Alopecia areata awareness podcast series

Alopecia areata awareness podcast series

Podcast 1: Unmet needs in the management of alopecia areata

Dermatologist Dr Brittany Craiglow and Damien Hamber, a patient with alopecia areata universalis, describe the unmet medical needs in alopecia areata (AA) management, and the impact of these on patients. Dr Craiglow emphasises for health care professionals, “As a physician…the most important things that I can do is acknowledge the experience and normalise that this is hard.” Play Podcast 1 to learn more.

Podcast 2: Treatment choice, shared decision-making, and treatment planning for patients with alopecia areata

Treatment selection and planning are fundamental to clinical disease management, but patients also “want to talk to someone who not only understands the condition medically, but the impact that it’s going to have on the individual, and present them with ways forward.” Listen to Damien Hamber, a patient with alopecia areata universalis and patient advocate, and Dr Brittany Craiglow, a dermatologist, unpack the elements of best-practice clinical management for AA.

Podcast 3: Long-term management of alopecia areata with JAK inhibitors

Although Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors for AA “can be really life-changing for patients”, Dr Leila Asfour observes that “these are not cures. Often, patients come to the clinic with heightened expectations.” Play the podcast to learn the nuances of using JAK inhibitors for long-term management of AA.

Podcast 4: Progress in basic science research on alopecia areata pathophysiology

Progress in explaining AA pathogenesis, such as identification of the JAK-STAT pathway, has helped determine treatment targets for AA. However, Dr Brittany Craiglow recognises that “We don’t understand that initial inciting event that causes alopecia areata. Patients come into the clinic fixated on the ‘why,’ which is still not well understood.” 

Meet the experts

Brittany Craiglow

Dr Craiglow is Associate Professor Adjunct at Yale School of Medicine, and a double-board certified dermatologist. She has authored over fifty publications, and been an invited speaker at conferences worldwide on topics in paediatric dermatology. She practices at Yale Dermatology Associates and Yale New Haven Hospital. She has particular expertise in treating inflammatory skin disease, alopecia, and disorders of keratinisation.

Disclosures:

Honoraria and/or fees from Aclaris Therapeutics Inc, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, and Sanofi Genzyme.

Speaker bureaus for Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer, Regeneron, and Sanofi Genzyme.

Damien Hamber

Damian has a long career in IT services in a variety of roles; in particular, developing teams internationally to deliver global services to enterprise customers. He has extensive experience in IT Outsourcing, primarily in leadership roles. Damian volunteered for Alopecia UK for 4 years before joining the Board in 2021, supporting at events, conferences, support groups and providing peer support. 

"Many years on I was sitting in a coffee shop when a boy with Alopecia walked by and could not take his eyes off me, I guess because he’d never seen anyone like him. That’s when I reached out to Alopecia UK as I realised that I have real life experience than can support and help others going through what I went through as a child and teenager. It’s important to me that others benefit from my experience"

Disclosures:
None to declare.

Leila Asfour

Dr Leila Asfour is a dermatologist. She was awarded a British Skin Foundation research grant for her project on chemotherapy-induced alopecia. She sits on the panel updating the British Association of Dermatologists’ (BAD) Alopecia Areata guidelines. Dr Asfour has presented nationally and internationally and has received several national awards for her presentations and written work. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and written several book chapters in her areas of interest. Dr Asfour has been involved in the development and recruitment for the Global Registry of Alopecia areata disease Severity and treatment Safety (GRASS) in Australia. She has co-authored a national curriculum for an education platform on alopecia areata and atopic dermatitis for Australian GPs, trainees, specialists and dermatologists. Dr Asfour is an associate editor of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, and communications lead for the British Hair and Nails Society.

Disclosures:
A subinvestigator for research conducted by Pfizer and the Global Registry of Alopecia Areata Disease Severity and Treatment Safety (GRASS) outside of the submitted work.