Joseph F. Merola, M.D., M.M.S., a leading clinician, researcher, and clinical investigator who treats immune-mediated diseases such as psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis and lupus, has been named Chair of Dermatology.

Dr. Merola, who joined UT Southwestern October 16, 2023. came from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. He held many leadership positions there, including Vice Chair of the Department of Dermatology in Clinical Trials and Innovation, Director of the Clinical Unit for Research Innovation and Trials, Director of the Center for Skin and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases, and Director of the Harvard Combined Internal Medicine-Dermatology Residency Training Program.

He received his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and a Master of Medical Sciences degree from Harvard Medical School. He then completed an internship at the University of Pennsylvania, a residency in dermatology at New York University Medical Center, and both a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in rheumatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “The multidisciplinary skills, clinical expertise, and leadership record that Dr. Merola brings will expand the Department of Dermatology’s tradition for excellence and further enhance our institution as a national hub for discovery and innovation,” said W. P. Andrew Lee, M.D., Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of UT Southwestern Medical School.

Dr. Merola specializes in hard-to-treat cases of immune-related inflammatory disorders, which can lead to damage to skin, cartilage, bone, and internal organs. He is the Founding President of the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Clinics Multicenter Advancement Network, Vice President of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis, a member of the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board and Scientific Advisory Committee, and President of the Medical Dermatology Society, among multiple other leadership positions. He also has led clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health and the pharmaceutical industry related to inflammatory skin and joint disease including psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, and he has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles.