9. What research is being done?

There is extensive worldwide research focusing on the cause and treatment of all forms of alopecia areata. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation is leading this research effort by raising private funds and awarding grants to university centers in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and by working closely with the government to increase Federal funding for alopecia areata research. So far NAAF has awarded over two million dollars to fund research at numerous institutes throughout the world.

Every four years, the NAAF cosponsors an International Research Workshop on Alopecia Areata on the campus of the National Institutes of Health. The workshops bring together investigators for an open exchange of knowledge to guide further alopecia areata research. Many new collaborative efforts follow each workshop. The first workshop took place in 1990, the second in 1994, the third in 1998 and the fourth in 2002.