John J. Voorhees, MD FRCP

John J. Voorhees, MD, FRCP

Duncan and Ella Poth Distinguished Professor

University of Michigan - Michigan Medicine
Department of Dermatology
1910 Taubman Center
1500 E. Medical Center Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5314

Administrative Contact

Academic office:
Justin Bernos | (734) 936-4078 | [email protected]

Biography

John J. Voorhees, MD FRCP is the Duncan and Ella Poth Distinguished Professor at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, where he served as Chairman of the Department from 1975 through October 2018. He qualified as M.D. summa cum laude from the University of Michigan in 1963, followed by internship and residency in Internal Medicine and Dermatology at the same institution, including two years of postdoctoral training as the Carl Herzog Fellow in Biochemistry. He was appointed Instructor in Dermatology in 1969 and became a full Professor in 1974.

Dr. Voorhees has received many awards and honors including election to Alpha Omega Alpha, the Henry Russell Research Award of the University of Michigan in 1973, and the Distinguished Achievement Award of the University of Michigan Medical Center Alumni Society in 2004. He is the only individual to receive the Taub International Memorial Award for Research in Psoriasis twice (1973 and 1986). He was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 1974, the Association of American Physicians in 1993, fellowship in the Royal College of Physicians of London in 2000, fellowship in the Royal Society of Medicine in 2002, Honorary Member of the European Dermatology Forum in 2011, and Honorary Member of the Society for Investigative Dermatology in 2012.

In 2005, he received the Stephen Rothman Memorial Award of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the highest award of this society. Dr. Voorhees delivered the Rudi Cormane Memorial Lecture at the Annual Meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research in September 2005. In 2007, Dr. Voorhees received the David Martin Carter Mentor Award of the American Skin Association. Dr. Voorhees was presented with the American Academy of Dermatology Eugene Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin and provided the Phillip Frost Leadership Plenary Lecture for the American Academy of Dermatology in March 2009. Dr. Voorhees was honored with the Master Dermatologist Award of the American Academy of Dermatology at the 68th Annual Meeting in Miami in March of 2010.

He has been President of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, President of the Dermatology Foundation, President of the Association of Professors of Dermatology, President of the Michigan Dermatological Society, President of the American Dermatological Association, and is or has been on the board of directors and executive committees of several national and international dermatology organizations. Dr. Voorhees was a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology from 1982-1984. In 1993, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Psoriasis Foundation and in 1994, the Psoriasis Research Award of the American Skin Association.

In 1998, he received the Research Award of the European Society for Dermatological Research in recognition of substantial contributions to the progress of dermatological research. Dr. Voorhees has been on the editorial board of eight scholarly journals and has authored 696 full publications that are published or in press. His publications have been quoted in the medical literature more often than any other dermatologist in the world (data contained in Stern, RS and Arndt, KA: Top Cited Authors in Dermatology. Archives of Dermatology 135: 299-302, 1999). During his career (as of October 2018) his publications have been cited 36,782 times (data obtained through ISI Web of Knowledge). Dr. Voorhees’ Hirsch-Index (as of 10/18/18) is 91. Dr. Voorhees has given invited lectures in the United States, Europe, Africa, Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, South America and China. These many lectures include the Dohi Memorial Lectureship (Japan, 1996) and the Arthur Rook Oration (Great Britain, 2004). He is an honorary member of 16 foreign dermatological societies including the Canadian Dermatological Association, Finnish Dermatologic Association, European Academy of Dermatology, Chilean Dermatologic Association, German Dermatological Society, French Dermatologic Society, Danish Society of Dermatology, Swedish Dermatological Society, British Association of Dermatologists, Hong Kong Dermatological Society, Polish Association of Dermatologists, Japanese Dermatological Association, Korean Society for Investigative Dermatology, Netherlands Society of Dermatology and Philippine Dermatological Society.

Dr. Voorhees divides his time among medical research, patient care, and the education of medical students and physicians training to become dermatologists. His research focuses on psoriasis and premature aging of the skin. The demonstration of psoriasis as a disease mediated by an overactive immune system, treatable by immunosuppressive drugs, has been his major accomplishment in the study of psoriasis. In sun-induced premature skin-aging and in natural aging, he and his colleagues have unraveled mechanisms whereby UV light and the passage of time destroy the skin’s collagen support. This understanding has provided insight into its treatment and prevention by pharmacologic agents.

Honors & Awards

  • Arthur Rook Oration of the British Association of Dermatologists
  • American Society for Clinical Investigation
  • The Taub International Memorial Award for Research in Psoriasis, awarded conjointly to John J. Voorhees, MD, and Malcolm W. Greaves, MD, PhD for elucidating the role of eicosanoids as molecular mediators of growth and inflammation in psoriasis
  • Listed in Best Doctors in America
  • Listed in America's Top Doctors
  • Association of American Physicians
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, National Psoriasis Foundation
  • Psoriasis Research Award of the American Skin Association
  • Duncan and Ella Poth Distinguished Professorship
  • Dohi Lectureship of Japan
  • ESDR Award for Excellence, in recognition of substantial contributions to dermatological research
  • The number one cited author in the world's medical literature, stemming from articles published in the 24 principal clinical and investigative journals in dermatology (data contained in Stern, RS and Arndt, KA: Top Cited Authors in Dermatology. Archives of Dermatology 135 (March): 299-302, 1999) Citations of Published Articles - Career Total 17,392 (as of June 2005) - citation number based on data obtained from ISI Web of Science
  • Royal College of Physicians of London (FRCP), Fellow
  • Royal Society of Medicine, Fellow
  • Rudi Cormani Memorial Lectureship of the European Society for Dermatological Research
  • Stephen Rothman Memorial Award, Society for Investigative Dermatology
  • David Martin Carter Mentor Award of the American Skin Association
  • Eugene Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin, American Academy of Dermatology
  • Phillip Forst Leadership Plenary Lecture, American Academy of Dermatology
  • Master Dermatologist Award of the American Academy of Dermatology
  • Honorary Member, European Dermatology Forum
  • Honorary Member, Society for Investigative Dermatology. Recognizing a physician-scientist whose work and seminal contributions have brought great honor to the SID

Professional Affiliations

  • Society for Investigative Dermatology
  • American Federation for Medical Research
  • European Society for Dermatological Research
  • American Society for Cell Biology
  • American Society for Investigative Pathology (FASEB)
  • American Society for Clinical Investigation
  • American Society for Experimental Pharmacology & Therapeutics (FASEB)
  • American Association for Cancer Research
  • Endocrine Society
  • American Society for Photobiology
  • Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology
  • American Society for Microbiology
  • American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Photomedicine Society
  • Molecular Medicine Society
  • Tricontinental Presidents Club
  • Association of American Physicians
  • American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery
  • American Medical Association
  • American Academy of Dermatology, Fellow
  • Michigan Dermatological Society
  • Association of Professors of Dermatology
  • American Dermatological Association
  • American College of Physicians, Fellow
  • Pacific Dermatologic Association, Honorary Member
  • Canadian Dermatological Association
  • Finnish Dermatological Society, Corresponding Member
  • German Dermatological Society, Honorary Member
  • French Society of Dermatology and Syphilology, Corresponding Member
  • Danish Society of Dermatology, Honorary Member
  • British Association of Dermatologists, Honorary Member
  • Hong Kong Dermatological Association, Honorary Member
  • Swedish Dermatological Society, Corresponding Member
  • Polish Association of Dermatologists, Honorary Member
  • European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
  • La Sociedad Chilena de Dermatologia y Venerologia
  • Japanese Dermatological Association, Honorary Member
  • Korean Society for Investigative Dermatology, Honorary Member
  • Netherlands Society of Dermatology and Venereology, Honorary Member
  • Philippine Dermatological Society, Honorary Member

Credentials

  • Doctor of Medicine (MD), University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 1963
  • Intern, Straight Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
  • Resident, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Certification

  • American Board of Dermatology Certification

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