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International Psoriasis Council

Advancing Knowledge. Improving Care.

Michel

Gilliet

,

MD

Professor and Chair, Department of Dermatology
University of Lausanne
Lausanne
,
Switzerland
Councilor Since: November 1, 2012
IPC Councilor
Dr. Michel Gilliet is the Head of the Dermatology Department at the University Hospital CHUV in Lausanne, Switzerland. He completed his dermatology training at the University of Zurich and received research training in immunology at the DNAX Research Institute in Palo Alto, California. In 2004, Dr. Gilliet was recruited by MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, where he held clinical appointments in Dermatology and basic and translational science appointments in Melanoma Oncology and Immunology.

In 2010, Dr. Gilliet returned to Switzerland as a Full Professor and Head of the Dermatology Department in Lausanne. His research primarily focuses on immune responses in inflammatory skin diseases. His laboratory has notably uncovered mechanisms by which dendritic cells initiate and sustain skin inflammation by sensing DNA in complex with antimicrobial peptides. These groundbreaking studies have led to a paradigm shift in understanding how inflammation is regulated in injured skin and diseases such as psoriasis and lupus erythematosus. More recently, his lab has expanded its research to include the application of molecular omics technologies in clinical dermatology practice, providing a new framework for diagnosing and treating skin diseases.

Dr. Gilliet’s research has led to over 140 publications and garnered 30,000 citations, with his work regularly featured in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science, Nature Immunology, Nature Medicine, and Nature Communications.

Dr. Gilliet has served as President of the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) and is currently President of the Skin Science Foundation. He also serves on the Board of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV), where he chairs the Scientific Program. In recognition of his contributions to medical research, he received the Cloetta Prize, Switzerland’s most prestigious medical research award, in 2016. In 2023, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in Germany.
Last Updated:
07/10/2025

Languages Spoken

English, German

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.

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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.

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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