Pattaroni/Kern - CUTaneous Immunology and Systems lab (CUTIS)

The CUTaneous Immunology and Systems Lab (CUTIS) brings together clinical dermatology and computational immunology to study the mechanisms underlying human skin disease. We investigate why and how skin conditions develop, persist or relapse, why patients respond differently to treatment, and how tissue repair can be improved. Our work is closely connected to The Bayside Health Dermatology Department, a large tertiary referral centre for adults with inflammatory, genetic and rare cancer-associated skin conditions. By combining dermatology clinical trials and patient cohorts designed around specific research questions with deep molecular profiling, CUTIS aims to identify disease mechanisms, biomarkers and translational strategies that support precision dermatology. CUTIS is part of the SkIIN (Skin, Inflammation, Informatics and Neoplasia) Discovery Program.

Research themes

The skin microbiome is a key component of barrier immunity. We study how microbial communities at our skin’s surfaces may contribute to inflammatory skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis or wound healing in the context of burns and skin transplantation. Using shotgun metagenomics and other high-resolution approaches, we investigate which microbes and how microbial activity interacts with host immune and barrier functions.
Patients with similar clinical diagnoses can differ markedly in treatment response and risk of adverse effects. We investigate the molecular mechanisms that explain this variability, including response to biologics, and severe treatment-associated side effects. By integrating clinical information with deep multi-omics molecular profiling, we aim to identify pathways that can support more precise, safer and more mechanism-informed dermatological care.
Inflammatory skin diseases can leave persistent molecular imprints even after visible inflammation has resolved. We use advanced single-cell sequencing approaches to investigate how immune, epithelial and stromal cells retain disease-associated programs in health and inflammatory disease. This work aims to define how epigenetic and cellular memory may contribute to relapse, chronic inflammation, altered tissue responses and differences in response to therapeutic exposures.
A robust understanding of diseased skin requires a clear reference for what non-diseased human skin looks like at cellular resolution. We developed a non-diseased Human Skin Cell Atlas (nd-HSCA), which provides a framework for mapping inflammatory and rare skin diseases against a robust reference. By identifying altered cell states, rare populations and disrupted pathways, the atlas supports hypothesis generation and comparative analysis across skin conditions.
Effective skin repair requires coordinated interactions between immune responses, tissue-resident cells, microbial exposures and regenerative pathways. In collaboration with the Skin Bioengineering Lab in the Department of Surgery, we investigate molecular mechanisms of wound healing after skin transplantation using novel Platelet-Rich Human Skin Equivalents. By combining experimental skin models with molecular profiling, we aim to understand how regenerative pathways can be modulated to improve healing outcomes.

Our people

Principal Investigators

Research Assistant
- Roxanne Chatzis
Alfred Dermatology Clinical Trials Team
Principal Investigator
- Prof Johannes Kern
Associate Investigators
- Dr Julia Rhodes
- Dr Rebekka Jerjen-van Dijk
- A/Prof Sue Yen Michelle Goh
Research Fellows
- Dr Brandon Hu
- Dr Holly Fitzgerald
Research Nurse Coordinators
- Chiva Kheang
- Frances Burns
- Melissa Markos
- Stephanie Qian
Research Assistants
- Colm Molloy
- Thea Klages

Honours and Postgraduate research projects

Dermatology clinical trials View

CUTIS partners with the Alfred Dermatology Clinical Trials team to advance new treatments for acute, severe and chronic skin conditions. Together, we undertake investigator-led studies and registries, and connect translational CUTIS projects with Alfred's broader commercial dermatology trial portfolio.

Our trials

This investigator-led, non-interventional study enrols adults with psoriasis and collects blood, DNA swabs and optional skin biopsies to examine antigen presentation in lesional and non-lesional skin. The aim is to identify pathogenic peptides that could support more personalised psoriasis care.
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The Australasian Registry of Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions captures clinical, genetic and outcome data on severe drug reactions across Australia and New Zealand. It aims to improve diagnosis, management and prevention, and to identify immune mechanisms and potential treatment targets.
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This non-interventional study examines microbiome, gene-expression and metabolite differences in adults with and without atopic dermatitis. The goal is to identify immune and microbial features linked to eczema and more personalised treatment approaches.
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This placebo-controlled Phase IIb trial evaluates the safety and efficacy of GIA632 in adults with non-segmental vitiligo that has not responded adequately to topical therapy. The study also helps identify the most suitable dose for larger future trials.
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This dose-finding Phase I/II trial evaluates the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of up to three intramuscular injections of an acne mRNA vaccine in adults aged 18-45 years with moderate to severe acne. The study tests whether the vaccine is safe, effective and able to produce an immune response against acne development.
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This placebo-controlled Phase II trial evaluates the efficacy and safety of brivekimig in adults with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa. Participants receive subcutaneous treatment every two weeks during the placebo-controlled and extension periods.
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This investigator-led study investigates pathophysiological mechanisms in oral lichen planus, a chronic inflammatory mucosal disease. The study is intended to improve understanding of disease mechanisms and support future mechanism-informed treatment approaches.
The Alfred has one of the largest clinical trial portfolios in the country. Find additional dermatology trials through the Alfred clinical trials search.
Find Alfred Heath Dermatology Clinical Trials

Publication highlights View

Han A, Pattaroni C. "Scratching the surface" of cutaneous immunity where the microbiome sets the tone and itch turns the volume up. Immunol Cell Biol. 2026 Apr 23. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1111/imcb.70118; PMID: 42023434.

Pattaroni C, Macowan M, Chatzis R, Iacono G, Cardwell B, Gore M, Custovic A, Shields MD, Power UF, Grigg J, Roberts G, Ghazal P, Schwarze J, Turner S, Bush A, Saglani S, Lloyd CM, Marsland BJ. Bacterial communities co-develop with respiratory immunity early in life, linking dysbiosis to systemic monocyte signature and wheezing. Sci Adv. 2025 Oct 17;11(42):eadw1410. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adw1410; PMID: 41105770; PMCID: PMC12533588.

Pattaroni C, Watzenboeck ML, Schneidegger S, Kieser S, Wong NC, Bernasconi E, Pernot J, Mercier L, Knapp S, Nicod LP, Marsland CP, Roth-Kleiner M, Marsland BJ. Early-Life Formation of the Microbial and Immunological Environment of the Human Airways. Cell Host Microbe. 2018 Dec 12;24(6):857-865.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.10.019; PMID: 30503510.

Li C, Mullan KA, Ye J, Burns FA, Meysman P, Purcell AW, Kern JS, Braun A. Spatial insights into psoriasis: A single-cell transcriptomics pipeline to study inflammatory skin disease. J Invest Dermatol. 2026 Feb 12:S0022-202X(26)00086-2. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2026.02.001; PMID: 41690540.

Braun A, Mobbs JI, Chung S, Tuomisto JE, Li C, Scull KE, Ayala R, Anand S, Ramarathinam S, Kern JS, Fourie A, McKinnon M, Manthey C, Baker DG, Rao N, Mifsud NA, Illing PT, Vivian JP, Rossjohn J, Purcell AW. A transgenic mouse allows characterization of the HLA-C*06:02 immunopeptidome in a model of psoriasis. J Invest Dermatol. 2025 Dec 24:S0022-202X(25)03684-X. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2025.12.015; PMID: 41453599.

Guttman-Yassky E, Kabashima K, Worm M, Luna PC, Hong HC, Chovatiya R, Bernstein JA, Kern JS, Ehst BD, Magnolo N, Herranz-Pinto P, Stein Gold L, Sofen H, Pink AE, Esfandiari E, Arai T, Yang Y, Shi R, Barragan C, Kricorian G, Schwartz-Sagi L, Bissonnette R. Efficacy and safety of rocatinlimab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in ROCKET-IGNITE and ROCKET-HORIZON: two global, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised phase 3 clinical trials. Lancet. 2026 Jan 3;407(10523):53-66. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01865-3; PMID: 41314226; erratum doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)02603-0.

Bruckner AL, Murrell D, Lee LW, Sprecher E, Kiritsi D, Maher L, Löwe S, Donovan M, Kern JS; EASE investigators. Reduction in Dressing Change Burden in Patients With Epidermolysis Bullosa-Impact of Oleogel-S10. J Dermatol. 2025 Sep;52(9):1447-1451. doi: 10.1111/1346-8138.17884; PMID: 40908727; PMCID: PMC12411827.

Nyström A, Pattaroni C, Kern JS. The Role of Fibroblasts in Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Pathogenesis and Current Treatment Approaches. JID Innov. 2025 Feb 4;5(3):100353. doi: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2025.100353; PMID: 40061239; PMCID: PMC11889372.

Department of Immunology

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences