Message from the Chair

Our mission statement defines our department activities: We aim to be a world leader in the investigation and treatment of skin disease fueled by discovery, inclusion and medical excellence.

We partner with the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center in Long Beach and the Children’s Health of Orange County to provide dermatologic care to diverse populations. Our faculty have expertise in complex dermatologic medical diseases, genetic diseases, skin cancer care (treating cancer and managing side effects related to medical treatment of advanced cancers), hospitalist dermatology, dermatopathology and surgery, including excisional, Mohs and laser surgery. We work with our UCI colleagues across the School of Medicine to provide expert and comprehensive healthcare.

Our faculty is dedicated to training students in daily care of the skin as well as in the diagnosis and treatment of skin disease. Students travel from around the country, and sometimes across the globe, to learn at UCI Dermatology, and we aim to foster compassion, skill and excellence in those we teach. We also help to develop — and expose our students and residents to — emerging therapies and clinical trials with promising potential.

Investigators at UCI are advancing skin care and skin biology research using cutting-edge imaging, genomics and computational approaches with the goal of improving the care of patients with skin disease. UCI Skin is one of only six National Institutes of Health P30-funded skin biology resource centers nationwide and is also home to a skin biology training grant that seeks to develop the next generation of leaders in skin biology. Our researchers lead clinical trials dedicated to developing new treatments, and these trials offer the opportunity for our patients to access the latest care and benefit from the expertise of clinical investigators utilizing the most current and innovative options.

UCI Dermatology has an outstanding interdisciplinary environment and a skilled team that treats and cures skin disease, teaches and mentors upcoming generations of skin specialists, and fosters and provides to our patients the most current and innovative skin science.

Kristen Kelly, MD
Chair, Dermatology
Professor, Dermatology