Diversity in Life Sciences

Dr. Harris-Tryon received her M.D. and Ph.D. degree in Cellular and Molecular from the Medical Scientist Training Program at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She completed an Internship in Internal Medicine at University of Maryland/Mercy Medical Center followed by residency training in Dermatology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. After completing her clinical training, Dr. Harris-Tryon returned to the bench completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Lora Hooper in the department of Immunology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Harris-Tryon is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology and sees patients in the Dermatology clinics at UTSW and at Parkland.

Dr. Harris’s scientific contributions began at Johns Hopkins, where she completed her Ph.D. thesis project in the laboratory of Charles J. Lowenstein. Her thesis work explored the function of the most highly expression microRNA in endothelial cells, miR-126. This work established that miR-126 alters the expression of the adhesion molecule VCAM-1 and thus plays a role in vascular inflammation. A second article showed key transcription factors involved in the regulation of miR-126.

During her postdoctoral training Dr. Harris-Tryon created a unique research platform to explore the role that the microbiota plays in regulating the skin immune system. Her work has elucidated a novel skin antimicrobial protein in skin that requires vitamin A in the diet for expression.