Mya Wells, a member of the UC Riverside School of Medicine’s Class of 2029, has received a $2,500 grant to develop clothing to help patients suffering from atopic dermatitis and help her upon her path toward becoming a dermatologist.
The Skin Health Microgrant from L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty’s Social Impact Department supports medical students who are passionate about promoting access to skin health for all.
Wells’ project, “Where Couture Meets Care: Hyaluronic Acid Fabric Spray for Wearable Barrier Support in Atopic Dermatitis,” explores how everyday clothing could supplement eczema care. Under the mentorship of Huinan Hannah Liu, PhD, head of the Biomaterials and Nanomedicine Laboratory at UC Riverside, Wells plans to develop “HydroBloom,” the first hyaluronic acid fabric spray that would transform ordinary cotton garments into barrier-supportive textiles. The innovation has the potential to make therapeutic clothing more accessible to people living with atopic dermatitis.
Wells’ interest in dermatology is rooted in personal experience. As a child, she lived with severe eczema and allergies. She found relief after working with a dermatologist and an allergist to identify treatments that “not only soothed my skin but helped me feel comfortable in it again.”
“That feeling of restored confidence planted the seed for my purpose: to help others reclaim comfort and pride in their own skin while managing allergic and inflammatory skin disease,” she added.
As an undergraduate at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Wells conducted research in the laboratory of Janelle Burke, PhD, examining the effects of airborne particulate matter generated by traffic and construction near the campus. As a Global Sustainability Scholar, she traveled through Germany and the United Kingdom, where she studied environmental influences on human health and helped develop practical interventions to address them.
“I began to understand the long-lasting effects of the environment on susceptibility to asthma and allergies, particularly in underserved communities,” Wells said. “Inspired by my lifelong eczema journey, I am exploring the role of hyaluronic-acid-infused textiles in improving comfort and confidence for individuals with eczema: an intersection of dermatology, materials science, and sustainability that represents my desire to build solutions that extend beyond the clinic.”
“I aspire to specialize in allergic skin disease, particularly atopic dermatitis/eczema, translating science and lived experience into therapies and technologies that restore both skin health and self-esteem,” she added. “My journey has always been about transforming adversity into purpose.”
