Course Descriptions

This course is designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the genes, structure and functions of human skin. The course will bring students to integrated sciences of human skin, relating to its three core subjects, in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, and genetics. The course will encompass comprehensive discussions of related topics, such as, cellular and molecular structure of the skin, genes and gene regulation, biochemical reactions, metabolism, and genetic processes that transmit biological information and regulation.

The aim of the course is to familiarize students with dermatology and the most common terminology. Topics include subspecialties in dermatology, the structure of the skin (basic anatomy and physiology), terminology (primary and secondary cutaneous lesions), and examples of the most common dermatological conditions.

This course helps students to understand the fundamental concepts of skin structure and function. The course covers the biology of major skin cell types of keratinocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, melanocytes, Langerhans cells, and the biology of skin metabolism, skin appendages, skin matrix, cutaneous vasculature, neuroendocrine system, and major processes required for cutaneous barrier function during normal and pathophysiological states. Coursework also includes molecular and cellular mechanisms of cutaneous wound healing, matrix remodeling, tissue regeneration, and skin aging.

This course covers skin microbiota and immune components of the skin in healthy and disordered states. The microbiology will cover bacterial species that cause the most common skin infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus (folliculitis, impetigo, abscesses, pyoderma, toxic-shock syndrome, staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, wound infections); Streptococcus pyogenes (impetigo, erysipelas, cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, wound infections), and Corynebacterium spp. (wound infections), etc. The bacterial biofilms and their importance in skin infections will also be addressed. The skin hosts the same immunocompetent cell types found throughout the body -T cells, B cells, macrophages, eosinophils, neutrophils, etc., and its skin-specific subpopulations--Langerhans cells, keratinocytes, and dermal dendrocytes. The second part of the course will cover the biology of immunology of the skin in normal functioning and underlying both intradermal allergic reactions and skin-specific autoimmune disorders ( alopecia areata, vitiligo, psoriasis), as well as the standard treatments for each. Further, this course addresses unique immune environments within the skin, such as the immune privilege of the hair follicle and wound infection. 

This course introduces the emerging discipline in skin epidemiology or dermato-epidemiology. Students receive an overview of incidence rates and time trends of skin disorders in the U.S. and in the world and learn biostatistical tools in data analysis – including descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, and regression analysis. Students gain an appreciation for the disparity in the disease outcomes among populations and various barriers contributing to the current disparity. The course also covers various state and national registries for skin cancer and other skin disorders available for database research.

This course familiarizes students with the mechanisms of drug action, FDA indications, off-label uses, safety and efficacy, side effects, and necessary monitoring and drug interactions relevant to topical and systemic medications used in dermatology. Coursework also includes skin barrier and transdermal drug delivery (skin barrier structure, factors affecting the skin barrier, and strategies to enhance transdermal drug delivery), major drugs used in dermatology – including glucocorticosteroids, retinoids, antimicrobials, immunomodulators, agents used in oncology, hormonal therapy, other systemic medications (antimalarials, colchicine, dapsone, leukotriene inhibitors, antihistamines, and thalidomide), and topical medications.

This course discusses fundamental concepts of photobiology and phototherapy with ultraviolet light (UV) B, Excimer Laser, UVA, PUV A (psoralen + UVA), photopheresis, and photodynamic therapy. It also covers photobiology, photochemistry, and mechanisms of action. Coursework includes treatment protocols with clearing and maintenance phases, indications, adverse effects and complications, practice and techniques, and future directions.

This course considers the etiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, types, prognosis, and various treatment of the most common types of skin cancers will be covered. Skin cancer is by far the most common type of cancer affecting humans. More than 50% of all cancers combined are skin cancers. The most common skin cancer is Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC). The second most common type is Squamous Cell Carcinoma. One of the most serious forms of skin cancer is Melanoma. Other types of skin cancers affect us. One in 5 Americans develops skin cancer during their lifetime.

Students receive a clinical overview of the most common skin disorders – such as acne, seborrheic dermatitis, and xerosis – emphasizing pathogenesis and current research on these conditions. Coursework also compares older and newer treatments, focusing on efficacy and cost to patients.

This course covers basic and advanced visual examination techniques and digital photography of the skin and hair. Topics include macro photography of the skin and scalp, dermatoscopy, processing of biopsies for histology, routine and special histological staining, microscopy with regular and special lights, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, and recent advances in noninvasive, in-depth skin visualization methods (such as optical coherence tomography and in vivo confocal microscopy).

The course presents approaches and important aspects of preparation of some major grant applications to including government funding from National Institute of Health (NIH) such as Research grants (R formats) for academia and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants for industries and grants from Department of Defense. Major sources, tools, and policies for grant application and management will be discussed.

This course provides an overview of research techniques used in studying skin biology/pathophysiology – from in vitro cell-based assays, ex vivo skin, or reconstructed skin equivalents to in vivo animal models to study skin biology and skin diseases – and integrates various molecular, cellular, and tissue-based methods. Students learn through a variety of teaching approaches, including traditional didactics and individual and group hands-on lab experience and training. The course uses a skin specimen (human or animal) as a significant source and starting point, following a progression from simple methods (cell-based) to more complex (organotypic and tissue-based techniques) to in vivo animal models in pre-clinical trials. Coursework also covers high-throughput approaches in skin genomics, genetics, proteomics, and big data use and analysis.

This course aims to familiarize the participants with the tools of innovation. It will cover the strategic processes of how to ideate, formulate, innovate and push through new ideas—from concept to implementation. This course will also cover the issues related to the patent and how to protect intellectual property.

This course prepares students for positions of leadership in skincare and skin health-related industries and organizations. The course focuses on the educational needs of professionals already fully employed in the health care industry, as well as those aspiring to careers in the field. The course considers practical administrative skills as well as broad strategic and theoretical perspectives to students who wish to expand their knowledge of management and administration as applied to the skincare industry, with an emphasis on the development of business; technical, administrative, and leadership concepts as they apply to the clinical practice and skincare industry. TeleHealth, TeleDermatology, and Clinical Outreach will also be discussed. This course considers the topics on the development of business, technical, administrative, and leadership concepts as they apply to the health care industry. 

This course provides a general introduction to clinical histopathology in common skin disorders. Coursework familiarizes students with basic terms of histopathological changes in skin tissue, basic characteristic pattern recognition, clinic-pathologic correlations, and histopathologic features of common skin diseases.

This course is the continuation of the course DER 613 Techniques in Skin Research-I. It will teach students how to approach and solve research problems with different strategies and methods. Various research models specific to skin research will be discussed including angiogenesis, aging, cancer, endocrinology, hair, itching, and sensation, wound repair and tissue regeneration, therapeutic research in drug transdermal and systemic deliveries, and clinical skin disease research and therapeutic trials as well. Students will also consider issues pertaining to animal use and protection and human subject in research and allied issues.

These hour-long seminars are held in conjunction with Dermatology Grand Rounds – the basis of this course – to help students keep up with advances in investigative dermatological research and patient care. Lectures are delivered by full-time and voluntary dermatology faculty, visiting dermatologists/investigators, and physicians and investigators from related disciplines at the University of Miami. The series covers various aspects of skin biology, dermatology, and related disciplines.

This course, held in conjunction with Dermatology Journal Clubs, allows students to participate in the presentation, discussion, and critiques of publications in peer-reviewed journals in both basic sciences and clinical aspects (not limited to dermatology), with an emphasis on translational research and research applications. Additionally, the course runs in conjunction with Dermatology Research Conferences, providing the most recent updates on various aspects of dermatological sciences – ranging from molecular mechanisms of normal skin regeneration and repair to pathologies such as impaired healing disorders and skin cancer. Faculty, fellows, and students from each research lab present their research discoveries. Each M.S. thesis track student must present their research projects during their thesis period.

Thesis path students elect to take this course during the first year—it’s offered all three semesters the first year. Thesis path students rotate through one to three research labs to explore various potential topics for the thesis. They must take at least one lab rotation (one credit) before their lab selection for their thesis by the end of the second semester. Non-thesis path students have the option to take this course to get hands-on experience in lab research and learn research techniques.

This course consists of shadowing a clinical faculty dermatologist in clinics in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the University of Miami (minimum of two to three hours a week for each credit hour). This course is for students interested in clinical dermatology or medicine and gives them firsthand experience in clinical dermatology. Clinical faculty mentors rigorously monitor students. Students must write or present a case report at the end of the semester. (1-3 credits) Prerequisite: DER 601.

Students on research thesis track are required to complete six research thesis credits. Students are required to conduct thesis research on campus in person in the research laboratories with faculty mentors in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery. Students should discuss with their thesis mentor their research topic, thesis committee, and expectations. A thesis requires an oral defense and a written paper evaluated and approved by the thesis committee convened for that purpose. The student should distribute the written thesis paper to the thesis committee for preliminary approval at least ten days prior to the oral defense. The oral defense is open to the university community and the public. The written paper should be of quality for peer-review publication as a first author or a co-author. The length of the Research Thesis track is usually 24 months, which includes the required 30-credit lecture courses in the first year, the oral defense and written thesis paper.