Thomas Dawson

Tom
Dr Thomas Dawson
Deputy Executive Director 
Email: thomas_dawson@asrl.a-star.edu.sg

Affiliated Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Pharmacy, Department of Drug Discovery

Research themes: Skin Microbiome (Skin Mycobiome, Malassezia fungi, Microbe/Host interaction, Inflammation & Immunology), Hair & Appendages, Skin Aging

Biography

Tom’s career, spanning from 1998 to 2015, has been marked by groundbreaking research and product innovation in P&G’s Beauty Technology Division, with a particular focus on dandruff, hair thinning, and follicle metabolism. His work has led to market-leading products, driving growth in the hair care and dermatology sectors.


1. Dandruff Research & Malassezia Fungi:

Tom’s research into dandruff identified M. globosa and M. restricta as the primary fungal causes, uncovering a new pathogenic mechanism that led to the development of targeted interventions. This technology, now a core part of Head & Shoulders, has maintained P&G’s leadership in the global dandruff treatment market.

Tom's work further uncovered a previously unrecognized pathogenic mechanism behind dandruff, which enabled the development of targeted intervention strategies. These strategies culminated in a technology that was commercialized within Head & Shoulders, generating ongoing market success. The innovation not only provided a scientifically-backed solution but also reinforced Head & Shoulders as the market leader in the dandruff category.

2. Hair Follicle & Age-Related Thinning:

Tom’s innovative research on increasing hair shaft diameter has resulted in a successful product that generates over $100 million USD annually, further establishing P&G’s position in the competitive women’s hair care market. This research continues to differentiate P&G in the anti-aging space.

Strategic Impact

Multiple Patents & Publications: The research led to intellectual property that underpins current and future product offerings.

3. Leadership & Global Expansion at P&G:

In 2013, Tom relocated to to lead P&G’s life sciences initiatives at the newly established Technical Center (SgIC). This strategic move enabled P&G to strengthen its presence in Asia and foster collaboration with top scientific institutions. Under his leadership, the center became a hub for future-focused research in skin and hair health.

4. Tom also spearheaded the formation of a global consortium focused on Malassezia phylogeny, physiology, and pathogenesis, positioning P&G as a thought leader in microbiome-related skin and scalp health. This ongoing leadership in global scientific research enhances the company’s reputation and serves as a platform for continued innovation.

5. Transition to A*STAR: Establishing Hair Biology & Skin Microbiome Research:
In 2015, Tom joined the , Technology and Research (A*STAR) in to establish the Hair Biology and Skin Microbiome Unit. His current work focuses on two key areas:

Human Cutaneous Mycobiome: Tom’s team is exploring the role of skin-associated fungi in skin health, developing innovative solutions that align with A*STAR’s wellness and skincare strategies. This research aims to capitalize on the rapidly growing skin microbiome market.

Human Hair Follicle Metabolism: The team’s research into hair follicle energy production and its role in hair growth, particularly in aging populations, is driving innovations to improve solutions for age-related hair thinning. These advancements position A*STAR as a leader in both anti-aging and women’s hair care markets.

Strategic Business Value at A*STAR

Tom’s work at A*STAR has advanced the agency’s competitive position through proprietary technologies and research in skin and hair biology. His contributions have:

Strengthened A*STAR's IP Portfolio: By developing breakthrough technologies that are positioned to capture significant market share in the skin and hair care sectors.

Expanded Product Offerings: Tom’s research has opened new revenue streams in high-growth markets such as anti-aging and scalp health.

Established Leadership in Science and Innovation: Through collaboration with industry and academic partners, A*STAR has solidified its role as a thought leader in beauty and personal care.

Tom continues to drive A*STAR’s long-term strategy, ensuring its position at the forefront of scientific discovery and market-leading innovations in hair and skin health. His leadership is pivotal in shaping the future of ASTAR’s research and product development in the beauty sector.

Research interests

Tom is the Director of the Asian Skin Microbiome Programme (ASMP), a global-leading consortium synergizing public and private funding to translate basic skin biology, microbiology, and immunology into value added technologies for commercial utility and the clinic.  The ASMP leverages local clinical cohorts (and ), multiple commercial (MNC to SME) partners, academic institutions (Singapore, USA, Sweden, Netherlands), local clinical health institutions, and A*STAR. The ASMP is addressing critical unmet needs in basic skin microbiome research.

Tom’s microbiology work focuses on Malassezia fungi, their interaction with the human host and other members of the microbial community, and skin health and disease.  The Host/Microbe communication project recently identified that Malassezia regulate the human immune system through synthesis and secretion of a number of lipid mediators similar to human eicosanoids. 

Prof Thomas also leads the SRIS/ASRL hair and scalp health programs.  The scalp health program is investigating the role of Malassezia in dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis and other hyperproliferative skin diseases, including identification of new antifungal materials. 

The hair health group is working to understand and develop treatments for normal, age-related hair loss in men and women by leveraging the cohort, in women focusing on changes associated with menopause. 

Selected publications

Ambaw, YA, Pagac, M, Irudayaswamy, A, Raida, M, Bendt, AK, Torta, FT, Wenk, MR, and TL Dawson.  Host/Mycobiome Interactions: A quantitative, non-invasive method profiling skin eicosanoids and Malassezia oxylipins reveals community temporal stability and associates skin eicosanoid production to Malassezia on human skin.  Metabolites, 2021, 11(10), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11100700 (registering DOI)

Leong, C., Chan, JWK., Lee, SM., Lam, YI., Goh, JPZ., Ianiri, G., and TL Dawson.  Azole Resistance Mechanisms in Pathogenic Malassezia furfur.  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy.  doi.org/10.1128/AAC.01975-20.

LeibundGut-Landmann, S., and TL Dawson.  Malassezia: A Skin Commensal Yeast Impacting Both Health and Disease.  Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2021.659219

Harsha, S, Srinivas, R, Common, J, and TL Dawson.  Cutaneous Malassezia: commensal, pathogen, or protector? Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.614446.

Poh, S-E, Goh, JPZ, Fan, C, Chua, W, Gan, SQ, Lim, PLK, Sharma, B, Leavesley, D, Dawson, TL, and Hao Li.  Identification of Malassezia furfur secreted aspartyl protease 1 (MfSAP1) and its role in extracellular matrix degradation. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2020.00148.

Goh, JPG, Ianiri, G, Heitman, J, and TL Dawson.  Expression of a Malassezia Codon Optimized mCherry Fluorescent Protein in a Bicistronic Vector.  Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2020.00367.

Venkatesan, G., Dancik, Y., Sinha, A., Kyaw, HM, Srinivas, R., Dawson, TL., Bigliardi, M., Bigliardi, P., and G Pastorin. Development of novel alternative hair dyes to hazardous para-phenylenediamine. Journal of Hazardous Materials, doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123712.

Park, M., Cho, Y-J., Kim, D., Yang, CS., Lee, SM., Dawson, TL., Nakamizo, S., Kabashima, K., Lee, W., and WH Jung.  A novel virus alters gene expression and vacuolar morphology in Malassezia cells and induces a TLR3-mediated inflammatory immune response. mBio, DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01521-20.

2020    Leong, C., Wang, J., Toi, MJ., Lam, YI., Goh, J., Lee, SM., Dawson, T.  Effect of zinc pyrithione shampoo treatment on skin commensal Malassezia.  Medical Mycology, doi.org/10.1093/mmy/myaa068.

Sankaranarayanan, S., Ianiri, G., Coelho, M., Reza, H., Thimmappa, B., Ganguly, P., Vadnala, R., Sun, S., Siddharthan, R., Tellgren-Roth, C., Dawson, T., Heitman, J., Sanyal, K.  Loss of centromere function drives karyotype evolution in closely related Malassezia species.  eLife, doi: 10.7554/eLife.53944

Leong C, Schmid B, Toi MJ, Wang J, Irudayaswamy AS, Goh JPZ, Bosshard PP, Glatz M, Dawson TL Jr. Geographical and Ethnic Differences Influence Culturable Commensal Yeast Diversity on Healthy Skin. Front Microbiol. 2019 Aug 27;10:1891. doi:  PMID: 31551938; PMCID: PMC6736582.

Ramasamy S, Barnard E, Dawson TL Jr, Li H. The role of the skin microbiota in acne pathophysiology. Br J Dermatol. 2019 Oct;181(4):691-699. doi:  Epub 2019 Jul 24. PMID: 31342510.

Dawson TL Jr. Malassezia: The Forbidden Kingdom Opens. Cell Host Microbe. 2019 Mar 13;25(3):345-347. doi:  PMID: 30870616.

Li H, Goh BN, Teh WK, Jiang Z, Goh JPZ, Goh A, Wu G, Hoon SS, Raida M, Camattari A, Yang L, O'Donoghue AJ, Dawson TL Jr. Skin Commensal Malassezia globosa Secreted Protease Attenuates Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Formation. J Invest Dermatol. 2018 May;138(5):1137-1145. doi:  Epub 2017 Dec 12. PMID: 29246799.

Grice EA, Dawson TL 23⁎Jr. Host-microbe interactions: Malassezia and human skin. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2017 Dec;40:81-87. doi:  Epub 2017 Nov 12. PMID: 29141240.

 

 

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