Research Project: Could a Pill Provide the Same Protection as Sunscreen?
During her PhD studies, Aheen Faisal set out to investigate whether, in addition to regular sunscreen use, the skin could be further protected and the risk of redness and DNA damage reduced through oral intake of two different compounds: nicotinamide (vitamin B3) and Polypodium leucotomos, an extract derived from a fern.
In short, the study, which she defended in late April, showed that although the two compounds appeared to reduce skin redness to some extent, they were in fact unable to prevent the DNA damage caused by UV radiation.
At her PhD defence, Aheen Faisal was evaluated by Sally Ibbotson, MD and Professor at the Department of Dermatology, University of Dundee, and John Anthony, BSc, MSc, PhD and Emeritus Professor at St John’s Institute of Dermatology, King’s College London.
Aheen Faisal conducted her PhD research at Aalborg University in collaboration with The Danish Research Center for Skin Cancer, with Stine Regin Wiegell, Merete Hædersdal and Peter Bjerring serving as supervisors.
