Congratulations Mia and the tricho-derma community!
Today, incredible Mia Asplund successfully defended her thesis Development of novel and accessible treatments for Trichotillomania and Skin-picking disorder in Erna Möllersalen at Karolinska Institutet (KI), Flemingsberg. Opponent was Michael Twohig, Professor at Utah State University.
Also present were principal supervisor Volen Ivanov and co-supervisors Christian Rück and Fabian Lenhard (KI). Examination board consisted of Monica Buhrman, Associate Professor (Uppsala University), Ida Flink, Professor (Karlstad University) and Victoria Blom, Associate Professor (The Swedish School of Sports and Health).
What is trichotillomania and skin-picking disorder?
Trichotillomania (TTM) and Skin-picking disorder (SPD) are psychiatric conditions characterized by recurrent and excessive hair-pulling and skin-picking, respectively. These behaviors result in significant hair loss or skin lesions and often consume substantial amounts of time, leading to significant distress and functional impairment. Prevalence rates vary across studies but have been demonstrated to be as high as 3.5% for TTM and 5% for SPD.
Click here to read more about the project, or here to enjoy the full thesis.
The Rück research group are proud of you and your important contribution to advancing research on how to treat these debilitating conditions! 💐🥂
Rücklab - Psychiatry research at Karolinska Institutet 