New York – October 14, 2026 -- The American Skin Association (ASA), which has awarded more than $50 million in research grants, has formed a seven-member Emerging Dermatology Leaders Advisory Committee to guide its research priorities, pipeline therapy focus and patient education programs.
Mount Sinai's Nicholas Brownstone chairs the new ASA committee
Nicholas Brownstone, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, will chair the panel. His research covers psoriasis, phototherapy, eczema, hidradenitis suppurativa, psychodermatology and skin cancer. He has also hosted ASA's podcast series, The SKINsight Podcast: A Patient's Guide.
The committee will work directly with ASA's Board and leadership. Its remit includes emerging research priorities, unmet needs in dermatologic care, current skin health trends, and approaches to patient education and community outreach.
Six founding members come from Mount Sinai, NYU Grossman and Weill Cornell
Four of the six founding members are based at Mount Sinai:
- Benjamin Ungar, MD, directs the Alopecia Center of Excellence and the Rosacea & Seborrheic Dermatitis Clinic.
- Helen He, MD, directs Lasers and Cosmetic Surgery and co-directs the Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin Dermatology Center.
- Nicholas Gulati, MD, PhD, directs the Early Detection of Skin Cancer Clinic and the Oncodermatology Clinic.
- Ahuva Cices, MD, directs the Cutaneous Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic and has served as an investigator in numerous clinical trials.
Prince Adotama, MD, Assistant Professor in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, focuses on skin of color, hair disorders, autoimmune skin disease and health disparities. Michael Lor, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College, practices general and complex medical dermatology, including cutaneous lymphoma.
Committee will advise on grant strategy across six therapeutic areas
Together with Brownstone, the founding members will advise ASA leadership on scientific expansion and pipeline therapies in alopecia areata, hidradenitis suppurativa, vitiligo, inflammatory skin diseases, skin cancer and aging skin. They will also identify unmet needs in dermatology research and education and provide input on ways to strengthen ASA's grant and research initiatives.
ASA Chairman Howard P. Milstein described the committee as an investment in the future of dermatology and in ASA's continued growth. ASA President James G. Krueger, MD, PhD, said the panel creates a dedicated forum for emerging leaders to inform the organization's scientific and educational priorities.
ASA's past grants have targeted melanoma, vitiligo, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa. The organization has earned Candid's 2026 Seal of Platinum Transparency and a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator.