Department of Dermatology News

Jan 22, 2024

A team of researchers led by Principal Investigator Dr. Maryam Asgari, MD, has been awarded an Anschutz Acceleration Initiative grant to develop and test a new skin-cancer screening program. The program will use a validated skin-cancer risk-prediction tool that combines genetic and clinical risk factors to identify individuals at high risk for skin cancer, using data from the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine (CCPM) Biobank. The results of this research are likely to impact patient care in the next five years by identifying a high-risk subgroup for which skin cancer screenings could yield clear, direct benefits, including reduction in morbidity and mortality.

Jan 1, 2024

Lucinda L. Kohn, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, and Spero M. Manson, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Public Health in the Colorado School of Public Health and of Psychiatry, are authors of an editorial published December 27, 2023, by JAMA Dermatology that comments on a new study showing that previous studies may have overlooked American Indian/Alaska Native health disparities in melanoma cases.

Dec 12, 2023

We celebrated our inaugural Community Service event on December 11, 2023, with 12 of our department members (five faculty, two staff, and four residents) giving generously of their time to help sort and package food at the Food Bank of the Rockies. Thanks to their efforts, 9,065 pounds of food was sorted, packaged, and prepped, providing 11,279 meals for those in need.

Jul 2, 2023

Robert Dellavalle, MD, recently spoke with the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) about the importance of diversity in clinical trials. In a poster presented at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, Dr. Dellavalle and colleagues searched PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov for phase 2 and 3 trials for hidradenitis suppurativa to gain an understanding of the current state of clinical trials for the disease. Analysis of the available data on participants' race/ethnicity showed significant underrepresentation of non-white patients.

Apr 26, 2023

A new scoping review led by Micah G. Pascual, BS, and Lucina L. Kohn, MD, MHS, found that nearly 20% of articles in a sample of recent dermatology research included a qualitative component. As dermatologists strive to better serve their communities, qualitative research can elicit narratives that shine a light on the unique experiences of patients—as well as caregivers, clinicians, and other stakeholders— which would likely remain hidden with quantitative investigation alone.

Apr 21, 2023

Husband-and-wife research team Ganna Bilousova, PhD, and Igor Kogut, PhD, in collaboration with Dermatology Professor Dennis Roop, PhD, recently patented two complementary technologies to develop stem-cell created skin grafts, which could translate into cures for those with devastating skin diseases such as epidermolysis bullosa (EB).

Mar 30, 2023

Nneamaka Ezekwe, MD, resident physician in dermatology, is one of the principal photographers who contributed images to “The Full Spectrum of Dermatology: A Diverse and Inclusive Atlas,” a book that compiles 650+ images of more than 85 commonly seen dermatological conditions in an array of skin tones. The book addresses shortcomings in previous atlases like the ones that Nneamaka encountered as a medical student, which failed to show conditions for people with darker skin tones. Contributions like Nneamaka’s allow us to see one another more clearly, illustrating why inclusive approaches to care, research, and teaching are so important.

Mar 19, 2023

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.

Mar 19, 2023

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.

Mar 5, 2023

Maryam M. Asgari, MD, MPH, has been named the inaugural University of Colorado Medicine Endowed Chair of the Department of Dermatology for the CU School of Medicine, effective May 1, 2023. Prior to being recruited to CU, Asgari served as a professor of Dermatology and Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School, specializing in patient-oriented research in dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery.