Transitions in Dermatology Leadership: Dr. Amy S. Paller to Step Down as Chair

It is with deep respect and gratitude that I announce a significant transition in the leadership of our Department of Dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Amy S. Paller, MD, the Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology and chair of our department, has announced that she is stepping down as chair after more than two decades of transformative and visionary leadership. Dr. Paller, a renowned physician-scientist, will continue her invaluable service on the Feinberg faculty, maintain her clinical practice at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and direct the Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center at our medical school.

Since joining the Feinberg faculty in 1988, Dr. Paller has exemplified excellence and dedication. She was appointed the seventh chair of Dermatology in 2004, and under her stewardship, the department has experienced exceptional growth in both its academic stature and clinical distinction. Dr. Paller will remain in her role as chair until a national search for her successor is completed, ensuring a seamless transition in leadership.

Dr. Paller’s tenure has been marked by the department’s expansion from a modest group of dermatologists and scientists to a vibrant team of more than 25 full-time clinical faculty members, over a dozen primary research scientists, and a network of more than 20 clinicians serving within both the Northwestern Medicine and Lurie Children’s Hospital health systems. The department’s research enterprise has flourished, rising from 21st to 10th nationally in NIH funding for dermatology. Our residency and research training programs have ascended to the top tier in the nation, as measured by key metrics, and our graduates consistently emerge as leaders in both academic and community dermatology.

Dr. Paller’s scholarly contributions are extraordinary, with authorship of more than 600 peer-reviewed publications. She has held presidential roles in numerous esteemed organizations, including the International Society of Pediatric Dermatology, the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, and the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance. Her laboratory’s groundbreaking work centers on cellular communication in inflammatory skin diseases, impaired wound healing, and innovative gene regulation techniques delivered topically through nanotherapy. Dr. Paller has made substantial advances in defining skin and blood biomarkers for pediatric atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis, forging pathways for pathogenesis-driven therapies. She has also developed vital new patient-reported outcome measures, particularly scales assessing itch and stigma in children.

Dr. Paller’s academic journey began at Brown University, where she earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees, followed by her medical degree from Stanford University. She completed her residency training in Pediatrics and Dermatology at Northwestern University and pursued a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of North Carolina. Prior to her appointment as chair, she served as chief of Pediatric Dermatology at Children’s Memorial Hospital, now known as Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Her leadership extends beyond our institution through service on the council and Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, as a section editor for the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, and as an active board member for several patient advocacy organizations. Dr. Paller’s distinguished scholarship, leadership, and mentorship have been recognized through numerous honors, including election to the American Association of Physicians and the American Dermatological Association. She is also a valued member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS).

I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Paller for her decades of service, innovation, and dedication to our medical school and the broader dermatology community. Her legacy will continue to inspire excellence and progress throughout our institution. Daniel Brat, MD, PhD, will lead the search committee for a new department chair.

Warm regards,

Eric G. Neilson, MD
Vice President for Medical Affairs
Lewis Landsberg Dean
Feinberg School of Medicine