#RAJKAMedal
Rajka medal and prize: the winner among 4 excellent applicants originating from Indonesia, Ireland, Japan and Madagascar, is Dr Ge PENG, MD, PhD, Associate Professor at the Atopy Research Center, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Brief description of the research project
Atopic dermatitis is a common long-term skin condition that can cause dryness, redness, repeated flare-ups, and severe itching. These symptoms may affect sleep, work, school, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life. Although available treatments can control the disease effectively for many patients, symptoms often return, and some patients continue to experience an incomplete response or concerns about long-term treatment.
My research seeks to better understand why the skin loses its ability to protect itself in atopic dermatitis and why inflammation and itching continue to return. I am particularly interested in the natural protective systems within the skin that help maintain a healthy barrier, limit unnecessary inflammation, and support recovery after injury or irritation.
The aim of my work is to identify ways to strengthen these protective functions rather than focusing only on suppressing symptoms after they appear. By helping the skin restore its normal balance, future treatments may provide more lasting disease control, reduce repeated flare-ups, and lessen dependence on broad immune suppression.
Ultimately, I hope that this research will contribute to safer, more effective, and more personalized treatments for people living with atopic dermatitis. My long-term goal is to translate discoveries from the laboratory into practical approaches that improve both skin health and patients’ daily life.
Bio
Ge PENG MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Atopy Research Center, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. He began his academic career in dermatological research, with a particular interest in atopic dermatitis, after receiving his medical degree from Southern Medical University in China. He subsequently completed a master’s degree at China Medical University and earned his PhD from Juntendo University.
Following his doctoral training, Dr. PENG was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research Abroad/Young Scientists from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to advance his research on atopic dermatitis. His research focuses on the mechanisms that maintain epidermal homeostasis and how their disruption contributes to atopic dermatitis. His studies have shown that molecules traditionally regarded mainly as antimicrobial factors can also activate protective cellular pathways in keratinocytes, strengthen the epidermal barrier, and suppress atopic dermatitis-like inflammation.
His current research aims to define how epidermal autophagy coordinates barrier repair, immune regulation, and neuro-immune communication, with the long-term goal of developing treatments that restore the skin’s own protective and regenerative capacity.