Kolodney named chair of newly-formed Department of Dermatology

Michael Kolodney, MD, PhD, has been named chair of the newly-formed West Virginia University Department of Dermatology.

“We are committed to providing West Virginia residents with the most advanced care for skin diseases without having to leave the state,” Dr. Kolodney said. “The formation of the department recognizes our accomplishments in providing excellence in patient care, innovation in education, and important discoveries in translational and clinical research.”

Kolodney, who has been with WVU since 2016, served as the chief of dermatology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and established dermatology residency programs at both institutions.

Kolodney’s current research is focused on genomic analysis of cutaneous mosacisim, developing novel polymerase chain reaction methods and teaching intuitive visual diagnosis to medical students. He developed a first-in-class, FDA-approved drug to treat double chins and discovered the genetic basis for hereditary pilar cysts.

Kolodney aims to continue to build on the faculty’s existing accomplishments, hoping to further establish WVU as a center of excellence in translational dermatology research.