Staff Profile

Professor John Common is a Principal Investigator in the Dermatology Department at Newcastle University Medical School. He completed his PhD at Queen Mary University of London before moving to Singapore, where he established his independent research group. Now holding a joint appointment between A*STAR Skin Research Labs in Singapore and Newcastle University, his research focuses on skin barrier function, inflammatory skin diseases, and the skin microbiome in both health and disease.



His work investigates host-microbiome and host-environment interactions to uncover how microbes and environmental stimuli contribute to skin health or disease. By exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes, his lab aims to advance our understanding of skin biology and develop translational insights with potential therapeutic applications. A key focus is on how the microbiome interacts with the skin, shaping immune responses and influencing disease progression.

Areas of Expertise

• Epithelial Biology
• Genodermatoses
• Inflammatory Skin Diseases
• Skin Microbiome

Google Scholar

Professor John Common’s research is centred on understanding inflammatory skin diseases, with a particular focus on ichthyosis and other disorders affecting the skin barrier. His work combines genetics, immunology, and microbiome research to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying these conditions. By identifying key genetic mutations and immune pathways involved in skin inflammation, he aims to develop targeted therapies that improve patient outcomes.



Previously based at A*STAR, Professor Common contributed to significant advances in skin biology, including studies on how microbial communities interact with the skin’s immune system. Now at Newcastle University, his research continues to explore how genetic and environmental factors influence skin disease progression. His team employs cutting-edge techniques such as single-cell sequencing, CRISPR-based gene editing, and organoid models to better understand disease pathology and identify novel therapeutic targets.

Beyond fundamental science, Professor Common collaborates with clinicians and industry partners to translate discoveries into potential treatments. His work has implications for a range of skin conditions, from rare genetic disorders to more common inflammatory diseases like eczema and psoriasis. By bridging molecular research and clinical application, he aims to advance precision medicine approaches for dermatological diseases.

• Articles

  • Rozario P, Lim YS, Ding SLS, Firdaus MJ, Wearne S, Wong BHS, Chua R, Robinson KS, Chu TSJ, Liu M, Cai SSC, Tan STE, Wee SK, Lamers MM, Verma NK, Xia Y, Yap EPH, Common JEA, Zhong F. IFNγ priming enables NLRP3 inflammasome activation in human keratinocytes in vitro. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2026, Epub ahead of print.
  • Chua W, Hei Y, Koh LF, Yap BLH, Saw HL, Maciel Fernandes TH, da Silva EB, Goh S, Dawson TL, O'Donoghue AJ, Common JE, Li H. Aspartyl protease MfSAP2 is a key virulence factor in mycelial form of skin fungi Malassezia furfur. Biochemical Journal 2026, 483(1), 23-36.
  • Chia M, Ng AHQ, Ravikrishnan A, Mohamed Naim AN, Wearne S, Common J, Nagarajan N. Skin metatranscriptomics reveals a landscape of variation in microbial activity and gene expression across the human body. Nature Biotechnology 2025, Epub ahead of print.
  • Koh LF, Firdaus MJ, Natsuaki Y, Hanakawa S, Tham K-C, Lunny DP, Yap BLH, Nakamizo S, Nam E, Lee JE, Toh YX, Teo NMH, Lim TC, Lane EB, Kabashima K, Janela B, Common JE. Ruxolitinib Alleviates Inflammation and Fortifies Skin Barrier Function Through Dampening IL-13. Experimental Dermatology 2025, 34(7), e70132.
  • Tham K-C, Lim SS, Bonnard C, Common JEA. Protocol to reconstruct an in vitro 3D full-thickness skin equivalent model with collagen I in 6- and 12-well inserts. STAR Protocols 2025, 6(1), 103658.
  • Gorse L, Plessis L, Wearne S, Paradis M, Pinilla M, Chua R, Lim SS, Pelluz E, TOH G-A, Mazars R, Bomfim C, Herve F, Lhaute K, Reveillon D, Suire B, Ravon-Katossky L, Benoist T, Fromont L, Pericat D, Mertens KN, Derrien A, Terre-Terrillon A, Chomerat N, Bilien G, Sechet V, Carpentier L, Fall M, Sonko A, Hakim H, Sadio N, Bourdeaux J, Cougoule C, Henras AK, Perez-Oliva AB, Brehmer P, Roca FJ, Zhong FL, Common J, Meunier E, Hess P. Portimine A toxin causes skin inflammation through ZAKα-dependent NLRP1 inflammasome activation. EMBO Molecular Medicine 2025, 17(3), 535-562.
  • Pagac MP, Davient B, Plado LA, Lam HYI, Lee SM, Ravikrishnan A, Chua WLE, Muralidharan S, Sridharan A, Irudayaswamy AS, Srinivas R, Wearne S, Mohamed Naim AN, Ho EXP, Ng HQA, Kwah JS, Png E, Bendt AK, Wenk MR, Torta F, Nagarajan N, Common J, Chong YS, Tham EH, Shek LP-C, Loo EXL, Chambers J, Yew YW, Loh M, Dawson TL. Life stage impact on the human skin ecosystem: lipids and the microbial community. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes 2025, 11, 13.
  • Puppels GJ, Hourihane JO, Nico C, Chaoimh CN, Wong C, Common JE, Caspers PJ, Irvine AD. Highly accurate, noninvasive early identification of infants with a filaggrin loss-of-function mutation by in vivo Raman spectroscopy, followed from birth to 12 months. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 2025, 134(4), 457-464.
  • Tan JJY, Thuya WL, Zhu H, Kristo JG, Common JE, Wu C, Ho PCL, Kang L. Comparative analysis of 3D and 2D cell-culturing methods in hair follicle spheroid morphogenesis and drug responsiveness. Biomaterials Advances 2025, 177, 214423.
  • Park EJ, Yap BLH, Wang X, Poh QZ, Tan CH, Koh LF, Common JE, Teo P. Bioactive PLGA polymer nanoparticle loaded gels for atopic dermatitis treatment. Discover Applied Sciences 2025, 7(4), 304.
  • Vind AC, Wu Z, Firdaus MJ, Snieckute G, Toh GA, Jessen M, Martinez JF, Haahr P, Andersen TL, Blasius M, Koh LF, Maartensson NL, Common JEA, Gyrd-Hansen M, Zhong FL, Bekker-Jensen S. The ribotoxic stress response drives acute inflammation, cell death, and epidermal thickening in UV-irradiated skin in vivo. Molecular Cell 2024, 84(24), 4774-4789.e9.
  • Wong C, Tham C-Y, Yang L, Benton MC, Narang V, Denil S, Duan K, Yew YW, Lee B, Florez de Sessions P, Common JEA. Nanopore Sequencing Enables Allelic Phasing of FLG Loss-of-Function Variants, Intragenic Copy Number Variation, and Methylation Status in Atopic Dermatitis and Ichthyosis Vulgaris. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2024, 144(8), 1883-1886.e9.
  • Chua W, Marsh CO, Poh SE, Koh WL, Lee MLY, Koh LF, Tang X-ZE, See P, Ser Z, Wang SM, Sobota RM, Dawson TL, Yew YW, Thng S, O'Donoghue AJ, Oon HH, Common JE, Li H. A Malassezia pseudoprotease dominates the secreted hydrolase landscape and is a potential allergen on skin. Biochimie 2024, 216, 181-193.
  • Chua C, Sethi R, Ong J, Low JH, Yew YW, Tay A, Howland SW, Ginhoux F, Chen J, Common JEA, Andiappan AK. Late inflammatory monocytes define circulatory immune dysregulation observed in skin microbiome-stratified atopic dermatitis. Journal of Dermatological Science 2023, 112(3), 158-161.
  • Ni Chaoimh C, Lad D, Nico C, Puppels GJ, Wong XFCC, Common JE, Murray DM, Irvine AD, Hourihane JO. Early initiation of short-term emollient use for the prevention of atopic dermatitis in high-risk infants—The STOP-AD randomised controlled trial. Allergy 2023, 78(4), 984-994.
  • Robinson KS, Toh GA, Firdaus MJ, Tham KC, Rozario P, Lim CK, Toh YX, Lau ZH, Binder SC, Mayer J, Bonnard C, Schmidt FI, Common JEA, Zhong FL. Diphtheria toxin activates ribotoxic stress and NLRP1 inflammasome-driven pyroptosis. Journal of Experimental Medicine 2023, 220(10), e20230105.
  • Robinson KS, Toh GA, Rozario P, Chua R, Bauernfried S, Sun Z, Firdaus MJ, Bayat S, Nadkarni R, Poh ZS, Tham KC, Harapas CR, Lim CK, Chu W, Tay CWS, Tan KY, Zhao T, Bonnard C, Sobota R, Connolly JE, Common J, Masters SL, Chen KW, Ho L, Wu B, Hornung V, Zhong FL. ZAKα-driven ribotoxic stress response activates the human NLRP1 inflammasome. Science 2022, 377(6603), 328-335.
  • Chia M, Naim ANM, Tay ASL, Lim K, Chew KL, Yow SJ, Chen J, Common JEA, Nagarajan N, Tham EH. Shared signatures and divergence in skin microbiomes of children with atopic dermatitis and their caregivers. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2022, 150(4), 894-908.
  • Jabbar-Lopez ZK, Ezzamouri B, Briley A, Greenblatt D, Gurung N, Chalmers JR, Thomas KS, Frost T, Kezic S, Common JEA, Danby S, Cork MJ, Peacock JL, Flohr C. Randomized controlled pilot trial with ion-exchange water softeners to prevent eczema (SOFTER trial). Clinical and Experimental Allergy 2022, 52(3), 405-415.
  • Fulton RL, Margolis DJ, Sockler PG, Mitra N, Wong XFCC, Common JE. No Association of filaggrin copy number variation and atopic dermatitis risk in White and Black Americans. Experimental Dermatology 2022, 31(2), 233-236.
  • Poh SE, Koh WLC, Lim SYD, Wang ECE, Yew YW, Common JEA, Oon HH, Li H. Expression of Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Factors in Atopic Dermatitis. JID Innovations 2022, 2(4), 100130.
  • Tham K-C, Lefferdink R, Duan K, Lim SS, Wong XFCC, Ibler E, Wu B, Abu-Zayed H, Rangel SM, Del Duca E, Chowdhury M, Chima M, Kim HJ, Lee B, Guttman-Yassky E, Paller AS, Common JEA. Distinct skin microbiome community structures in congenital ichthyosis. British Journal of Dermatology 2022, 187(4), 557-570.
  • Tan KJ, Nakamizo S, Lee-Okada H-C, Sato R, Chow Z, Nakajima S, Common JEA, Saeki K, Yokomizo T, Ginhoux F, Kabashima K. A Western Diet Alters Skin Ceramides and Compromises the Skin Barrier in Ears. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2022, 142(7), 2020-2023.e2.
  • Rahim AB, Lim HK, Tan CYR, Jia L, Leo VI, Uemura T, Hardman-Smart J, Common JEA, Lim TC, Bellanger S, Paus R, Igarashi K, Yang H, Vardy LA. The Polyamine Regulator AMD1 Upregulates Spermine Levels to Drive Epidermal Differentiation. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2021, 141(9), 2178-2188.e6.
  • Bishnoi P, Ng YZ, Wei H, Tan E-C, Lunny DP, Wong XFCC, Kin Fon L, Gondokaryono SP, Diana IA, Common JEA, Koh MJA, Lane EB. Self-improving dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: First report of clinical, molecular, and genetic characterization of five patients from Southeast Asia. American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A 2021, 185(2), 625-630.
  • Ng PSM, Wee LWY, Ho VPY, Tan WC, Bishnoi P, Alagappan U, Wong SMY, Gan EY, Quek BH, Shen L, Su B, Common JEA, Koh MJA. Moisturisers from birth in at-risk infants of atopic dermatitis – a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Australasian Journal of Dermatology 2021, 62(4), e539-e545.
  • Tan JJY, Nguyen D-V, Common JE, Wu C, Ho PCL, Kang L. Investigating pegda and gelma microgel models for sustained 3d heterotypic dermal papilla and keratinocyte co-cultures. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021, 22(4), 2143.
  • Guttmann-Gruber C, Pinon Hofbauer J, Tockner B, Reichl V, Klausegger A, Hofbauer P, Wolkersdorfer M, Tham K-C, Lim SS, Common JE, Diem A, Ude-Schoder K, Hitzl W, Lagler F, Reichelt J, Bauer JW, Lang R, Laimer M. Impact of low-dose calcipotriol ointment on wound healing, pruritus and pain in patients with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 2021, 16, 473.
  • Nakamizo S, Honda T, Sato T, Al Mamun M, Chow Z, Duan K, Lum J, Tan KJ, Tomari K, Sato R, Kitoh A, Tay ASL, Common JEA, Guan NL, Setou M, Ginhoux F, Kabashima K. High-fat diet induces a predisposition to follicular hyperkeratosis and neutrophilic folliculitis in mice. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2021, 148(2), 473-485.e10.
  • Wee LWY, Tan EC, Bishnoi P, Ng YZ, Lunny DP, Lim H-W, Lee S-P, Ong C, Yap TL, Mok YH, Low MY, Chu-Tian Chow C, Derrick L, Common JEA, Birgitte Lane E, Koh MJA. Epidermolysis bullosa with pyloric atresia associated with compound heterozygous ITGB4 pathogenic variants: Minimal skin involvement but severe mucocutaneous disease. Pediatric Dermatology 2021, 38(4), 908-912.
  • Tay ASL, Li C, Nandi T, Chng KR, Andiappan AK, Mettu VS, de Cevins C, Ravikrishnan A, Dutertre C-A, Wong XFCC, Ng AHQ, Matta SA, Ginhoux F, Rotzschke O, Chew FT, Tang MBY, Yew YW, Nagarajan N, Common JEA. Atopic dermatitis microbiomes stratify into ecologic dermotypes enabling microbial virulence and disease severity. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2021, 147(4), 1329-1340.
  • Tan TS, Common JEA, Lim JSY, Badowski C, Firdaus MJ, Leonardi SS, Lane EB. A cell-based drug discovery assay identifies inhibition of cell stress responses as a new approach to treatment of epidermolysis bullosa simplex. Journal of Cell Science 2021, 134(19), jcs258409.
  • Chen H, Common JEA, Haines RL, Balakrishnan A, Brown SJ, Goh CSM, Cordell HJ, Sandilands A, Campbell LE, Kroboth K, Irvine AD, Goh DLM, Tang MBY, van Bever HP, Giam YC, McLean WHI, Lane EB. Wide spectrum of filaggrin-null mutations in atopic dermatitis highlights differences between Singaporean Chinese and European populations. British Journal of Dermatology 2011, 165(1), 106-114.

• Editorial

  • O'Shaughnessy R, Common J, Gutowska-Owsiak D. Editorial: Novel aspects of the immunological and structural barrier of the epidermis. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 2023, 10, 1324920.

• Letter

  • Zheng Y-X, Chen X-B, Wang Z-Y, Cai S-Q, Zheng M, Koh LF, Common JE, Man X-Y. Efficacy of dupilumab in palmoplantar pustulosis treatment highlights the role of Th2 inflammation. Allergy 2024, 79(5), 1361-1364.

• Notes

  • Common JE, Payne RP. Microbial Makeover: Skin microbiome reset after stem cell transplantation. Cell Host and Microbe 2025, 33(8), 1318-1320.
  • Puppels GJ, Hourihane JO, Nico C, Chaoimh CN, Wong C, Common JE, Caspers PJ, Irvine AD. Erratum to ‘Highly accurate, noninvasive early identification of infants with a filaggrin loss-of-function mutation by in vivo Raman spectroscopy, followed from birth to 12 months’ [Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 134;4 (2025) 457–464, (S1081120625000109), (10.1016/j.anai.2025.01.010)]. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 2025, 135(1), 124-124.
  • Eisner M, Sharkey T, Common J, Rajan N. Comment on 'A proposal for a new pathogenesis-guided classification for inherited epidermal differentiation disorders'. British Journal of Dermatology 2025, 193(3), 575-575.
  • Wongvibulsin S, Sangers T, Clibborn C, Li Y-CJ, Sharma N, Common JEA, Reynolds NJ, Tanaka RJ. A Report and Proposals for Future Activity from the Inaugural Artificial Intelligence in Dermatology Symposium Held at the International Societies for Investigative Dermatology 2023 Meeting. JID Innovations 2024, 4(1), 100236.

• Reviews

  • Tham EH, Chia M, Riggioni C, Nagarajan N, Common JEA, Kong HH. The skin microbiome in pediatric atopic dermatitis and food allergy. Allergy 2024, 79(6), 1470-1484.
  • Koh LF, Ong RY, Common JE. Skin microbiome of atopic dermatitis. Allergology International 2022, 71(1), 31-39.
  • Vijaya Chandra SH, Srinivas R, Dawson TL, Common JE. Cutaneous Malassezia: Commensal, Pathogen, or Protector?. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 2021, 10, 614446.