Department History Miller School of Medicine

From its inception, the Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery has been at the forefront of dermatologic research. The team celebrated its 60th year of excellence on January 2016.

Please browse through some of the highlights of our six decades of contributions.

Six Decades of Contributions

1950s
- First Staff and Residents
- First Oral Anti-Fungal: Griseofulvin
- First Electron microscope in Florida
- Defined Steroid Metabolism in Skin
1960s
- Characterized Histology of the Nail
- Development of Dermatophyte Test Media for Fungal Infection
- Described Erythrasma for Etiology and Treatment
- Description and Prevention of Immersion Foot Syndrome
- Cause of Pitted Keratolysis and Erythrasma identified
- Metabolism of estradiol-17β and estrone in human skin characterized
1970s
- First Dermatopathologist in a U.S. Dermatology Department (George Ioannides, M.D.)
- Prostaglandin’s Role in Sunburn discovered
- Porcine Model for Wound Healing developed
- Pathogens in Hospital Flower Vases lead to elimination of flowers in ICU
- Systemic Gold Therapy pioneered for Pemphigus
- First MOHS Unit in a medical school
1980s
- First dermatology department to include cutaneous surgery in its name
- Staphylococcus Predominance in Childhood Pyoderma recognized
- First Major American Textbook for Pediatric Dermatology written
- Sunlight’s Effects on the Immune System and Skin Cancer identified
- Model for Community Control of Scabies pioneered
- Developed criteria for Skin Signs of Child Abuse
- Landmark studies on wound healing vehicles led to FDA policy
1990s
- First use of Tissue Engineered Skin for Acute Wounds
- First Oral Treatment for Scabies in AIDS Patients
- Identified Acute Lipodermatosclerosis
- Local Immune Response Modifiers for Scar Control pioneered
- Identified Causative Agent of Sea Bathers Itch
- First Teledermatology Clinic Established
- Described key role of Pericapillary Fibrin in Venous Ulcers
- Treatment for Cryofibrinogenemia
- Description of and treatment for the Pruritic Papular Eruption of AIDS
- Skin Grafts recognized as Pharmacologic Agents in wound healing
- Trap-Hypothesis of Venous Ulcers proposed
- Pioneered ethnic disparities in Melanoma – Development in Blacks and Hispanics
2000s
- First use of Tissue Engineered Skin for Epidermolysis Bullosa and for Pediatric Transplant Patients
- First Comparative Data Supporting IVIG for TEN
- Key role in Biofilms in Chronic Wounds identified
- OTC Cyanoacrolate for Skin Injuries introduced
- First Report of Psoriasis associated with stroke in Vascular Disease
- First US Biologics Psoriasis Clinic for Underprivileged patients developed
- Characterization of Genetic Profile for Healing and Non-Healing Venous Ulcers
- First RCT of Stem Cell Therapy for Wounds
2010s
- First US MD/PhD graduate with focus in Melanoma in the U.S.
- First Masters of Science in Skin Biology and Dermatological Sciences
- Department endowed by Dr. Phillip Frost
- First Dermatology Academic Training Program
- Described Type 7 collagen being transferred by exosomes
- First discovery of hair follicles in OL factory signaling

History

Six Decades of Contributions

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s