Title: Consultant in Dermatology
Company: Massachusetts General Brigham
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Barbara A. Gilchrest, Consultant in Dermatology at Massachusetts General Brigham, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Healthcare Professionals for dedication, achievements and leadership in Dermatology.
Dr. Gilchrest has established a distinguished career spanning over half a century in dermatology, marked by pioneering research, clinical excellence and leadership in academic medicine. Since 2014, she has served as a consultant in dermatology at Massachusetts General Brigham, where her expertise has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of skin aging and the effects of light on skin health. During her tenure, Dr. Gilchrest’s responsibilities were significantly reduced during the pandemic, after which she assumed a more limited role. Before this period, she was actively engaged in hospital activities, mentoring junior faculty members.
From 1985 to 2008, Dr. Gilchrest served as a professor and chair of dermatology at the school of medicine at Boston University. In this capacity, she became the first female to chair a department of dermatology in the U.S., a milestone that underscored her commitment to advancing both gender equity and scientific discovery within the field. Dr. Gilchrest’s leadership contributed to the growth and reputation of the department, fostering an environment that encouraged innovative research and clinical training.
Dr. Gilchrest’s academic appointments also included service as an associate professor and instructor in dermatology at her alma mater, Harvard Medical School, in Boston. These roles provided a foundation for her subsequent achievements in research and education.
Apart from her work in academia, Dr. Gilchrest contributed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at the school of medicine at Tufts University, where she was actively engaged in research into the biological mechanisms underlying aging.
Dr. Gilchrest’s educational background laid a strong foundation for her achievements. She earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge in 1967 before completing a Doctor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in 1971. Subsequently, Dr. Gilchrest pursued an internship in internal medicine, followed by a residency in dermatology at Harvard teaching hospitals and a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT, focusing on cellular and molecular biology relevant to dermatological science.
Beyond her primary work engagements, Dr. Gilchrest’s professional affiliations reflect her standing in the scientific community. She is a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Science, an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and a charter member of the National Academy of Inventors. She has served on the National Advisory Council on Aging and the board of scientific counselors for the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Gilchrest has also contributed to the American Skin Association as a member of its medical advisory committee since 1994, as a past president, and as a former vice chair of its board of directors. Furthermore, she is actively involved in the Society for Investigative Dermatology and the American Academy of Dermatology.
Dr. Gilchrest’s contributions extend beyond clinical practice and research to include authorship. She has contributed over 400 scholarly articles, reviews, textbook chapters, books and other medical literature throughout her career, and continues to serve as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology since 2012. Additionally, Dr. Gilchrest has authored or edited eight books. Notable works include authoring “Skin Aging 2006th Edition” released by Springer in 2006 and co-editing “Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine, Eighth Edition,” published by McGraw-Hill/Medical in 2012. In addition to her writing contributions, she is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences.
Throughout her career, Dr. Gilchrest has been recognized as a pioneer and leader in the field of skin aging research. She is most proud of bringing into focus the critical role of aging in both healthy and diseased human skin at cellular, molecular and clinical levels. Her work elucidated the issues that arise with aging skin and identified potential interventions to address these changes. As a practicing clinician, Dr. Gilchrest notably explored the therapeutic effects of light on uremic pruritus, a significant issue for patients with kidney failure, and developed light-based therapies to prevent actinic keratosis, a premalignant condition caused by ultraviolet-induced changes that can progress to skin cancer. Her expertise has also encompassed pioneering studies on aging at the cellular level, effects of light on skin, including both therapeutic and detrimental outcomes, and investigations into telomeric DNA sequences for health maintenance and cancer prevention in animal models.
In recognition of her success, Dr. Gilchrest received an Honorary Degree from a Belgian university, acknowledging her significant impact on dermatological science. She attributes her success to intellectual curiosity. Reflecting on her remarkable career, Dr. Gilchrest takes pride in being part of an exceptionally dedicated community within dermatology, one that is committed to training future generations while maintaining a passion for addressing medical problems.
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