Elizabeth Grice, PhD appointed Vice Chair of Basic Science Research
~Adapted from Department of Dermatology Newsletter, Spring 2021
The Department of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine is proud to announce the promotion of Elizabeth A. Grice, PhD, to Vice Chair for Basic Science Research. Since joining the Department in 2012, Dr. Grice continually impresses not only her colleagues, but our entire field with her novel research. Her track record in all areas of professionalism is also truly exemplary. To date, she has over 46 peer-reviewed research publications, 16 published peer-reviewed reviews, and is credited as co-inventor on a U.S. Patent. Dr. Grice’s research is highly interdisciplinary and explores the intersections of genomics, microbiology, immunology, and dermatology. Specifically, Dr. Grice’s research focuses on the skin microbiome, including functions and roles in mediating skin health and cutaneous wound healing.
After earning her PhD in Human Genetics from Johns Hopkins University in 2006, Dr. Grice completed a five-year fellowship at the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), after which, she was recruited by Penn Dermatology. In less than ten years, Dr. Grice has established a trajectory of outstanding productivity, creativity, and excellence. This is clearly evidenced by her history of securing outside funding from private investors, industry leaders, non-profit organizations, and, significantly, from the NIH. In fact, she led the Department in the successful renewal of a multi-million dollar P30 Grant that supports the Penn Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-based Center (SBDRC). When the new funding commences this summer, having worked for the past few years as its Associate Director, Dr. Grice will formally assume the position as the Director of SBDRC. As the Director, Dr. Grice looks forward to expanding the breadth, depth, and reach of the SBDRC by working with the Directors of its various cores.
In addition to this work, Dr. Grice is committed to scientific research training at all of its stages and is the Co-Principal Investigator of the Dermatology Research T32 Training Grant. She presently holds editorial positions for three academic journals, Genome Research, Microbiome, and Experimental Dermatology and is a standing member of the Arthritis, Connective Tissue, and Skin NIH study section. Dr. Grice has held organizing roles for over 20 scientific meetings, and in the past five years alone, Dr. Grice has been invited to present more than 50 lectures. It is clear that Dr. Grice is a highly respected scientist who is dedicated not only to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge, but who also prioritizes the training of the next generation of researchers. We are thrilled she will be Vice Chair of Basic Science Research, and look forward to watching Dr. Grice continue at the forefront of our field.
