UCSF's Wilson Liao Named Dermatology Chair at Northwestern

Wilson Liao, MD, a psoriasis and inflammatory skin disease researcher with more than 270 peer-reviewed publications, will become chair of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine on May 1, 2027, succeeding Amy Paller, MS, MD, after her more than 20 years leading the department.

Liao currently serves as professor and associate vice chair of research in the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, and directs the UCSF Psoriasis and Skin Treatment Center and Phototherapy Program. He'll hold the Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology title at Feinberg and Northwestern Memorial HealthCare.

At Northwestern, Liao will oversee the department's clinical, research and education missions plus the dermatology residency program, with a stated focus on developing the next generation of physician-scientists and clinicians.

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

What does Liao bring scientifically?

His research program covers the genetics, immunology and environmental triggers of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa, applying machine learning and precision medicine approaches. He directs the UCSF Psoriasis Research Initiative and Biobank, which has enrolled over 1,500 participants.

Liao serves as principal investigator on national initiatives including:

• The NIH Accelerating Medicines Partnership Program in Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Diseases (AMP-AIM)
• The NIH Exposome in Autoimmune Disease Collaborating Teams (EXACT)

He has also built new dermatology clinical and research programs in Kenya.

Beyond academia, Liao co-founded 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.

"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."

Howard Chrisman, MD, president and CEO of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, called Liao "a highly respected leader who combines compassionate care, intellectual curiosity and experience driving innovation."

Liao earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University, completed an internal medicine internship at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., and a clinical research training fellowship at the NIH. He finished his residency and postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF, where he has held a faculty post since 2007. He belongs to the American Academy of Dermatology, the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the National Psoriasis Foundation, the International Psoriasis Council, and the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis.

What happens to Amy Paller?

Paller, a Feinberg faculty member since 1988, becomes the Emeritus Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology. She'll stay on as director of the Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center, keep her clinical practice at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and continue research into pediatric and adult skin disorders, genetic and immune-mediated inflammatory conditions, nanotherapy-based gene regulation, and skin barrier biology.

Her tenure produced measurable growth. The department expanded to more than 25 full-time clinical faculty, over a dozen primary research scientists, and a network of more than 20 clinicians across the Northwestern Medicine and Lurie Children's systems. NIH funding rankings in dermatology climbed from No. 21 to a high of No. 2 in 2024, and the residency and research training programs reached the nation's top tier.

"Amy's tenure as chair of Dermatology has been transformative for the department and for the field of dermatology," Neilson said. "I am filled with respect and gratitude for her decades of brilliant leadership."

Paller defined skin and blood biomarkers for pediatric atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis, built patient-reported outcome scales for itch and stigma in children, and held presidential roles at the International Society of Pediatric Dermatology, the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, and the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance. Neilson also credited search committee chair Dr. Daniel Brat, chair and Magerstadt Professor of Pathology, for the transition process.

The May 2027 handover pairs a two-decade legacy in pediatric dermatology and skin barrier science with a genomics- and AI-driven inflammatory disease program, setting Northwestern's research agenda for the decade ahead.