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International Psoriasis Council

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Advancing Knowledge. Improving Care.

Joel

Gelfand

,

MD, MSCE

James J. Leyden Professor of Dermatology and of Epidemiology; Vice Chair of Clinical Research (Dermatology); Director, Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
,
Pennsylvania
,
United States
Councilor Since: January 1, 2011
IPC Treasurer
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Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, is the James J. Leyden Professor (with tenure) of Dermatology and Epidemiology, Director (founding) of the Center for Clinical Sciences in Dermatology, and Director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in psoriasis, clinical epidemiology, drug safety, and clinical trials. Dr. Gelfand is the author of over 330 scientific publications cited over 35,000 times. He is Deputy Editor for Clinical Research of the Journal Investigative Dermatology (JID). He is the recipient of the American College of Epidemiology (ACE) 2023 Outstanding Contributions Award, the American Skin Association’s (ASA) Psoriasis Achievement Award, the Lady Barbara Colyton’s Award for Autoimmune Research, the National Psoriasis Foundation’s (NPF) Scientific Achievement Award, the American DermatoEpidemiology Network’s (ADEN) Founders award. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Dr. Gelfand is a member of the Board of Directors for the International Psoriasis Council (IPC) and the Medical Dermatology Society. He has given over ten named lectureships and keynote addresses, including the Society for Investigative Dermatology’s (SID) Eugene M. Farber lecture and the American Academy of Dermatology’s (AAD) Marion B. Sulzberger lecture. He has received grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and the NPF to support his independent research program. Dr. Gelfand is a dedicated mentor with over 20 MDs and PhDs, 12 of whom have received a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology, having spent at least one full year under his mentorship. Over 30% of dermatologists receiving K23 awards from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) over the last decade have been trainees in the Gelfand lab. His research redefined psoriasis as a systemic inflammatory disease that enhances the risk of cardiovascular events and premature mortality, resulting in changes in standard of care guidelines. His research and clinical practice aim to improve psoriasis patient outcomes in the skin and joints while lowering the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality.
Last Updated:
01/09/2024

Areas of Interest

I do investigator initiated research. I created a cohort in UK called iHOPE (the incident health outcomes and psoriasis events) study – this is a prospective study of 9000 patients in which we are evaluating the GPs estimate of body surface area and how this predict future health outcomes. I have also led a series of multi-center placebo controlled trials evaluating the impact of biologics, phototherapy, and apremilast on cardiovascular biomarkers and I am running a pragmatic trial (N=1050) to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of home vs office phototherapy for plaque or guttate psoriasis.

IPC Committees / Groups

Board Treasurer, Emerging Infectious Diseases Task Force, Executive Committee, Fellowship Program Advisory Committee, Finance Committee

Languages Spoken

English

Involvement with Other Organization(s)

Very active with the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF); teaches at the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) annually.
Recent publications

Featured

PDF

A Report from the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

What were the key takeaways from the 2026 AAD Annual Meeting? IPC shares updates on diagnostic challenges, psoriasis…

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Video

Epidemiology of Metabolic Syndrome, Cardiovascular Disease, and Psoriasis.

IPC Board Member, Dr. Joel Gelfand, highlights the link between psoriasis and cardiometabolic disease, showing how…

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PDF

A Report from the 2025 IPC Think Tank Symposium — Advancing Integrated Care: Psoriasis, Metabolic Health, and Future…

The 2025 IPC Think Tank Congress Report highlights psoriasis as a systemic immunometabolic disease, linking obesity,…

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PDF

Joint Position Statement from the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board and the International Psoriasis Council…

The International Psoriasis Council (IPC) and the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPC) have released a joint position…

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Blog

Inside IPC's International Fellowship Program: Francis Lai and Ricardo Romiti.

Dr. Francis Lai reflects on his IPC International Fellowship journey with Professor Ricardo Romiti, highlighting their…

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Blog

Announcing IPC’s New Leadership for 2025.

Welcome the newest leadership to the IPC Board of Directors! Meet incoming IPC President Bruce Strober, Vice…

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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2024 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

The 2024 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting was held Thursday, March 7 – Tuesday, March 12, 2024,…

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Video

How to Identify Cardiovascular Risk in People with Psoriasis.

Dr. Joel Gelfand examines the process of identifying cardiovascular disease risk in patients with psoriasis, using…

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Video

International Panel: Cardiovascular Disease in the Clinic.

International panelists provide their expertise on cardiovascular disease and psoriasis.

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Blog

Getting to Know IPC’s Board Member Joel Gelfand: What Inspired Me to Specialize in Psoriasis.

Join Dr. Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE, a dermatologist, epidemiologist, and tenured professor at the University of…

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Event

Symposium: The Comprehensive Care of Psoriasis.

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY ANNUAL MEETING (AAD) | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA Thursday, March 7 14:00 - 18:00…

March 7, 2024
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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 25th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD).

Discover the latest updates on psoriasis from the World Congress of Dermatology (WCD) 2023, hosted in Singapore from…

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Blog

Opportunities and Limitations of Telemedicine in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Psoriasis.

The patient perspective has become even more important in the wake of the pandemic. Here’s how Clinica Dermacross is…

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Page

Telemedicine and Psoriasis: A Review Based on Statements of the Telemedicine Working Group of the International…

Thirty-six statements on various aspects of telemedicine according to the nominal group technique to reach a consensus…

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Video

Current Knowledge and Future Directions: Psoriasis and Heart Disease (Webinar 1, 2023 Series).

This is the first webinar of the IPC Global Webinar Series. It focuses on psoriasis and heart disease.

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Video

Exploring Whether Systemic Therapy for Psoriasis Improves Heart Disease in Clinical Trials (Webinar 1, 2023 Series).

Dr. Gelfand reviews the evidence linking psoriasis with cardiovascular events and discusses current and future clinical…

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Event

Global Webinar 1: Current Knowledge and Future Directions: Psoriasis and Heart Disease.

IPC GLOBAL WEBINAR SERIES January 19 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm CET 9:30 am - 10:30 am EST Program chair: Andy Blauvelt,…

January 19, 2023
Learn More or Register

Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2022 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

The 2022 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting was held Thursday, March 24 – Tuesday, March 29 in…

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PDF

Focus on Psoriasis - A Report from the 2022 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

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Blog

2020 Virtual Think Tank Meeting Report.

Held virtually on December 11 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the 2020 IPC Think Tank convened more than 100…

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What's New

When Your Patient with Psoriasis Is Diagnosed with Cancer

A patient doing well on an IL-17 inhibitor is diagnosed with cancer, and the oncologist wants the biologic stopped. It is a call most dermatologists have made without much to stand on: patients with cancer are excluded from psoriasis trials, so the entire evidence base is observational. A new IPC paper in JAAD Reviews takes a position anyway. Per the summary of product characteristics, active malignancy is not a contraindication to any biologic. IL-17 and IL-23p19 inhibitors are first-line, TNF inhibitors and deucravacitinib warrant caution, and cyclosporine is the one to avoid outright. The authors also warn that psoriasis severity is routinely underestimated once a patient is in oncology care: if they meet IPC’s criteria, they are a candidate for systemic therapy regardless of what else is on their problem list. “Too often, systemic psoriasis therapy is discontinued or never initiated in patients with cancer, even when the evidence supports safe and effective options,” says Paolo Gisondi, MD, IPC Councilor and lead author. The post includes the therapeutic options figure, designed as a reference for both specialties to work from, and a slide set for teaching and presentations.

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Thursday, August 27, 2026

Apply Now: 2027 IPC International Fellowship Program

IPC is accepting applications for the 2027 International Fellowship Program, a 12-month opportunity for early-career dermatologists and researchers focused on psoriasis. Fellows are matched with IPC Board Members or Councilors for hands-on clinical or research experience, along with virtual mentoring, skills-development classes, and ongoing connections to IPC’s global network throughout the fellowship year. Applications are open until September 30, 2026.

APPLY NOW

Monday, August 31, 2026

IPC Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP) Training Modules

Recognizing GPP in clinical practice can be a challenge, even for experienced dermatologists. IPC’s new five-part training series walks clinicians through the practical skills needed to diagnose and assess GPP with confidence: distinguishing it from plaque psoriasis and other mimicking conditions, and scoring its severity using tools such as the GPPGA and GPPASI. Each module pairs an expert-led video with a case-based exercise, and the series is built to be completed in sequence at your own pace. All five modules are free and open to everyone; watch the videos on your own or work through the assessments as you go. Score 80% or higher on each of the five assessments to earn a Certificate of Completion.

LEARN MORE

Thursday, August 13, 2026

IPC Summary Slides: Psoriasis and Metabolic Health

IPC has released a set of summary slides distilling the key findings from its recent publication on psoriasis and metabolic health, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). The paper outlines five priorities for improving cardiometabolic risk screening and care in patients with psoriasis. Designed for sharing, the slides give clinicians and colleagues an easy way to disseminate the findings.

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Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Paradoxical Psoriasis - María Julia Cura, MD

In this Take Ten with IPC video, IPC Junior Councilor Dr. María Julia Cura discusses paradoxical psoriasis, including its definition and pathogenesis, and reviews clinical case examples, key clinical features, histopathology, predictors of disease severity, and potential treatment options.

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Monday, August 3, 2026