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 a distinguished career spanning over half a century in dermatology, marked by pioneering research, clinical excellence and leadership in academic medicine. Her expertise has been instrumental in advancing the understanding and management of skin aging and the effects of electromagnetic radiation on skin. Since 2015 she has assumed a more limited role, primarily in mentoring junior faculty members.
From 1985 to 2008, Dr. Gilchrest served as professor and chair of dermatology at the Boston University School of Medicine. In this capacity, she became the first woman 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 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, cum laude, at Harvard Medical School in 1971. Subsequently, Dr. Gilchrest pursued an internship and residency in internal medicine, followed by a residency in dermatology at the Harvard teaching hospitals and a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT, focusing on cellular and molecular biology relevant to dermatological science.
Dr. Gilchrest’s prior academic appointments included service as an instructor and assistant professor in dermatology at her alma mater, Harvard Medical School, and its affiliated hospitals, with research funding from the then-newly created National Institute on Aging. These roles provided a strong foundation for her subsequent achievements in research and education. In 1983, she was recruited to the newly established U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at the School of Medicine at Tufts University. There, before joining Boston University, she continued her research into the biological mechanisms underlying skin aging.
Beyond her primary university affiliations, Dr. Gilchrest’s professional associations reflect her standing in the academic and scientific communities. These include roles as 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, and as a member of MIT’s Corporation from 1995 to 2005. Dr. Gilchrest has also contributed to the American Skin Association as longtime chair of its Medical Advisory Committee. She has also served as president of the Women’s Dermatology Society and of the Society for Investigative Dermatology and on the Board the American Academy of Dermatology.
Dr. Gilchrest’s contributions extend beyond clinical practice and teaching to basic and clinical research. She has contributed over 400 scholarly articles, reviews, textbook chapters, books and other medical literature throughout her career, and served as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology from 2012 to 2017. Additionally, Dr. Gilchrest has authored or edited eight books. Notable works include “Skin Aging,” released by Springer in 2006, and co-editing “Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine, Seventh and Eighth Edition,” published by McGraw-Hill/Medical. In addition to her writing contributions, she frequently organized or was 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. Her work elucidated the problems that arise with aging skin and pioneered interventions to address these changes. As a practicing clinician, Dr. Gilchrest also explored the therapeutic effects of light on uremic pruritus, a significant issue for patients with kidney failure, and helped to develop light-based therapies for actinic keratoses, a premalignant condition caused by ultraviolet light, and for mycosis fungoides, a form of lymphoma affecting the skin. Her expertise has also encompassed pioneering studies on aging at the cellular level, effects of light on skin, both therapeutic and detrimental, and investigations of the effect of telomeric DNA sequences on cancer prevention and treatment in animal models.
In recognition of her work, Dr. Gilchrest has lectured at medical centers around the world, receiving numerous awards and citations, including an Honorary Degree from the University of Ghent, Belgium. 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 of scientists and clinicians while reducing the burden of skin disease.
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