to other phenotypic markers, including ultrasound results and laboratory data in this cohort of patients. The ultimate goal would be to write a peer reviewed publication in which we would be able to classify polycystic ovary syndrome into subtypes based on phenotypic appearance.
Dr. Shinkai’s innovative research team has already carried out a study to extensively characterize cutaneous features of patients presenting with PCOS (manuscript in preparation) and also to determine whether manifestations of polycystic ovary syndrome, in particular androgen excess, differ between Caucasian and Asian women within their cohort. The main outcomes measured in the latter study included a modified Ferriman-Gallwey score, acne, androgenic alopecia,, and biochemical hyperandrogenism. The study demonstrated that Caucasian and Asian women living in the same geographic area had a similar prevalence of all measures of androgen excess, such as hirsutism.1 My research with Dr. Shinkai will continue on some of the already identified characteristics that Dr. Shinkai’s team has published and potentially generalize the data we find into our understanding of PCOS subtypes, which we believe will be a significant contribution to the PCOS literature. As dermatologists are often the first physicians to evaluate women with cutaneous features suggestive of PCOS, this detailed analysis of the cutaneous phenotype will be important information for the dermatology literature to better define the skin findings present in this patient population.
I believe a mentorship experience with Dr. Shinkai under the AARS mentorship grant will allow me to continue on my quest in being able to carry out innovative research in the field of dermatology.
Publications
Okhovat J, Shinkai K. Pyoderma Gangrenosum. JAMA Dermatol. 2014;150(9):1032. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.1307.
View Dr. Okhovat’s published article.
Kamangar F, Okhovat, J, et al. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Special Diagnostic and Therapeutic Considerations for Children. Pediatric Dermatology. 2015. Submitted for Publication.
View Dr. Okhovat’s submitted article.