Maryam M. Asgari, MD, MPH, has been named the inaugural University of Colorado Medicine Endowed Chair of the Department of Dermatology for the CU School of Medicine, effective May 1, 2023.
Asgari is a professor of Dermatology and Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School specializing in patient-oriented research in dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery. She has had nearly two decades of strategic leadership experience with diverse health care delivery systems, which has given her deep knowledge of clinical practice and a strong commitment to training and career development in clinical care.
Over the past two decades, she has developed a strong track record of program building, including most recently as the director of the Patient-Oriented Research in the Epidemiology of Skin Diseases (PORES) clinical research unit, where she oversees a multifaceted team of scientists including trainees. Her research discoveries have led to seminal contributions in the areas of skin cancer risk and etiology.
Asgari has been independently funded since 2002, including as principal investigator of over two dozen NIH, foundation, and industry-sponsored grants. She has published over 150 papers in high-impact journals and given dozens of invited talks nationally and internationally. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Society for Investigative Dermatology and have served as an Associate Editor for their journal and the British Journal of Dermatology. Her academic achievements in research, scholarly, and educational pursuits were recognized at the national level by her induction to the American Dermatologic Association and by election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
“Dr. Asgari is a highly skilled surgeon with exceptional academic credentials,” said Dean John J. Reilly, Jr., MD. “We are pleased to welcome her to the University of Colorado School of Medicine and to the Anschutz Medical Campus. I am confident that she will build strong working relationships with her colleagues and continue to make significant scientific contributions that improve the health of our community.”
“I look forward to joining CU, where I see many opportunities to expand the Department of Dermatology’s clinical presence, research funding, and faculty.” Asgari said. “I am strongly committed to serving my community and collaborating with my colleagues. I am eager to reshape and expand a world-class academic dermatology department, expanding clinical care delivery and patient-oriented research, while helping to mentor the next generation of dermatology faculty while aligning with broader health system goals.”
Asgari has a deeply service-oriented ethos. At Harvard Medical School, she served on and led multiple institutional committees including Chair of the Joint Commission of the Status of Women, the Executive Committee on Research, and the Graduate Student Division and Postdoctoral Division Advisory Council. She was recognized for her institutional service at Harvard Medical School by being awarded the prestigious Exceptional Institutional Faculty Service Award. Her contribution to national service was recognized with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, bestowed by Barack Obama.
Asgari earned her bachelor’s degrees from Stanford University and her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine. She completed her medicine internship at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School, dermatology residency at the University of Washington Seattle, and Mohs Micrographic Surgery Fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She has served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School since 2015.
A dedicated educator and mentor, Asgari has devoted time and attention to training undergraduates, medical students, residents, and fellows. She has consistently demonstrated a commitment to mentorship and sponsorship, diversity and inclusion, professional development, and collaboration for faculty and trainees. As chair, Asgari will seek to cultivate mentorship at all levels and facilitate collaboration within the clinical and research environments.
Asgari will succeed David Norris, MD, who joined the CU School of Medicine faculty in 1977 and has served as department chair since 2001.
