Jessica Shiu

Assistant Professor, Dermatology
School of Medicine

Director of Resident Research Education, Dermatology
School of Medicine

Joint appointment, Biological Chemistry
School of Medicine

Vitiligo, Melanocytic nevi, Melanoma

2024 – Skin of Color Society Career Development Award
2023 – American Academy of Dermatology Skin Care For Developing Countries Grant Sponsor
2022 – American Skin Association Calder Research Scholar Award
2022 – UC Irvine School of Medicine Outstanding Early-Career Faculty Research Award
2021 – Vitiligo International Symposium Best Oral Presentation Award
2020 – UC Irvine Institute of Clinical and Translational Science KL-2 Scholar
2019 – PanAmerican Society for Pigment Cell Research Travel Award
2017 – CalDerm Symposium Resident Symposium Presenter
2017 – Society of Investigative Dermatology’s Resident Retreat
2015 – Eugene Sydney Bereston Award for Excellence in Dermatology
2015 – Charles L. Wisseman, Jr. Award for Excellence in Microbiology & Immunology (University of Maryland School of Medicine)
2013 – Graduate Program in Life Sciences Molecular Microbiology & Immunology program Ollie Eylar Award Winner
2011 – University of Maryland GPILS Outstanding PhD Scholar Award Winner

I am a Dermatology trained physician scientist interested in understanding tissue homeostatic mechanisms in melanocyte-related disorders in the skin. I was in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine where I completed my PhD training studying the gut immune response to Helicobacter pylori. I completed my Dermatology Residency training at UCI and Board Certification in July 2019. I was the first fellow in the Physician Scientist Fellowship Track in the Department of Dermatology and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Anand Ganesan's laboratory. I was supported through a KL-2 scholar award from the Institute of Clinical and Translational Research. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology with my own research laboratory, supported by a NIAMS K08 award, that focuses on mechanisms of repigmentation in vitiligo.

SELECT RECENT PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES
1. Messele F, Tedla G, Ayele S, Chemet A, Roux J, Sonuga O, Wilson M, Kelly KM, Ericson M, Shiu J. Assessing the Psychosocial Impact of a Vitiligo Support Group in Ethiopia: A Pilot Prospective Study. In Press. Journal of Academy of American Dermatology International 2026.

2. Chang RC, Olbrich H, Wang YF, Gainer H, Curkovic N, Walunas TL, Shiu J, Goyal P, Mansini AP, Ludwig RJ, Amber KT. Association of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced bullous pemphigoid with underlying cancer type: A lack of association with cancer tissue mutations and dysregulation. JID Innov. 2026 Jan 13;6(2):100450. doi: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2026.100450.

3. Vallmitjana A, Durkin A, Dvornikov A, Torrado B, Kelly KM, Shiu J, Ganesan AK, Balu M. Label-free multiphoton microscopy of human skin: longitudinal studies capturing cell dynamics. Biomed Opt Express. 2025 Sept 3;16(10):3912-22. Doi: 10.1364/BOE.570105.

4. Vuong LM, Hachey S, Shiu J, Xie DF, Salvador N, Brindani N, Bertozzi SM, Summa M, Bertorelli R, Armirotti A, Pham R, Ku VSH, Limbekar SD, Nguyen T, Choi B, Hughes CCW, De Vivo M, Ganesan AK. CDC42-effector interaction inhibitors alter patterns of vessel arborization in skin and tumors in vivo. iScience. 2025 Jul 14;28(7):112971. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112971.

5. Sun P, Kraus CN, Zhao W, Xu J, Suh S, Nguyen Q, Jia Y, Nair A, Oakes M, Tinoco R, Shiu J, Sun B, Elsensohn A, Atwood SX, Nie Q, Dai X. Spatial and single-cell transcriptomics reveal keratinocytes as key players in vulvar lichen sclerosus pathogenesis. J Invest Dermatol. 2025 Aug 29:S0022-202X(25)02394-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2025.08.022.

6. Xiao H, Shiu J, Chen CF, Wu J, Zhou P, Telang SS, Ruiz-Vega R, Edwards RA, Nie Q, Lander AD, Ganesan AK. Uncovering minimal pathways in melanoma initiation. Nat Comm 2025 Jun 26;16(1):5369.

7. Yale K, Roux J, Shiu J. A cross-sectional study of cutaneous immune-related adverse effects in Hispanic patients after immune checkpoint inhibitor use of cancer therapy. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2025 Jan; 92(1):168-70.

8. Nguyen B, Shiu J. Analyzing Fitzpatrick skin type distribution of vitiligo on Instagram. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2024 Jun 12;10(2):e157. Doi:10.1097/JW9.0000000000000157.

9. Shiu J, Lentsch G, Polleys CM, Mobasher P, Ericson M, Georgakoudi I, Ganesan AK, Balu M. Non-invasive Imaging Techniques for Monitoring Cellular Response to Treatment in Stable Vitiligo. J Invest Dermatol. 2023 Nov 10:S0022-202X(23)02981-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.10.006.

10. Shobajo M, Abdulkadir S, Kraus CN, Shiu J. Anogenital Skin of Color Images are Underrepresented in Dermatology, Gynecology, and Urology Educational Resources. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology. 2023 Jul 6;9(3):e090. doi: 10.1097/JW9.0000000000000090.

11. Shiu J, Zhang L, Lentsch G, Flesher JL, Jin S, Polleys C, Jo SJ, Mizzoni C, Mobasher P, Kwan J, Rius-Diaz F, Tromberg BJ, Georgakoudi I, Nie Q, Balu M, Ganesan AK. Multimodal analyses of vitiligo skin identify tissue characteristics of stable disease. JCI Insight. 2022 Jul 8;7(13):e154585. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.154585.

12. Vu T, Vallmitjana, Gu J, La K, Xu Q, Flores J, Zimak J, Shiu J, Hosohama L, Wu J, Douglas C, Waterman M, Gansean A, Hedde PN, Gratton E, Zhao W. Spatial transcriptomics using combinatorial fluorescence spectral and lifetime encoding, imaging and analysis. Nature Communications. 2022 Jan 10;13(1):169. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-27798-0.

13. Shiu J, Lander AD. When Oncogenes Do Not Cause Cancer. Elife. 2021 Dec 9;10:e74912. Doi:10.7554/eLife.74912.

14. Lehmer L, Choi F, Kraus C, Shiu J, de Feraudy S, Elsensohn AE. Histopathologic PD-L1 Tumor Expression and Prognostic Significance in Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers: A Systematic Review. Am J Dermatopathol. 2021 May 1;43(5):321-330.

15. Mobasher P, Shiu J, Lentsch G, Ganesan AK. Comparing the Efficacy of 2 Different Harvesting Techniques for Melanocyte Keratinocyte Transplantation in Vitiligo. Dermatol Surg. 2021 May; 47(5):732-733.

16. Ruiz-Vega R, Chen CF, Razzak E, Vasudeva P, Krasieva TB, Shiu J, Caldwell MG, Yan H, Lowengrub J, Ganesan AK, Lander AD. Dynamics of nevus development implicate cell cooperation in the growth arrest of transformed melanocytes. Elife. 2020 Oct 13;9:e61026.

17. Choi FD, Kraus CN, Elsensohn AN, Carley SK, Lehmer LM, Nguyen RT, Linden KG, Shiu J. PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer: a systematic review. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020. Feb 82(2):440-459.

NIAMS K08 AR081406 | "Determining how local factors influence repigmentation in stable vitiligo" | Role: PI | Total Costs for Project Period: $900,720 | 08/01/2023 - 06/30/2028

Skin of Color Society Career Development Award | "Elucidating Racial Differences in Vitiligo Presentation & Treatment Response" | Role: PI | Total Costs for Project Period: $100,000 | 05/01/2024 - 04/30/2026

UCI Chao Family Cancer Center Health Disparity Research Grant | "Why do Hispanic Patients Present with Late-Stage Melanoma at a Younger Age?" | Role: PI | Total Costs for Project Period: $300,000 | 06/01/2024 - 05/30/2026

Abbvie M19-044 | " A Phase 3, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Upadacitinib in Adult and Adolescent Subjects with Nonsegmental Vitiligo Who Are Eligible for Systemic Therapy" | Role: PI | 03/01/2024 - 11/30/2025

UCI Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences Pilot Study Award | "Optimizing Spatial Transcriptomics Assay Selection and Analysis in Inflammatory Skin Disorders" | Total Costs for Project Period: $40,000 | 01/01/2025 - 12/31/2025

PanAmerican Society of Pigment Cell Research

Global Vitiligo Foundation

Skin of Color Society

American Academy of Dermatology

Council Member
PanAmerican Society of Pigment Cell Research 2025—Pres

Chair
UCI SOM Promotion and Honors Committee 2025—Pres

Member
Skin of Color Society Research Committee 2024—Pres

Ad Hoc Member
NIH NIAMS AMSC Study Section 2024—2025

Ad Hoc Member
UCI Institute Review Board 2023—Pres

Member
Global Vitiligo Foundation Advocacy Committee 2023—Pres

Member of Promotions & Honors Committee
UC Irvine School of Medicine 2022—2025

Dermatology

Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=6720

Last updated
06/29/2026