2023 George F. Odland Lecture
The University of Washington Division of Dermatology hosted its annual George F. Odland Lecture on Friday, April 28, 2023, at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture, featuring keynote speaker Howard Y. Chang, MD, PhD, of the Stanford University School of Medicine.
This year's event began with case presentations by Martin Dittmer, MD, Dermatopathology Fellow (Kalus case), and Erin McClure, Clinical Research Fellow in the Nghiem Lab (Nghiem case).
A special thank you to volunteer faculty member, Mark Valentine, MD, for joining this year’s lecture and providing a contribution for the UW Dermatology Residency program’s new “Resident Wellness Space.” Dr. Valentine donated a framed chart from 1876 listing dermatology diagnoses with their characteristics and treatments as some fascinating novelty wall art.
Dr. Mark Valentine explains a framed chart from 1876 listing dermatology diagnoses with their characteristics and treatments.
Huge appreciation for the support and dedication of UW Dermatology admin team members Alyssa Deguzman, Aimee Filippi and Mac Writt. Thank you for helping make this year’s event a success!
About the Odland Lectureship
The Odland Lecture is held during the spring of each year in memory of George F. Odland, MD, the first long-term Division Head for the newly formed University of Washington Division of Dermatology in 1961, after the untimely death of the first Division Head James Case, MD, one year after the establishment of the Division in 1960.
Dr. Odland was a nationally recognized researcher of skin biology, known for describing the lamellar granule of the epidermis (Odland body). He led the Division for 26 years which saw the establishment of the dermatology training program, numerous research milestones, and clinical expansion.
The Odland Lectureship was established at Dr. Odland’s retirement in 1988 to bring the clinical science of dermatology to the clinical dermatology community of Seattle and nationwide.
Keynote Lecture with Dr. Howard Y. Chang
This year’s Odland Lecture featured a keynote address by Dr. Howard Y. Chang titled, “RNA Origin of Sex Biased Immunity.”
Dr. Chang is the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research and Director of the Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes at Stanford University. He is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator; he is also Professor of Dermatology and of Genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine.
His research addresses how large sets of genes are turned on or off together, which is important in normal development, cancer, and aging. Dr. Chang discovered a new class of genes, termed long noncoding RNAs, can control gene activity throughout the genome, illuminating a new layer of biological regulation.
He invented ATAC-seq and other new methods for defining DNA regulatory elements genome-wide and in single cells. The long-term goal of his research is to decipher the regulatory information in the genome to benefit human health.
Visit the Chang Lab website to learn more about Dr. Chang and his research.
