Abel Torres, M.D., J.D., M.B.A., has accepted our offer to become chair of the UF College of Medicine department of dermatology.Dr. Torres is currently chair of the department of dermatology at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, California, where he also serves as a professor of dermatology and an associate professor of public health. He was also the recent past chair and a professor of dermatology at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine/MetroHealth System campus in Cleveland. Previously, he served as the residency training program director for the Harvard department of dermatology and director of the Mohs surgery and Mohs fellowship training program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
An accomplished clinician, researcher, educator and lawyer, Dr. Torres has spent his career caring for patients with health issues such as skin cancer; researching complex dermatologic conditions; training medical students, residents and fellows; and, as a lawyer, educating physicians on medical-legal issues.
Over the years, he has authored numerous manuscripts and book chapters and has led research studies on topics ranging from the treatment of leg ulcers and burns with cell cultures to targeting anti-angiogenesis in the treatment of actinic keratosis. His current research interests include the use of topical immunomodulators in skin cancer treatment and noninvasive imaging techniques in detecting skin cancer.
During his tenure at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Dr. Torres established the fellowship training program in Mohs/dermatologic surgery and oversaw the evolution of the dermatology program from a division to a department. He also served as co-director of the dermatology residency program from 1988 to 1996, selecting residents, developing the curriculum and coordinating grand rounds. In the 1990s, as an assistant dean for clinical education, he was instrumental in helping to implement a new clinical curriculum and standardized patient assessment program for third- and fourth-year medical students. Recently, at MetroHealth, he expanded the department of dermatology and established a new Mohs fellowship training program.
He has served on premier dermatology professional society boards, including the American College of Mohs Surgery and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. He is currently the immediate past president of the American Academy of Dermatology, which represents over 17,000 dermatologists.
Throughout the recruitment process, our search committee sought out a candidate who could build upon the department of dermatology’s solid clinical and educational reputation. Dr. Torres’ track record for innovating in medicine and education makes him the perfect fit. We look forward to working alongside Dr. Torres as he continues to develop the UF College of Medicine department of dermatology as a premier academic unit.
As he joins the UF College of Medicine, Dr. Torres plans to work with faculty to advance our core missions and the national stature of the UF department of dermatology. He will focus on working together as a unit to participate in traditional research to improve patient care along with efforts to enhance the clinical skills and professional growth of the faculty, residents, staff and students in the department of dermatology.
In relocating from the Golden State to the Sunshine State, Dr. Abel Torres will be accompanied by his wife, Dr. Vilma Torres, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist who will also join us as a faculty member in the UF College of Medicine.
We thank Dr. Kayser Enneking for her dedicated service as interim chair for the department of dermatology. She has provided exceptional leadership and guidance, with an unrelenting focus on and commitment to the faculty, staff and patients of the UF College of Medicine.
Dr. Torres will begin his new leadership position July 1. Please join me in welcoming him and his family to the UF College of Medicine community.