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International Psoriasis Council

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Advancing Knowledge. Improving Care.

Nicole

Ward

,

PhD

Professor and Vice-Chair for Basic Research, Department of Dermatology
Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology
Dr. Lloyd E. King Jr. Directorship in Dermatology Research
Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University
Nashville
,
Tennessee
,
United States
Councilor Since: March 1, 2015
IPC Councilor
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Dr. Nicole Ward is a Professor in the Departments of Dermatology and Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology and is Vice-Chair for Basic Research in the Dermatology Department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her research focuses on understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying autoimmunity and inflammatory skin diseases. Her group has published several seminal findings, including being the first to show that chronic skin-initiated inflammation can drive the development of cardiovascular disease and that suppressing it reverses disease; and that cutaneous sensory nerve interactions with dendritic cells are critical for eliciting and sustaining psoriasis pathogenesis, thus explaining the cellular mechanisms underlying psoriasis disease remission following skin denervation. Her lab continues to study basic disease mechanisms of chronic inflammatory skin diseases, the role of microbial diversity in promoting inflammation, and the occurrence of comorbidities. Her contributions to skin research have been recognized in her being awarded the Eugene M. Farber Lecture Award at the 2016 Society for Investigative Dermatology meeting, the American Skin Association Research Achievement Award in Psoriasis in 2019, the 2022 National Psoriasis Foundation Commit to Cure: Women Who Lead Award, the 2023 National Psoriasis Foundation Distinguished Senior Investigator, Basic Science, and in 2024 being awarded Honorary Membership of the European Society for Dermatological Research.
Last Updated:
07/01/2026

Areas of Interest

Psoriasis pathogenesis; translational models of psoriatic disease; cardiovascular, neurologic, and arthritic comorbidities; multi-omics approaches, including metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics; preclinical disease modeling; biomarker discovery; and mechanisms linking chronic skin inflammation to systemic disease.

IPC Committees / Groups

Research Committee

Languages Spoken

English

Involvement with Other Organization(s)

Dr. Nicole Ward serves on the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) Scientific Advisory Committee and advocates on the Foundation’s behalf with the United States government.
Recent publications

Featured

Video

Metabolomics and Psoriasis Inflammation: What is the Connection?.

Professor Nicole Ward presents an overview of psoriasis and metabolomics, exploring the question: Do metabolic changes…

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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2024 IPC Think Tank Symposium – Psoriasis: The Multiple Facets of a Global…

The 2024 IPC Think Tank Congress Report provides a comprehensive summary of key topics, including the epidemiology of…

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Blog

Commentary: The Next Era of Opportunity in Psoriasis: Spatial Transcriptomics.

Nicole Ward explores groundbreaking psoriatic disease research methods published in recent literature. Discover how…

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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2023 International Society for Investigative Dermatology Meeting (ISID).

The International Society of Investigative Dermatology (ISID) held its inaugural meeting in Tokyo, Japan, from May 10…

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Blog

2022 World Psoriasis Day.

The IPC is a proud supporter of World Psoriasis Day by uniting for action with IFPA to advance care and change the…

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Event

Symposium: Disease Memory and Disease Modification in Psoriasis.

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES FOR INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY MEETING (ISID) | TOKYO, JAPAN Wednesday, May 10 11:30 - 15:00…

May 10, 2023
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Page

Focus on Psoriasis - A Report from the SID Virtual Meeting 2021.

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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2021 Hybrid Gene to Clinic Congress.

The Psoriasis: from Gene to Clinic International Congress provides a forum for psoriasis experts from around the world…

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PDF

Focus on Psoriasis – A Report from the 2021 Hybrid Gene to Clinic Congress.

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Blog

World Psoriasis Day.

Biologics and biosimilars have created many new options in psoriasis treatment for patients worldwide, but patients…

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Blog

In the Lab with IPC Councilor Nicole Ward.

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What's New

Global and Collaborative Research in Psoriasis: IPC Fellows Research Class #1 Recordings

Recordings from the IPC Fellows Research Class #1: Global and Collaborative Research in Psoriasis are now available. Program Chairs Peter van de Kerkhof, MD, PhD, and María Julia Cura, MD, led a faculty of international experts through sessions on unresolved questions in the era of effective psoriasis therapies, building global research collaborations, and connecting psoriasis research across disciplines. Watch to hear from Wolf Henning Boehncke, MD, MA, Christopher Griffiths, OBE, MD, FMedSci, and Georg Stingl, MD, as they share perspectives shaping the next generation of psoriasis research.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026

New in the IPC Resource Library: Research Skills

The IPC Resource Library now includes a dedicated Research Skills category, bringing together videos, articles, and presentations focused on building stronger research capabilities in psoriasis. Browse the current collection to find resources on topics from collaborative research methods to career development for researchers at every stage.

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Thursday, July 13, 2026

New Take Tens on Psoriatic Arthritis

IPC Councilor Anna Lopez Ferrer, MD, PhD, reviews PURE-4, a four-item tool that helps dermatologists screen psoriasis patients for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) risk. She traces its evolution across three studies (2018–2026) into a validated predictor of early PsA.

IPC Councilor André Lucas Ribeiro, MD, reframes PsA as a slow transition from psoriasis, not a sudden event, opening the door to disease interception. He outlines the steps needed to get there, from harmonizing definitions to reducing inflammatory burden.

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Wednesday, July 8, 2026