In June, Alopecia UK attended the EHRS conference in Sheffield. During this three-day meeting of hair researchers from around Europe, and beyond, we learned all about the latest developments in hair loss research.

We were delighted to be invited to be involved in this brilliant event with the leading experts in hair loss. Our CEO Sue Schilling was invited to speak in the opening talks. Sue delivered a heartfelt address, thanking researchers for all their efforts to find the answers to puzzles that remain across the different types of alopecia. She also highlighted the importance of involving people with lived experience in the research process, and let researchers know about the work Alopecia UK do in the research arena.

Our Psychological Wellbeing Lead, Dr Kerry Montgomery, was invited to give a talk about the psychology of hair loss, something that is so important for those working in hair research to understand. AUK-funded researcher Dr Fabio Zucchelli presented his findings from his study of the psychosocial impact of alopecia areata on men. It was fantastic to see the psychology of alopecia given a full session.

Our Research and Liaison Manager, Dr Niels Bootsma, was also in attendance talking to researchers about the 2023 Alopecia UK Research Pots. We are looking forward to receiving some applications for funding later in the summer.

We were delighted to also sponsor two early-career researchers, Dr Matthew Wynne of Salford Royal, and Leah Redmond of Imperial College London, to attend the conference. In addition, Alopecia UK gave out a poster prize to the research project ‘most likely to impact patients’. 

There were more than 25 presentations, and almost 70 research posters, too much to discuss in detail here. But for those of you interested in learning more, you can read a more in-depth summary of some of the research talks, pulled together by Niels, here. 

Niels was pleased to catch up with researcher Dr Tuntas Rayinda who has recently published the findings of his study exploring the shared genetic risk factors in both male and female frontal fibrosing alopecia. This study was funded by Alopecia UK. Niels has provided a summary of this study's findings which you can read here. 

Thank you to the EHRS committee for inviting Alopecia UK to be a part of their 2023 conference.

Whilst in Sheffield, Operations Manager Amy nipped up to Weston Park Museum to check out the Hair: Untold Stories exhibition. Amy enjoyed the small exhibition which reflects not only on the fibre of hair itself - did you know it's used to mop up oil spills due to it's absorbent properties? - but also shows how hair is entangled with society's expectations and our relationships to others. The exhibition runs until Sunday 29th October 2023. Details can be found here.