For millions of people, skin conditions are more than just surface issues. They can cause pain, stigma, and major changes to daily life. Conditions like eczema can keep a child awake at night, while melanoma can threaten someone’s life. Dermatology plays a crucial role in overall health and well-being.
At the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, the Division of Dermatology is meeting these challenges and gaining recognition worldwide. It was recently ranked among the top 10 academic dermatology programs globally. The division is known for its cutting-edge research, excellent clinical training, and compassionate patient care.
This progress is now being boosted by a major new gift: the creation of the Drs. Dev Raj and Saroj Gupta Chair in Dermatology. This endowed chair will be held permanently by the division’s leadership. It will provide ongoing, flexible funding to support the division’s most urgent priorities. This includes advancing innovation, education, and quality care throughout the city.
Vincent Piguet, the director of the Division of Dermatology and the first Gupta Chair holder, describes the gift as “a huge, pivotal gift.” He explains that the division is the largest academic dermatology unit in Canada. It has more than 50 clinical and research faculty, plus 50 residents and fellows. They work across six or more partner hospitals connected to the university. The division also runs strong residency and research programs. Piguet says the new chair will energize all of these efforts.
He highlights how important it is to support high-quality research on skin health. This research benefits millions of patients with complex skin conditions. These include high-risk pigmented lesions, melanomas, severe skin cancers, inflammatory disorders like psoriasis and eczema, vascular malformations and tumors, HIV-related skin issues, alopecia, advanced wound care, and transplant dermatology.
“Dermatology is a large specialty in terms of public need,” says Piguet, who is also the head of dermatology at Women’s College Hospital. “One in every ten visits to a family doctor involves a skin complaint. Our specialists are often called on to help diagnose and treat these patients.”
Until recently, Toronto—known worldwide for dermatology excellence—had no endowed chairs in this field. That changed with the creation of the AbbVie Chair in Ethnodermatology at the University of Toronto in 2022. Now, the Gupta Chair will strengthen the division’s reputation for impactful research and education in skin health.
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