In an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), Dr. Robert Dellavalle and Dr. Ramiro Rodriguez discuss new research that could shed light on equity issues in the field of dermatology. Their study, based on data drawn from DataDerm, the nation’s largest clinical data registry for dermatology, compares the rates at which different groups—for example, Black, White, and Asian patients—are prescribed certain dermatological medications. Eventually, this work could help providers recognize and address inequities in dermatological care.
The “S029 Residents and Fellows Symposium” was held on Saturday, March 18, during the 2023 annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in New Orleans. A panel of faculty judges, led by Cory A. Dunnick, MD, FAAD, selected individuals who presented the most outstanding papers in laboratory and clinical research.
William (Bill) Weston, MD, who served as the Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Colorado for 25 years, passed away on November 13, 2022, at the age of 84. Dr. Weston was an accomplished clinician and scholar who authored over 300 publications, including seminal works on neonatal lupus and erythema multiforme. He was a colleague, friend, mentor, and role model for at least two generations of dermatologists and pediatric dermatologists. As we mourn his passing, we celebrate his life and the many contributions he made.
Dr. Robert Dellavalle, Professor of Dermatology, is co-director of a nationwide study that enlists an unlikely ally in the fight against skin cancer: tattoo artists.
David Norris, MD, Professor and Chair of Dermatology, and Cory Dunnick, MD, Associate Professor of Dermatology, were recently awarded $3 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to complete their project titled "JAK inhibition in Down syndrome," conducted in collaboration with Dr. Joaquin Espinosa of the Department of Pharmacology. Meanwhile, Mingxia Huang, PhD, Associate Professor of Dermatology, was awarded $2.6 million for her project titled "Neurovascular unit dysfunction in Down syndrome revealed by traumatic brain injury (TBI)," in collaboration with colleagues from the Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics.
Two faculty members in the Department of Dermatology, Cheryl Armstrong and Anna Bruckner, were selected as "top doctors" in the 2022 issue of Denver's 5280 Magazine.
When she was 13 years old, Calla Winchell correctly diagnosed herself with a rare genetic disease, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, by looking up her symptoms online. Her doctor at the time discounted the idea that she had a medical condition. A few years later, when worsening symptoms led her to seek medical help again, doctors told her they'd never treated anyone with her condition and didn't know how to help. Now in her 20s, Calla has found expertise and hope at the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine, where researchers are finding new treatments for her condition.
Dennis Roop, PhD, has served as the Director of the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine since its inauguration in 2007. This year, as he prepares to pass the torch to a new director, Dr. Roop is being honored for all his accomplishments. Under his leadership, the program that began with a $6 million gift has grown into a $200 million partnership between the Gates Frontiers Fund and CU Anschutz.
The Sun Bus, an educational initiative run by the Colorado Melanoma Foundation (CMF), has provided more than 3,500 free skin-cancer screenings throughout the central and southwestern United States to date. The bus also allows healthcare professionals to spread awareness of melanoma risks and correct popular misconceptions in the community. Tamara Terzian, PhD, of the Department of Dermatology, serves as executive director of the Sun Bus project.
Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune disorder, causes either sudden diffuse hair loss or circular bald patches of the scalp. Long before the "slapping incident" at the 2022 Oscars raised public awareness of the disorder, faculty in the Department of Dermatology were researching treatments for AA. Currently, ongoing studies by Drs. Dunnick, Norris, and Wallace are demonstrating the effectiveness of JAK inhibitors as a treatment for this condition.