Grant Advisory Panel
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Eczema UK’s Grant Advisory Panel (GAP) provides independent expert assessment of applications for our research funding. The Panel brings together scientific and clinical expertise relevant to eczema alongside lived-experience perspectives. Its role is to help ensure that the research we fund is scientifically robust, relevant to people affected by eczema and aligned with our Research Strategy.
What does the Grant Advisory Panel do?
The Grant Advisory Panel considers eligible research funding applications following independent external expert review.
Panel members consider the quality, feasibility and relevance of applications, taking account of external reviewer assessments and, where appropriate, input from people with lived experience of eczema.
Following discussion and assessment, the Panel makes recommendations to Eczema UK about which applications should receive funding.
The Eczema UK Board of Trustees formally ratifies the Panel’s funding recommendations as part of its governance and financial oversight responsibilities. The Board does not re-score applications, alter their scientific ranking or substitute its judgement for that of the independent review process.
Grant Advisory Panel 2026
Panel member | Role / organisation | GAP role |
Dr Paula Beattie | Consultant Dermatologist in Glasgow | Chair |
Prof Celia Moss | Honorary Professor, University of Birmingham, Former Consultant Dermatologist, Birmingham Children’s Hospital | Vice-Chair |
Dr Zenas Yiu | Clinical Senior Lecturer in Dermatology and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Manchester, Honorary Consultant Dermatologist at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and MRC Clinician Scientist at the University of Manchester | Member |
Dr Carolyn Charman | Consultant Dermatologist, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Clinical Vice President of British Association of Dermatologists | Member |
James Pitayanukul | Trustee National Eczema Society & Patient Representative | Member |
Julie Van Onselen | Dermatology Nurse Specialist at Eczema UK | Member |
Professor Kim Thomas | Professor of Applied Dermatology Research, University of Nottingham; Co-Director, Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology | Member |
Dr Simon G. Danby | Senior Research Fellow in Dermatology, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield | Member |
Dr Ella Guest | Chartered Health Psychologist & VTCT Foundation Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Appearance Research (CAR), University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) | Member |
Independence and expertise
Our Grant Advisory Panel is structured to provide an appropriate balance of expertise and perspectives.
Scientific assessment, scoring and ranking are undertaken collectively by the Panel along with supporting independent external reviews as needed. Eczema UK staff undertake administrative eligibility and compliance checks before applications enter the review process, but these checks do not assess the scientific quality or merit of applications.
Trustees may serve on the Grant Advisory Panel where they bring relevant expertise or lived experience. Trustees do not constitute a majority of the Panel and are subject to the same assessment and conflict of interest requirements as other members.
Managing conflicts of interest
All Grant Advisory Panel members are required to declare actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest.
A Panel member who has a conflict relating to an application must withdraw from its discussion, scoring and decision-making.
Where the Chair has a conflict of interest, responsibility for the affected part of the assessment process passes to the Vice-Chair or another appropriately appointed unconflicted independent Panel member, in accordance with our Research Funding Conflict of Interest Policy.
These arrangements help protect the fairness, independence and integrity of our research funding decisions.
Read our Conflict-of-Interest Policy.
People affected by eczema in research funding
People with lived experience of eczema contribute to our research funding process, helping us consider the relevance and potential value of proposed research to the eczema community.
Our patient and public involvement complements scientific and clinical expert review and helps ensure that the perspectives of people affected by eczema are represented in our research programme.
Find out more about patient and public involvement in Eczema UK research.