The Louis A. Duhring, MD Professorship in Dermatology
Dr. Louis Duhring (1845-1913) is considered the founder of Penn Dermatology. A member of the Perelman School’s Class of 1867, he was a lecturer and then professor at Penn for 40 years. He authored two major works, Atlas of Skin Diseases (1876) and A Practical Treatise on Diseases of the Skin (1877). The latter book established Dr. Duhring as a top authority in American dermatology. The Department of Dermatology created the Chair in 2019 to honor Dr. Duhring’s many contributions to Penn and Penn Medicine. Funds to endow both this Chair and the Gerald S. Lazarus, MD Professorship were derived from the growth of Dr. Duhring’s generous bequest to the University.
A native Philadelphian, Dr. Duhring attended Penn as an undergraduate, but his studies were disrupted by the Civil War. He enlisted in the Thirty Second Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, becoming one of the “ninety day volunteers” who responded to the Confederate threat to southern Pennsylvania in the summer of 1863. Following his service, he enrolled in the medical school. He then trained in Vienna, Paris, and London. Upon his return to Philadelphia in 1870, he opened one of the first private practices dedicated to dermatology in the U.S. His lectureship at the University was changed to a clinical professorship in 1876 and in 1890 was made a full professorship. Duhring was also one of the founding members of the American Dermatological Society in 1876 and was twice its President. He retired in 1910, and was granted an honorary LL.D. from the University in 1912.
The University recognized Dr. Duhring’s bequest by naming the Duhring Wing of the Fisher Fine Arts Library in his honor. Among his legacies to Penn, the Duhring Dermatological Illustration Collection can be seen at the University Archives. Containing more 1,000 lithographs and photographs, the collection was labeled by Dr. Duhring and used in his teaching.
Current Chairholder
Christopher J. Miller, MD
Christopher J. Miller, MD is the Louis A. Duhring, MD Professor in Dermatology and the founding Director of the Penn Dermatology Oncology Center (PennDOC) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, PennDOC has assembled teams of surgeons, clinicians, and researchers dedicated to preventing and curing skin cancer through specialty patient care, innovative research, and world-class education. He leads the nation’s largest academic Mohs micrographic surgery team and directs Penn’s highly competitive Fellowship in Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology.
Dr. Miller’s clinical practice focuses on Mohs micrographic surgery and complex reconstruction for advanced skin cancers. His research focuses on multidisciplinary management and innovative surgical techniques for skin cancers in cosmetically or functionally sensitive anatomic locations. His work has influenced melanoma treatment guidelines and was recognized with Penn’s Luigi Mastroianni, Jr. Clinical Innovator Award.
Dr. Miller graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Theology from the University of Notre Dame before attending medical school at Jefferson Medical College. He returned home to train in dermatology at the Penn State Medical Center and in Mohs micrographic surgery at Geisinger Medical Center. He joined Penn’s faculty in 2005 after graduating from his fellowship and is regularly selected for Best Doctors in America and Philadelphia Magazine’s Top Doctors.