The GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and the GW Medical Faculty Associates (GW MFA) have selected Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD, professor of dermatology, to serve as the interim chair of the GW Department of Dermatology. Alison Ehrlich, MD, MHS, professor of dermatology and the founding chair of the current Department of Dermatology at GW in 2012, has stepped down from the chair position to rejoin the clinical faculty.
"I am grateful to Alison for her years of dedicated service and leadership and her success in re-establishing the Department of Dermatology and its residency program," said Jeffrey S. Akman, MD, vice president for health affairs, Walter A. Bloedorn Professor of Administrative Medicine, and dean of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Friedman, who joined the clinical staff of the GW MFA and was appointed to the GW SMHS faculty on June 1, 2015, has been a leader and innovator since his arrival at GW. He also serves as the founding director of the dermatology residency program, is the director of Translational Research in the Department of Dermatology, and is the director of the Supportive Oncodermatology Program at the GW Cancer Center.
Friedman has a proven track record as a physician educator. He currently serves as the Medical Director for the Orlando Dermatology Aesthetic and Clinical Conference, special advisor for the Dermatology Education Foundation, Director of the Oakstone Institute's Dermatology Board Review and Dermatology for Primary Care series. He is also Deputy Chair of the American Academy of Dermatology Poster Task Force, and is the Senior Editor of the Dermatology In-Review, the largest board review program in the United States. Locally, he initiated several GW SMHS branded activities utilized by residents and medical students across the country, including Krazy Kodachromes, for which he received the 2018 Innovations in Residency Training Award from the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.
"Adam is a nationally recognized researcher, educator and prolific scholar. He brings great enthusiasm and an exciting vision for the future of the department. These qualities make him the right person to fill this interim chair role," said Akman.
Friedman's research involves the investigation of nanotechnologies that allow for controlled and sustained delivery of a wide spectrum of clinically relevant molecules, with an emphasis on treating infectious diseases, accelerating wound healing, and controlling inflammation. He holds multiple patents derived from these investigations, and has published over 160 papers and two textbooks on both his research, as well as a variety of clinical areas in dermatology with an emphasis on emerging medical therapies. Clinically, Friedman's interests run the gamut of medical and pediatric dermatology - including acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin infections, side effects of cancer therapies, wound healing, urticaria, blistering diseases, lupus, sarcoidosis, and skin cancer - as well as other areas of complex medical dermatology.
"Dr. Friedman's service to his patients is remarkable. He is a compassionate caregiver, who is always finding new approaches to treatment. Because of his leadership and commitment to the health and well-being of our patients, I am very appreciative to Adam for his willingness to serve as the interim chair of the Department of Dermatology," said Robert Kelly, MD, CEO of the GW MFA.
He has received many awards for his teaching, research, and clinical care, including the GW SMHS Teacher of the Year Award in 2015/2016 for dermatology, the American Dermatologic Association Young Leader Award, the Society for Dermatologic Surgery Cutting Edge Research Award, the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology Leader in Photoprotection Award, the La Roche Posay North American Foundation Research Award, and the Elle 2017 Beauty Genius Award. He has also been voted to New York Times Magazine's Super Doctors® Rising Stars each year since 2013, and he has been named as a Washingtonian Top Doctor in 2017 and 2018.
Friedman assumed the role of interim chair of the Department of Dermatology on Jan. 31, 2019.
