Joseph Merola, M.D., M.M.Sc. Titles and Appointments Professor & Chair Endowed Title Mary Kay Inc. Distinguished Chair in Dermatology Schools Medical School Departments Dermatology | Internal Medicine | Public Health You have reached the Academic Profile. For more information on the doctor and patient care, please visit the clinical profile. Biography Joseph F. Merola, M.D., M.M.Sc. is Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology, Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Rheumatic Diseases, and Professor in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He holds the Mary Kay Inc. Distinguished Chair in Dermatology. He is an international expert in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, connective tissue diseases including lupus and dermatomyositis, and complex medical dermatology such as atopic dermatitis requiring systemic therapy. Dr. Merola earned his medical degree at the New York University School of Medicine and his Master of Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School. He completed an internship in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a residency in dermatology at New York University Medical Center, where he served as Chief Resident. He then completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in rheumatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. One of only a few physicians in the country who are triple board-certified in dermatology, internal medicine, and rheumatology, Dr. Merola joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2023. Previously, he was Vice Chair of Dermatology and Founding Director of the Unit for Clinical Trials and Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he also directed the Center for Skin and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases. At UT Southwestern, Dr. Merola continues to lead clinical and translational research in inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases, including studies in pharmacoepidemiology, clinical trials, trial design, and the development and validation of novel outcome measures such as digital health tools for use in both clinical research and patient care. He serves on the Board of the American Academy of Dermatology and is the founding President of the Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Clinics Multicenter Advancement Network (PPACMAN) Consortium, President of the Rheumatology Dermatology Society (RDS), Co-President of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), Treasurer and Board Member of the International Dermatology Outcome Measures Group (IDEOM), and President-Elect of GRAPPA. He is past President of the Medical Dermatology Society and serves on the medical and scientific boards of the National Psoriasis Foundation, the Lupus Foundation of America, and the American Skin Association. He is also a member of the International Eczema Council and the International Psoriasis Council and has served on multiple national committees, including the Guidelines Committee for the American Academy of Dermatology. Dr. Merola has published more than 400 peer-reviewed papers and has received numerous awards, including the National Psoriasis Foundation’s Outstanding Educator Award, the Mass General Brigham Distinguished Clinician Award, and the Pillars of Excellence Award in Research Leadership. He was named one of Boston’s Top Doctors for nearly a decade and was honored in 2024 at the National Psoriasis Foundation’s Commit to a Cure Gala in Dallas. As Chair of the Department of Dermatology at UT Southwestern, Dr. Merola is dedicated to supporting the department’s exceptional faculty, researchers, trainees, and staff. He is deeply committed to advancing a patient-centered mission across all departmental decisions, ensuring that clinical excellence, education, and discovery remain closely aligned. Under his leadership, the department continues to expand its impact and reputation as one of the nation’s leading dermatology programs, driven by collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to improving patients’ lives through compassionate care, scientific discovery, and outstanding training. Education Medical School New York University (2005) Graduate School Harvard University (2013) Research Interest Atopic dermatitis Clinical trials, clinical trial design Connective tissue disease and autoimmune skin diseases Cutaneous and systemic lupus erythematosus Outcome measures development, validation Pharmacoepidemiology Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis Publications Atopic dermatitis and ocular surface disorders: a United States claims-based cross-sectional study Asbell P, Akpek EK, Merola JF, Thyssen JP, Marcus A, Lubwama R, Ardeleanu M, Sierka D BMC Ophthalmology 2026 Dec 26 A review of the indications, safety, and efficacy of deucravacitinib: An expert consensus panel Shah M, Debusk L, Bohman MH, Rosenberg A, Burshtein J, Zakria D, Armstrong A, Boh E, Gottlieb AB, Khattri S, Litchman G, Merola J, Murina A, Lebwohl M Dermatology online journal 2026 Sep 32 Bimekizumab treatment in patients with active psoriatic arthritis and prior inadequate response to tumour necrosis factor inhibitors: 52-week safety and efficacy from the phase III BE COMPLETE study and its open-label extension BE VITAL Coates LC, Landewé R, McInnes IB, Mease PJ, Ritchlin CT, Tanaka Y, Asahina A, Behrens F, Gladman DD, Gossec L, Orbai AM, Gottlieb AB, Warren RB, Ink B, Bajracharya R, Shende V, Coarse J, Merola JF RMD Open 2026 Jul 20 Lichen planus autoimmune comorbidities: A retrospective case-control study Rosenberg AL, Wu A, Debusk L, Mehta A, Bartley B, Mcaleer L, Dominguez R, Rigel D, Mauskar M, Merola JF, Nezafati K Dermatology online journal 2026 May 31 Validity and Psychometric Properties of 3 and 4 Visual Analog Scale in Participants With Psoriatic Arthritis Treated With Guselkumab Tillett W, Coates LC, Vis M, Zimmermann M, Lozenski K, Rampakakis E, Soriano ER, Merola JF, Sharaf M, Nash P, Helliwell PS Journal of Rheumatology 2026 Apr 53 400-408 Recommendations for the use of CLASI as an outcome measure in cutaneous lupus erythematosus clinical trials Author Collaboration LA, Lu G, Cepica T, Barbey C, Beketaev I, Chitkara D, Fernandez AP, Korish S, Merola JF, Lindstrom JA, Nikolov NP, Nguyen H, Richardson CT, Staeva TP, Werth VP, Chong BF Nature Reviews Rheumatology 2026 Apr 22 272-278 Clarifying psoriasis disease severity: A position statement from the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board Blauvelt A, Prussick R, Merola JF, Shahriari M, Cather J, Eakin GS, McCormick Howard L, Lebwohl MG, Armstrong AW, Duffin KC Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2026 Apr 94 1348-1349 Bimekizumab long-term response in psoriasis: Mechanistic insights into efficacy level and durability Krueger JG, Cutcutache I, Lebwohl M, Gudjonsson JE, Pinter A, Langley RG, Merola J, Tada Y, Skelton A, Rastrick J, Ferecskó AS, Page M, Davies O, López Pinto JM, Warham R, Shaw S, Warren RB Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2026 Apr 157 905-916 Inflammatory risk quantification in systemic inflammatory disease using coronary CT angiography Weber B, Kotanidis CP, Huck DM, Besser SA, Chan K, Miao J, Shiyovich A, Cardoso R, Blair CV, Petranovic M, Hainer J, Trivedi N, Garshick M, Merola JF, Costenbader K, Liao K, Di Carli MF, Blankstein R Cardiovascular Research 2026 Mar 122 310-312 Risk of Acne in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis Starting a JAK Inhibitor vs Th2 Cytokine Inhibitor Schneeweiss MC, Wyss R, Anand P, Jin Y, Mostaghimi A, Barbieri JS, Merola JF, Silverberg JI, Rosmarin DM, Glynn RJ, Schneeweiss S JAMA Dermatology 2026 Mar 162 313-316 Results 1-10 of 454 1 2 3 4 5 Next Last Books Featured Books Interdisciplinary Approaches to Overlap Disorders in Dermatology & Rheumatology (1st ed.) Garg A, Merola JF, Fitzpatrick L (2022). Springer Publishing Drug-induced lupus erythematosus in Clinical Management of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (2nd ed.) Merola, JF (1996). Philadelphia, PA, Lippincott-Raven Honors & Awards Honoree National Psoriasis Foundation Gala (2024) Distinguished Clinician AwardBrigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School (2022) Educator of the Year AwardWinter Clinical Dermatology Conference (2022) Nominee, Senior Faculty Mentorship Award / Pillars of Excellence AwardMass General Brigham (2022) Outstanding Educator in Psoriatic Disease AwardNational Psoriasis Foundation Annual Meeting (2022) Pillars of Excellence Award in Research LeadershipBrigham and Womens Hospital (2020) Boston Top Doctors8 Consecutive Years Nominated for Multiple Teaching AwardsBernard Lown Award, Harvard Mentoring Award, and Charles McCabe Award Professional Associations/Affiliations American Academy of Dermatology American College of Rheumatology American Dermatological Association Association of Professors of Dermatology Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis International Eczema Council International Psoriasis Council Lupus Foundation of America Medical Dermatology Society National Psoriasis Foundation Noah Worcester Dermatological Society Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Clinics Multicenter Advancement Network Rheumatologic Dermatology Society Society for Investigative Dermatology
