Leading Inflammatory Skin Disease Expert Named Chair of Dermatology

Inflammatory skin disease expert Wilson Liao, MD, professor and associate vice chair of research in the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), who has been named chair and Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Leading inflammatory skin disease expert Wilson Liao, MD, professor and associate vice chair of research in the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has been named chair and Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, effective May 1, 2027.

Liao, who is also director of the UCSF Psoriasis and Skin Treatment Center and Phototherapy Program, succeeds Amy Paller, MS, MD, who has served as chair of the department for more than 20 years and will become the Emeritus Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology.

In his new role at Feinberg and Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Liao will oversee the Department of Dermatology’s clinical, research and education missions and the dermatology residency program, with a focus on developing the next generation of talented physician-scientists and clinicians.

“I am delighted to join the Northwestern community and help lead a world-class academic dermatology program,” said Liao. “It is an honor to build on the legacy of Amy Paller, one of our specialty’s most accomplished physician-scientists and educators.”

Liao’s research program focuses on the genetics, immunology, and environmental triggers of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa and uses machine learning and precision medicine approaches to advance dermatologic care. He has published more than 270 peer-reviewed publications on inflammatory skin disease. He currently directs the UCSF Psoriasis Research Initiative and Biobank, with over 1,500 participants, and serves as a principal investigator on several national scientific initiatives, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Accelerating Medicine Partnership Program in Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Diseases (AMP-AIM) and NIH Exposome in Autoimmune Disease Collaborating Teams (EXACT). Liao has also pioneered new dermatology clinical and research programs in Kenya.

“Wilson brings an impressive and extensive body of work that spans the clinical, scientific and education missions, along with accomplished and visionary leadership experience,” said Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for Medical Affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean. “His deep commitment to excellence and innovation in academic medicine, centered on developing people and supporting patients, makes him the ideal choice to lead the next era of dermatology at Northwestern.”

Liao is a member of numerous professional societies, including the American Academy of Dermatology, Society for Investigative Dermatology, National Psoriasis Foundation, International Psoriasis Council, and Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. He has received numerous awards for his scholarship, mentorship and leadership. He is a co-founder of Trex Bio, a biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics for inflammatory skin disease, and Solay Health, a telehealth company offering in-home therapy for psoriasis and eczema.

“Dr. Liao is a highly respected leader who combines compassionate care, intellectual curiosity and experience driving innovation,” said Howard Chrisman, MD, president and chief executive officer of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. “Throughout his career, Dr. Liao has demonstrated his commitment to delivering world-class dermatological care, with an emphasis on physician mentorship and education, making him the ideal choice to lead Northwestern Medicine’s Department of Dermatology.”

Liao received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. He completed an internship in internal medicine at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., and a clinical research training fellowship at the NIH. He completed his clinical residency and postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF, where he has served on the faculty since 2007.

Paller, a Feinberg faculty member since 1988, will remain in the Department of Dermatology as director of the Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center. She will maintain her clinical practice at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and continue her research into pediatric and adult skin disorders, genetic and immune-mediated inflammatory conditions, nanotherapy-based gene regulation, and skin barrier biology

“Amy’s tenure as chair of Dermatology has been transformative for the department and for the field of dermatology,” Neilson said. “She exemplifies excellence and dedication, and under her impactful leadership, the department flourished. I am filled with respect and gratitude for her decades of brilliant leadership.”

With Paller as chair, the Department of Dermatology expanded to a team of more than 25 full-time clinical faculty members, over a dozen primary research scientists, and a network of more than 20 clinicians serving within both the Northwestern Medicine and Lurie Children’s Hospital health systems. The research enterprise climbed in NIH funding rankings from No. 21 to a high of No. 2 in 2024 in dermatology, and residency and research training programs ascended to the top tier in the nation.

Paller has authored numorous peer-reviewed publications. She has held presidential roles in numerous esteemed organizations, including the International Society of Pediatric Dermatology, the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, and the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance. Paller has made substantial advances in defining skin and blood biomarkers for pediatric atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis, forging pathways for pathogenesis-driven therapies. She has also developed vital new patient-reported outcome measures, particularly scales assessing itch and stigma in children.

“In addition to Amy, I would like to thank Dr. Daniel Brat, chair and Magerstadt Professor of Pathology, for his service, and the entire search committee for their dedicated efforts during this process,” Neilson said.

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