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International Psoriasis Council

Advancing Knowledge. Improving Care.

Francesca Capon headshot

Francesca

Capon

,

PhD

Donald Rix BC Leadership Chair in Genetic Medicine
University of British Columbia
Vancouver
,
British Columbia
,
Canada
Councilor Since: September 1, 2018
IPC Councilor
Dr. Francesca Capon obtained a BSc in biological sciences (1992) and a PhD in medical genetics (1999) from La Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy. Her interest in the genetics of psoriasis brought her to the United Kingdom. She first moved to the University of Leicester as a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow (2001), then took on a Lectureship in human molecular genetics at University College London (2004). She joined King’s College London in 2006 as a lecturer and was then promoted to Senior Lecturer (2014), Reader (Associate Professor, 2018) and Professor (2022). In 2024, she moved to the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada), where she is the Donald Rix Leadership Chair in Genetic Medicine. In recent years, the Capon Lab has been concentrating on two main research areas: the identification of disease pathways in pustular forms of psoriasis and the determinants of drug response in plaque psoriasis. This research has been published in high-impact journals, including the American Journal of Human Genetics, the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Science Translational Medicine, and Nature Communications.
Last Updated:
11/11/2024

Areas of Interest

Genetics and transcriptomics.

IPC Committees / Groups

Palmoplantar Pustulosis (PPP) Working Group

Languages Spoken

English, French

Involvement with Other Organization(s)

Contributed to events organised by the Psoriasis Association of the United Kingdom.

What's New

Remembering Dr. Craig Leonardi

The International Psoriasis Council (IPC) remembers Dr. Craig Leonardi, founding member and former President, whose research shaped modern psoriasis treatment.

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Look Beyond My Skin: World Psoriasis Day 2026

World Psoriasis Day, observed each year on October 29, was launched by the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) in 2004 to give a voice to the more than 125 million people worldwide living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. To mark this year’s observance, IPC joined the Latin American Society of Psoriasis and Dermoimmunology (SOLAPSO) and the Skin Inflammation and Psoriasis International Network (SPIN) to create a video series around the theme “Look Beyond My Skin,” featuring voices from all three organizations. Missed the videos on social media? Watch the full series on the IPC YouTube channel.

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Thursday, October 29, 2026

Introducing Take Two with IPC: Expert Talks in Two Minutes

Take Two with IPC gives a longer presentation a second life in two minutes. Each video takes an expert talk IPC has already published (a Take Ten recording or a symposium presentation) and condenses the clinical substance. The series launched this month alongside the World Psoriasis Day campaign with four videos on pediatric psoriasis: Psoriasis Look-Alikes and Anti-TNF-α Induced Skin Eruptions with IPC Board Member Amy Paller, MS, MD; Conventional Therapies with IPC Councilor Mona El-Kalioby, MBBCh, MSc, MD; and Phototherapy in Pediatric Psoriasis with Fernando Valenzuela, MD. New Take Two videos will be featured each month, drawn from the Take Ten with IPC library and recordings from IPC symposia, with a link to the full presentation for each.

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Thursday, October 29, 2026

Videos Now Available from the Eczema and Psoriasis Research Incubator

Select presentations from the Eczema and Psoriasis Research Incubator: Cross-Disciplinary Innovation Forum, hosted by the International Eczema Council (IEC) and International Psoriasis Council (IPC) at the 55th Annual European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) Meeting, are now available. Topics include disease endotypes, atopic dermatitis-psoriasis overlap, cardiovascular risk in psoriasis, and genetic susceptibility.

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Monday, October 26, 2026

Sex Differences in Psoriasis

In this Take Ten with IPC video, Juul van den Reek and PhD candidate Liana Barenbrug discuss sex differences in psoriasis, why these distinctions matter, what current research tells us, and which areas should be prioritized in future psoriasis research.

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Thursday, October 1, 2026