Dr. Heidi Kong is an Adjunct Investigator at the National Cancer Institute. She is a board-certified Dermatologist and currently directs a research program at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) that includes clinical and translational investigations on the human microbiome and inflammatory skin diseases.

Dr Kong spoke at the CDA’s 2019 Annual Conference about the human microbiome and its roles in health and disease, particularly in inflammatory skin diseases.

Some takeaways from her conversation with Dr Kerri Purdy:

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  Generations of dermatologists know from clinical experience that microbes likely plays a role in several dermatologic disorders

  
  
  
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  Atopic dermatitis “low-hanging fruit” for assessing the role of the microbiome

  
  
  
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  Understanding microbiome reinforces the use of antimicrobials to treat atopic dermatitis

  
  
  
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  Still at early stages of research with the microbiome – still seeing associations rather than showing causation

  
  
  
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  Rare primary immunodeficiency populations helping to understand differences in the microbiome

  
  
  
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  Be skeptical of microbiome research and temper enthusiasm until solid evidence emerges