Mark Lebwohl, M.D., named president-elect of AAD

New York dermatologist Mark Lebwohl, M.D., was named president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology at the academy’s 72^nd annual meeting recently.

Dr. Lebwohl, who has been in practice since 1983, has edited, co-edited or written more than 10 books, including “Treatment of Skin Disease,” the world’s leading book on dermatologic therapy. He is also the founding editor of “Psoriasis Forum” and is the current chairman of the medical board of the National Psoriasis Foundation.

“Quality patient care will be the focus of my presidency,” Dr. Lebwohl said in a news release. He is Sol and Clara Kest professor of dermatology and chairman of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.

In his time at Mount Sinai, Dr. Lebwohl helped to expand the dermatology department from a faculty of two, to one of the largest in the country - the department is now composed of more than 40 full-time faculty and 250 voluntary faculty members.

“Dr. Lebwohl has devoted his career to developing and testing therapeutic dermatologic treatments as well as treating patients,” Dennis Charney, M.D., Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine, said in the news release. “He helped pioneer and introduce the use of topical agents that harness the immune system to treat precancerous skin lesions and skin cancers; the use of topical calcineurin inhibitors for psoriasis; and many targeted biologic therapies for psoriasis, vitiligo and other diseases.”

Dr. Lebwohl will hold the office of AAD president for one year. Brett Coldiron, M.D., is the current president; he assumed the office at the conclusion of the recent annual meeting.