Dermatology

The Department of Dermatology is active in clinical care, teaching, and research activities related to the skin. The clinical activities are concentrated at the Tufts Medical Center where there are active outpatient and inpatient services. Satellite facilities include office practices in Medford, Wellesley and downtown Boston.

Within the department are the specialty divisions of cutaneous surgery, cosmetic surgery, pediatric dermatology, phototherapy, and laser therapy. The dermatology faculty teaches second-year medical students courses in the normal structure and function of the skin, sexually transmitted diseases, and the pathophysiology of skin diseases. Clinical and research dermatology electives are offered to senior students and medical and pediatric house officers. The combined dermatology resources of the Boston University and Tufts faculties are available to students, as well as to residents training in the Boston University/Tufts Dermatology Residency Program.

Opportunities for students are available in both clinical and laboratory research. Clinical areas include pediatric dermatology, dermatologic surgery, and the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Laboratory-based research opportunities include studies of the pathophysiology of viral infections and the molecular biology of the papillomavirus, keratinocyte growth and differentiation, tumor suppressor genes, apoptosis, and molecular basis of melanoma.