Message From the Chair

I am pleased to share with you this new report on the many achievements in 2024 at the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology.

In 2024, we exceeded expectations in every aspect: We delivered comprehensive and superior dermatological care with more than 118,000 patient visits and conducted groundbreaking, translational research with $33.9 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding (cumulative through 2028), which helped to fund the expansion of our clinical trials. With a record number of publications and patent applications, our efforts continue to position the Department at the world’s epicenter of research in inflammatory diseases, such as eczema/atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, scarring alopecia, psoriasis, vitiligo, hidradenitis suppurativa, and keloids, as well as skin cancers and other skin diseases.

We recruited top faculty talent in 2024 who will expand our efforts in innovative research, continuing our upward trajectory as a U.S. and world leader. Our recruits include:

Danielle Dubin, MD, is a recent graduate of our Mount Sinai dermatology program, where she served as Chief Resident. Dr. Dubin joined as Assistant Professor, Dermatology, and Director for Medical and Cosmetic Pigmentary Disorders. In her role as Associate Residency Program Director, Dr. Dubin will assist in fostering our residency program as we continue to attract top candidates.

Helen He, MD, a rising star in research and cosmetic dermatology, was recruited in August 2024 from our residency program. She joins as Assistant Professor, Dermatology, Director of Lasers and Cosmetic Surgery, and Co-Director of the Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin Dermatology Center. Dr. He’s clinical focus is on cosmetic surgery and lasers and energy- based devices in diverse skin types, particularly Asian skin, and women’s health. Her research interest is in molecular mechanisms of skin aging/anti-aging treatments and inflammatory skin diseases.

Eric Loesch, MD, joined as Assistant Professor, Dermatology, and Director of the Clinic for Skin Cancer Surveillance and Surgery in August 2024. Dr. Loesch was trained in plastics and orthopedic surgery before finding his home in dermatology. His clinical focus is dermatology/oncology and hair disorders, and he utilizes his surgical background performing excisions of benign and malignant lesions (dysplastic nevi, skin cancers, cysts, lipomas, etc.). We are proud to offer his skill set to our patients.

Shane Meehan, MD, was recruited from NYU Langone Health in August 2024 as Professor, Dermatopathology-Dermatology, with an expertise in digital dermatopathology and applications of artificial intelligence. With the help of Dr. Meehan, the final stages of the transition of dermatopathology into our Department will be complete, and we will grow our service offerings.

The new Dermatopathology Services Lab location on Manhattan’s West Side will open in 2025 and we expect to more than double patient volume in the new space. Its expansion is fueled by 40 percent growth in our total patient volume since 2020. Additionally, we will expand the use of digital dermatopathology and AI research, with Dr. Meehan’s guidance.

Shruti Naik, PhD, a recent research faculty recruit, joined in July 2024 and is bringing grants and expanding our research footprint. Dr. Naik was recruited from NYU Langone Health, where she investigated how immune cells affect skin repair and disease. Dr Naik has joined as an Associate Professor, with a joint appointment in the Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy under the leadership of Miriam Merad, MD, PhD. Dr. Naik will also serve as Director of the new Tissue Repair Program.

The Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center, under the leadership of its Director, Jesse M. Lewin, MD, FACMS, continues to offer a rare combination of technologies that allow the most advanced, state-of-the-art services in monitoring, diagnosing, and preventing skin cancer. More than 30,000 cases of skin cancers were treated, including about 2,000 Mohs surgeries, which offers patients the highest cure rate on cosmetically sensitive areas. Unique non-invasive technologies are utilized, such as the Vectra WB180® system with 3D Total Body Photography. One of only two systems in the New York region, it captures pictures of the entire skin surface at high resolution within seconds, then identifies, tags, and maps all the patient’s moles on a three-dimensional avatar. This innovative tool catches skin cancers at the earliest possible stage while avoiding unnecessary skin biopsies. The Center is employing artificial intelligence to help explore multiple advanced technologies and novel techniques, allowing for early detection and cure of skin cancers.

Our Alopecia Center of Excellence is thriving, serving more than 7,800 patients in 2024. The Center was made possible by a $5 million commitment from our donors, the Pure Family, together with several other families. It is the first-of-its-kind center integrating compassionate patient care, translational and basic research, and transformative new treatments developed through clinical trials for alopecia. Benjamin Ungar, MD, as Director of the Center, aims to expand research and develop novel treatments.

Our team received a $6.6 million, five-year NIH grant to investigate dupilumab treatment in pediatric alopecia. This grant will fund a collaborative effort to investigate the safety, tolerability, efficacy, and durability of response of dupilumab in pediatric patients with extensive alopecia areata (AA). This exciting NIH-funded clinical trial will expand our mechanistic understanding of AA and shed light on the regulatory immune circuits in the pathogenesis of AA, particularly in children and adolescents.

Building on my collaboration with researchers outside of Mount Sinai, I served as lead Principal Investigator, with Dusan Bogunovic, PhD, at Columbia University, and received more than $4 million for a five-year NIH R61/ R33 grant to evaluate the long-term safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of medications known as JAK inhibitors in patients with Down syndrome, an underserved population.

We received a philanthropic commitment of $5 million over seven years from a partnership with Clinique to establish the Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin Dermatology Center, which Dr. He and I will co-direct. The Center aims to deliver breakthrough advancements in dermatology by developing forward- thinking research exploring the biological underpinnings of skin aging, skin allergies, and inflammatory or eczematous skin conditions, including eczema (or atopic dermatitis) and contact dermatitis.

Under the direction of Brian S. Kim, MD, the Mark Lebwohl Center of Neuroinflammation and Sensation is gaining momentum with increased research funding from both federal and industry sources. It was established by $4.7 million of philanthropic dollars and continues to conduct groundbreaking research to understand the connections between skin immunity, inflammation, and neurosensation. The investment in the Lebwohl Center by our generous donors and Mount Sinai was quite visionary. That support foresaw the explosive growth in the new field of neuroimmunology, which has recently received validation from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The Foundation granted Mount Sinai $10 million over four years for the Allen Discovery Center (ADC) for Neuroimmune Interactions at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Its location, at the Discovery and Innovation Center in Midtown West, places it at the epicenter of Mount Sinai’s new biotechnology hub.

Our Mohs Micrographic Surgery unit is the only academic center in New York City and one of only a few globally to have implemented MART-1 staining for early melanoma, a unique service completed same day. As Vice Chair of Surgical Operations, Jesse M. Lewin, MD, treats more than 2,000 skin cancers per year, with more than 1,500 Mohs procedures per year, which reflects a huge increase from only 450 cases a few years ago.

The NIH awarded our Department a T32 grant for research training in systems skin biology. There are a limited number of T32 grants awarded for dermatology in the United States, and we are honored to have received it. This highly coveted and distinguished award has expanded our research training program. It created an intersectional science training program for both pre-docs and postdocs in systems skin biology and initiated 2+2 and 2+1 residency track programs.

Our Department was ranked No. 7 in research output and No. 10 in overall reputation in the United States on Doximity Residency Navigator, based on the largest survey and CV analysis of current residents and recent alumni from the most comprehensive residency program directory available. We have the third largest program in the United States (27 residents), with a higher number of subspecialties (Autoimmune, Skin of Color, Blistering Diseases, Pediatrics, Mohs Surgery, Dermatopathology, Skin Regeneration and Rejuvenation program, Cutaneous Lymphoma, Rheumatology Dermatology, and Complex Medical Dermatology) than many top programs.

We are continuing our partnership with the Biologics Treatment Center program at The Mount Sinai Hospital. The program provides a dedicated team advocating for better patient care, facilitating insurance approvals, and providing educational support to our patients in need of biologics.

Continuing to foster philanthropic growth, our Dermatology Advisory Board has more than 30 members. Their guidance helps us achieve our ambitious goals. Their vision and generous advocacy are inspirational. The board’s unwavering support and expertise continue to help us provide better outcomes for our patients by expanding the boundaries of our research and clinical care.

Thank you for reading our annual report, and we look forward to a productive and exciting 2025.