Mrinal K Sarkar, PhD
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About
Mrinal Sarkar, PhD, is an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Michigan. He is a member of the Skin Immunology and Autoimmunity Research Program and serves as Associate Director of the Functional Analytics Core within the U-M Skin Research Center.
Dr. Sarkar’s research focuses on the functional characterization of genetic variants involved in psoriasis and other autoimmune skin diseases.
He earned his PhD in Biochemistry from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, in 2010 and completed postdoctoral training in the U-M Department of Human Genetics. Dr. Sarkar joined Dr. Johann Gudjonsson’s laboratory in Dermatology in 2014, was appointed Research Investigator in 2016, promoted to Assistant Research Scientist in 2020, and advanced to Associate Research Scientist in 2025.
Research Overview
• Psoriasis
• Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE)
• Keratinocytes
• Type I Interferons
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
• Interferon kappa
Recent Publications
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Coon A, Ayers JL, Cole C, Tiwaa A, Parihar A, Vincent T, Gudjonsson JE, Sarkar MK, Simpson CL. 2027 Jan 1; 3110: Methods in Molecular Biology, 21 - 40.ChapterCRISPR/Cas9 Editing of Human Keratinocytes for Organotypic Modeling of Genetic Epidermal Disorders
DOI:10.1007/7651_2026_714 PMID: 42668338 -
Jiang R, Kirma J, Fox J, Xing X, Wang J, Sarkar MK, Bogle R, Do T, Coon A, Cole C, Plazyo O, Rew JE, Zhang H, Kahlenberg JM, Billi AC, Bachelez H, Tsoi LC, Harms PW, Shao S, Chen X, Gudjonsson JE. Nature Communications, 2026 Dec 1; 17 (1):Journal ArticleDynamic neutrophil-keratinocyte communication network centered on IL-36/TNFSF15 responses characterizes inflammatory responses in generalized pustular psoriasis
DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-67917-9 PMID: 41436466 -
Johnson CJ, Tiwaa A, Parihar A, Antonio E, Lorenz BD, Kudallur R, Ramonett A, Coon A, Sarkar MK, Gudjonsson J, Simpson CL. JCI Insight, 2026 Oct 22;Journal ArticleThe endoplasmic reticulum autophagy receptor TEX264 drives epidermal differentiation and is dysregulated in Darier disease.
DOI:10.1172/jci.insight.196831 PMID: 42911664 -
Peters ZT, Mendyka LK, Blake JA, Goswami HB, Cortez AN, Crossland GE, Shan S, Nowak EC, Keusch M, Sarkar MK, Gudjonsson JE, Burns CM, Barton DT, Blazar BR, Curiel TJ, Mabaera R, Werth VP, Kalus A, Elkon KB, Noelle RJ, Skopelja-Gardner S. JCI Insight, 2026 Oct 6;Journal ArticleKeratinocyte VISTA attenuates UV light-induced skin injury by suppressing cutaneous type I interferon (IFN-I) response.
DOI:10.1172/jci.insight.200540 PMID: 42837173 -
Gudjonsson JE, Bier K, Gaulis S, Tsoi LC, Cardner M, Sarkar MK, Coon A, Cole C, Kärner J, Fernandez A, Peters T, Eidsmo L, Iversen L, Jagiello P, Ferrero E, Kolbinger F, Lohmann F, Conrad C. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2026 Sep 1; 158 (3): 857 - 871.Journal ArticleEarly intervention with secukinumab prevents epigenetic scar development in new-onset psoriasis: STEPIn mechanistic substudy results
DOI:10.1016/j.jaci.2026.04.028 PMID: 42191094 -
Gupta R, Chinchole A, Paul NP, Sarkar MK, Gudjonsson JE, Verma A, Rao R. American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology, 2026 Sep 1; 331 (3): C797 - C813.Journal ArticleInsulin-regulated actin dynamics is disrupted in a human keratinocyte model of Hailey–Hailey disease
DOI:10.1152/ajpcell.00372.2026 PMID: 42605981 -
Sarkar MK, Coon A, Jiang R, Tsoi LC, Gudjonsson JE. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2026 Jul 22; 146 (8): s10Proceeding / Abstract / Poster0060 A sex-biased IFN-κ–IL-36 axis in keratinocyte-driven inflammation in generalized pustular psoriasis
DOI:10.1016/j.jid.2026.06.091 -
Bogle R, Balaji A, Lee H, Cha H, Coon A, Dong Y, Wu Y, Cai Y, Zhang H, Qin T, Patrick M, Sarkar MK, Gudjonsson JE, Duan B, Tsoi L. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2026 Jul 22; 146 (8): s19Proceeding / Abstract / Poster0108 IL-31–induced EDN2 links keratinocytes to sensory neuron activation in prurigo nodularis
DOI:10.1016/j.jid.2026.06.139
