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International Psoriasis Council

Advancing Knowledge. Improving Care.

Deepak

Balak

,

MD, PhD, MSc

Dermatologist
Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden
,
Netherlands
2019 Fellow
IPC Jr. Councilor
Dr. Balak is a dermatologist at the Department of Dermatology of the Leiden University Medical Center (Leiden, Netherlands), where he combines patient care with teaching responsibilities and research. His clinical interests are centered on the impact and management of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. His scientific interests include translational medicine, clinical drug development, and evaluation in the field of chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases, such as psoriasis. As a 2019 IPC Fellow, he studied with Dr. Alice Gottlieb at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, New York, and attended the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress. While in New York, he observed Dr. Gottlieb’s clinics with complex and therapy-recalcitrant cases of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. He joined residents in didactics programs and ground rounds and participated in ongoing psoriasis-research projects (IDEOM).
Last Updated:
06/29/2025

Areas of Interest

Clinical management of psoriasis; Value-based healthcare; Clinical pharmacology; Drug development

Languages Spoken

Dutch, English

Involvement with Other Organization(s)

Dr. Balak is a medical advisor for the Dutch psoriasis patient association (Psoriasispatiënten Nederland).

What's New

Psoriasis: An Expert Global Perspective Is Now Available for Pre-Order

IPC Board Member and Treasurer Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE, is the editor of a new textbook, Psoriasis: An Expert Global Perspective, now available for preorder from Elsevier. He worked with associate editors IPC President Bruce Strober, MD, PhD; IPC Vice President/President-Elect Claudia de la Cruz, MD; and IPC Chief Medical Officer Peter van de Kerkhof, MD, PhD. Nearly 50 authors from 20 countries contributed 30 chapters covering psoriasis from its earliest descriptions through genetics, immunology, and current therapies, with clinical images of psoriasis across diverse skin tones. All royalties support IPC.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY

Thursday, September 10, 2026

New Video Resource: Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)

In this video, IPC Councilor Rodrigo Garcia Salinas, MD, a rheumatologist from Argentina, explains how to recognize psoriatic arthritis early, including why joint pain, how long a patient has had psoriasis, and family history can matter more than skin severity alone. He also reviews how imaging helps catch early disease and how to choose treatment based on each patient’s joint, spine, and skin involvement.

WATCH NOW

Friday, September 25, 2026

Take Ten Video: Bridging Psoriasis and Metabolic Comorbidities

IPC President Bruce Strober reviews the link between psoriasis and metabolic disease, drawing on findings from IPC’s recent paper in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). He translates this growing body of evidence into five concrete priorities from the 2025 IPC Think Tank for improving cardiometabolic screening and care.

WATCH NOW

Wednesday, September 9, 2026