Allison Hanlon, MD, PhD, MBA, professor and interim chair of the Department of Dermatology, has been chosen to serve as the department’s new chair and System Chief of Services for Dermatology for Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her appointment is effective immediately.
As the department’s leader, Hanlon will also be appointed to hold the Robert N. and Rachelle Buchanan and A.H. and Lucile Lancaster Chair in Dermatology.
Hanlon, who joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2016, succeeds Mary Margaret “Meg” Chren, MD, the department’s inaugural chair. Chren retired from VUMC in 2024 to join Stanford University as a visiting scholar.
Previously a division within the Department of Medicine, Dermatology transitioned to become a freestanding department in 2019 that now includes 27 faculty and clinicians. The department also provides an accredited and competitive residency program training 15 dermatology residents and a fellow in micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology.
The department’s dermatologists and advanced practice nurses provide adult and pediatric outpatient and inpatient care through multiple Vanderbilt Health locations across Middle Tennessee. In addition to general dermatology services, clinicians also offer highly specialized services such as phototherapy and Mohs micrographic surgery. Faculty have expertise in medical dermatology, dermatologic surgery, dermatopathology, photochemotherapy, pediatric dermatology, cutaneous oncology including lymphomas, and in the diagnosis of atypical moles and melanoma.
“It is an important time for Dermatology, and I am delighted to welcome Dr. Hanlon into this new role. She has articulated an exciting vision for the future and is pursuing an aggressive strategy to expand access to the department’s clinical services. She has also positioned the department well for continued growth and national leadership in its research and training programs,” said Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of VUMC and Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Dermatology’s federal support for research has grown substantially during the last decade, with the funding of National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grants and career development awards for junior investigators. The department currently ranks among the top 30 nationally in NIH research funding support. In May, the department was awarded a $3.6 million NIH grant to determine the cause of psoriatic arthritis, a debilitating but poorly understood joint disease affecting approximately 1 million people in the U.S., and in September department investigators published results in JAMA Dermatology that found individuals who previously had occurrences of skin cancer who took the dietary supplement nicotinamide, a vitamin B3 derivative, developed fewer new occurrences.
Each year, the Dermatology Inpatient Consultation Service cares for more than 1,000 patients with complex skin conditions at Vanderbilt University Hospital (VUH) and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The department’s consultations at VUH have increased by 65% in less than a decade. Consultation requests are met through a dedicated team that typically responds within 12 minutes. Patients are also seen in multidisciplinary settings, such as the Vascular Anomalies Clinic, Wound Care Clinic and Vanderbilt Comprehensive Care Clinic.
“Because its services are so comprehensive, the Department of Dermatology is among the most sought-after across our health system. As interim chair, Dr. Hanlon has been instrumental in the department’s efforts to meet the demand to serve more patients and referring providers while also working to expand the depth and breadth of its specialty and subspeciality offerings. I look forward to her contributions as we continue to grow the department to meet future needs,” said Jane Freedman, MD, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer for VUMC.
Hanlon completed her residency in dermatology and a fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery at VUMC in 2010. Prior to joining the VUMC faculty, she was an assistant professor of Dermatology at Yale University, where she focused on patient care, teaching and research. She is knowledgeable in all aspects of dermatology with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer.
As an educator, Hanlon has authored articles and book chapters in academic dermatologic literature. She is the sole editor of “A Practical Guide to Skin Cancer.”
She lectures nationally on surgical techniques, skin cancer treatments, and skin cancer in patients with compromised immune systems. She has served on the board of directors for the International Immunosuppression & Transplant Skin Cancer Collaborative and as a committee member for the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and the American College of Mohs Surgery. Her research has focused on skin cancer in immunocompromised patients and on identifying genetic markers of cutaneous tumors.
“I am excited to work with my dermatology colleagues to strengthen our culture of excellence in patient care, research and medical education. I am committed to building upon this strong foundation to advance its next phase of growth. A key priority will be expanding the department’s clinical access and reach, ensuring that the benefits of high-quality clinical care extend beyond our current footprint to serve patients more broadly. An important goal is to continue and grow collaborative research partnerships across the university and Medical Center to accelerate discovery. Vanderbilt Dermatology has a strong medical training program. Preparing our trainees for how we deliver dermatology care now, and in the future, will ensure their and the program’s continued success,” said Hanlon.
“I am very grateful to Vanderbilt’s leadership for this opportunity to shape a department that has been so meaningful in my own career.”
Hanlon earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Notre Dame and completed her medical and doctoral degrees at Temple University. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.
She is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, Women’s Dermatologic Society, American College of Mohs Surgery, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the International Immunosuppression & Transplant Skin Cancer Collaborative. In 2023, she received the Under Secretary of Health Recognition for Service award from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
