James T Elder, MD, PhD
Kirk D Wuepper Professor of Molecular Genetic Dermatology and Professor of Dermatology
[email protected]

Available to mentor

James T Elder, MD, PhD
Professor
  • About
  • Center Memberships
  • Recent Publications
  • About

    Dr. James T. Elder, M.D, Ph.D. is the Kirk D. Wuepper Professor of Molecular Genetic Dermatology and professor of dermatology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Elder received his MD and a PhD in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, from Yale University Medical School and completed an internal medicine Internship, dermatology residency and research fellowship at the University of Washington. Following his residency, Dr. Elder completed a Senior Research Fellowship at the University of Michigan.

    The Elder laboratory utilizes tools of molecular biology and genetics to better understand several human skin diseases. Dr. Elder's lab is a world leader in the use of genetic linkage and association techniques to learn more about how the immune system activates the epidermal wound healing mechanism in psoriasis, and triggers joint destruction in psoriatic arthritis. In 2006, his laboratory identified HLA-Cw6 as the disease allele at PSORS1, the major psoriasis susceptibility locus in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). His current efforts in this area are focused on identification of psoriasis susceptibility genes outside the MHC, with nine loci confirmed thus far. His laboratory also has a long-standing interest in the role of the EGF receptor (also known as ErbB1) as an activation signal for epidermal wound healing and carcinogenesis. Active projects in this area are exploring the roles of autocrine EGF-like growth factors in psoriasis, wound healing and cancer. Finally, Dr. Elder's laboratory has also identified somatic mutations in melanocytic nevi and melanomas of varying degrees of progression.

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design
    Recent Publications See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Sumo-regulatory SENP2 controls the homeostatic squamous mitosis-differentiation checkpoint.
      Galán-Vidal J, García-Gaipo L, Molinuevo R, Dias S, Tsoi A, Gómez-Román J, Elder JT, Hochegger H, Gandarillas A. Cell Death Dis, 2024 Aug 16; 15 (8): 596 DOI:10.1038/s41419-024-06969-z
      PMID: 39152119
    • Journal Article
      Large-scale functional inference for skin-expressing lncRNAs using expression and sequence information.
      Patrick MT, Sreeskandarajan S, Shefler A, Wasikowski R, Sarkar MK, Chen J, Qin T, Billi AC, Kahlenberg JM, Prens E, Hovnanian A, Weidinger S, Elder JT, Kuo C-C, Gudjonsson JE, Tsoi LC. JCI Insight, 2023 Dec 22; 8 (24): DOI:10.1172/jci.insight.172956
      PMID: 38131377
    • Journal Article
      Retrospective pharmacogenetic study of psoriasis highlights the role of KLK7 in tumour necrosis factor signalling.
      Zhang H, Patrick MT, Tejasvi T, Sarkar MK, Wasikowski R, Stuart PE, Li Q, Xing X, Voorhees JJ, Ward NL, He K, Zhou X, Gudjonsson JE, Nair RP, Elder JT, Tsoi LC. Br J Dermatol, 2023 Dec 20; 190 (1): 70 - 79. DOI:10.1093/bjd/ljad332
      PMID: 37672660
    • Journal Article
      A Cross-Trait Genetic Correlation Study Identified Eight Diseases and Traits Associated with Psoriasis.
      Ogawa K, Tsoi LC, Tanaka H, Kanai M, Stuart PE, Nair RP, Tanaka Y, Mochizuki H, Elder JT, Okada Y. J Invest Dermatol, 2023 Sep; 143 (9): 1813 - 1816.e2. DOI:10.1016/j.jid.2023.01.037
      PMID: 36906125
    • Journal Article
      A Cross-Trait Genetic Correlation Study Identified Eight Diseases and Traits Associated with Psoriasis
      Ogawa K, Tsoi LC, Tanaka H, Kanai M, Stuart PE, Nair RP, Tanaka Y, Mochizuki H, Elder JT, Okada Y. J Invest Dermatol, 2023 Sep; 143 (9): 1813 - 1816.e2. DOI:10.1016/j.jid.2023.01.037
    • Journal Article
      Genetic Validation of Psoriasis Phenotyping in UK Biobank Supports the Utility of Self-Reported Data and Composite Definitions for Large Genetic and Epidemiological Studies.
      Saklatvala JR, Hanscombe KB, Mahil SK, Tsoi LC, Elder JT, Barker JN, Simpson MA, Smith CH, Dand N. J Invest Dermatol, 2023 Aug; 143 (8): 1598 - 1601.e10. DOI:10.1016/j.jid.2023.02.010
      PMID: 36870556
    • Journal Article
      Shared Genetic Risk Factors for Multiple Sclerosis/Psoriasis Suggest Involvement of Interleukin-17 and Janus Kinase-Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription Signaling.
      Patrick MT, Nair RP, He K, Stuart PE, Billi AC, Zhou X, Gudjonsson JE, Oksenberg JR, Elder JT, Tsoi LC. Ann Neurol, 2023 Aug; 94 (2): 384 - 397. DOI:10.1002/ana.26672
      PMID: 37127916
    • Journal Article
      Single cell and spatial sequencing define processes by which keratinocytes and fibroblasts amplify inflammatory responses in psoriasis.
      Ma F, Plazyo O, Billi AC, Tsoi LC, Xing X, Wasikowski R, Gharaee-Kermani M, Hile G, Jiang Y, Harms PW, Xing E, Kirma J, Xi J, Hsu J-E, Sarkar MK, Chung Y, Di Domizio J, Gilliet M, Ward NL, Maverakis E, Klechevsky E, Voorhees JJ, Elder JT, Lee JH, Kahlenberg JM, Pellegrini M, Modlin RL, Gudjonsson JE. Nat Commun, 2023 Jun 12; 14 (1): 3455 DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-39020-4
      PMID: 37308489