About Us

The Department of Dermatology at Yale, one of the oldest in the country, is deeply rooted in research and has grown to become the largest provider of specialized dermatologic care in the region. We have developed widely recognized strength in the clinical areas of cutaneous lymphoma, melanoma, inherited disorders of keratinization, and keratinocyte carcinomas. The clinical research efforts of Yale dermatologists contributed significantly to the treatment of lethal skin tumors such as melanomas and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Our services are often the only hope for patients with resistant dermatologic illness that can affect the whole skin surface and demoralize the patient and family. Our Dermatologic Surgery Unit uses advanced surgical and laser techniques to treat skin cancer and other skin tumors. Our community outreach program brings the benefits of early cancer diagnosis to those for whom it might not otherwise be accessible. In addition, our clinical research programs actively explore the uses of new technology such as photopheresis, a therapy for life-threatening and debilitating diseases like cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and graft versus host disease.

Research programs centered in our department, but intricately involving other basic immunologists and molecular biologists at Yale, are directed at elucidation of the role of dendritic epidermal T cells in cutaneous immunity and immunopathology, the identification and characterization of tumor (cutaneous T cell lymphoma) specific class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) associated peptide antigens, and the basis of normal and abnormal T cell homing to the skin. The pigment cell projects include growth regulation of normal and malignant melanocytes, genetic defects in albinism and piebaldism. In the field of keratinocyte biology, we offer training in modulation and measurement of keratinocyte growth in vivo and in vitro and in analytic techniques used to study the biochemistry of epidermal differentiation.

We have attracted trainees with excellent qualifications and abilities for the currently funded four post-doctoral positions. Since the majority of our residents pursue academic careers, they help in our recruitment of additional research oriented residents.

There are 7,432 sq. feet of research space in the department. The laboratories are located on the fifth floor of LCI and the sixth floor of the Hunter Building. Facilities are available for tissue culture, transmission electron microscopy, flow cytometry, ultracentrifugation, immunocytology, animal studies, HPLC, digital imaging, photobiology, and molecular biology, including RNA and DNA isolation from tissue, PCR amplification and analysis of samples, transgene construction and plasmid preparation.