Research & Grants
Research interests for Patients:
As Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is an internationally renowned investigator in cutaneous immunology and cell biology, and melanoma research. He has been continuously funded for 40 years by the NIH, studying mechanisms of cell death in photosensitive lupus, vitiligo, and alopecia areata and has made seminal discoveries regarding the role of ultraviolet light in inducing translocation of autoantigens to the plasma membrane in keratinocytes in photosensitive lupus. His interest in immune mechanisms in vitiligo lead to many years of research in pigment cell biology, which eventually developed into studies of the resistance of melanocytes and melanoma to apoptosis. Over the past 17 years, Dr. Norris has been funded by a VA Merit Award to study drug combinations that kill melanoma by overcoming anti-apoptotic defenses, especially in melanoma initiating cells, and recently served on the Board of Scientific Councilors to the NCI Director.