The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) annually recognizes the tireless dedication of the medical professionals who work to improve the lives of those impacted by psoriatic disease. In honor of the work done in 2021, NPF is proud to announce the winners of the NPF Medical Professional Awards.
Award recipients were nominated by patients, colleagues, and NPF team members and were selected by a committee of past winners and NPF Medical Board members. These individuals represent the wide range of professionals who contribute to the advancement of the care, treatment, clinical research, and medical education needed to effectively manage and treat psoriatic disease. They join NPF in the mission to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of all those affected.
“It is with great excitement that I recognize the exceptional contributions of our award recipients on behalf of NPF and all those, like me, who live with psoriatic disease,” said Leah M. Howard, J.D., the interim president and CEO of NPF. “These individuals are truly making a difference for our community.”
The 2022 NPF Medical Professional Award winners were announced at the annual conference of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in Boston, Mass., at a reception held on March 25, 2022.
Outstanding Physician/Clinician (Rheumatology)
This award recognizes a physician for outstanding achievements in improving psoriatic disease clinical practice and playing a major or lasting role with national impact in improving the quality of life of patients and their families. The winner of this award is actively involved in the clinical care of patients with psoriatic disease and has an outstanding track record of sharing their expertise with other health care professionals as documented by presentations and/or authorship of books, articles, and reference materials.
Jordan E. Brodsky, M.D.
Rheumatologist at Rheumatology Consultants, LLC
Jordan Brodsky, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. Dr. Brodsky previously served as administrative fellow of rheumatology of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where he also served his rheumatology fellowship. Dr. Brodsky has particular expertise in musculoskeletal ultrasound and joint injection methods.
Dr. Brodsky aspires to be a twenty-first century rheumatologist, blending his earliest experiences and knowledge gained in medical school, internal medicine residency, and rheumatology fellowship. He strives to be a truly understanding, compassionate, competent, and knowledgeable practitioner while contributing to medical teaching and research. With the current medical advancements in disease modifying agents, biologic drugs, ultrasound, and MRI, he aspires to be a dynamic rheumatologist.
Dr. Brodsky’s clinical interests include connective tissue diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, vasculitis, gout, pseudogout, spondyloarthropathies, scleroderma, antiphospholipid syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis.
Outstanding Advanced Health Care Provider
This award recognizes an advanced provider for outstanding achievements in improving psoriatic disease clinical practice and playing a major or lasting role with national impact in improving the quality of life of patients and their families.
Jayme M. Heim, MSN, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner West Michigan Dermatology
Associate Adjunct Professor Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University
Jayme Heim, MSN, FNP-BC is a board-certified nurse practitioner who specializes in treating patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and eczema. She travels across the United States educating her peers on the treatment of these diseases as well as advocating for psoriasis and eczema patients through consulting and advising with several pharmaceutical companies. Heim is also an Associate Adjunct Professor for Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University.
Heim enjoys mentoring and educating NP and PA students as well as serving as a preceptor for several universities.
She is a member of NPF, Eczema Association, Dermatology Nurses Association, Michigan Counsel of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Outstanding Physician/Clinician (Dermatology)
This award recognizes a physician for outstanding achievements in improving psoriatic disease clinical practice and playing a major or lasting role with national impact in improving the quality of life of patients and their families. The winner of this award is actively involved in the clinical care of patients with psoriatic disease and has an outstanding track record of sharing their expertise with other health care professionals as documented by presentations and/or authorship of books, articles, and reference materials.
Mark G. Lebwohl, M.D.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, New York
Mark Lebwohl, M.D., graduated summa cum laude from Columbia College in 1974 and graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1978. He completed residencies in internal medicine and dermatology, both at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Lebwohl has been practicing dermatology since 1983. He is the dean of clinical therapeutics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Chairman Emeritus of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai, a department that he built from a fulltime faculty of two to one of the largest dermatology departments in the country.
Dr. Lebwohl has served as president of the New York Dermatological Society, the Manhattan Dermatologic Society, and the New York State Society of Dermatology, and as chairman of the Dermatology Section of the New York Academy of Medicine. Dr. Lebwohl is a past chairman of the Psoriasis Task Force of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and has directed numerous AAD symposia including the annual Psoriasis Symposium as well as the AAD annual meeting and summer meeting. In 2015-16 he served as President of AAD.
Dr. Lebwohl is chairman emeritus of the NPF Medical Board. He is co-scientific director of CorEvitas, the largest U.S. psoriasis registry, and founding editor of Psoriasis Forum, now called the Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. He has been on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Journal of Skin Cancer. He is editor of the Dermatology Section of Scientific American Medicine and co-Editor-in-Chief of Skin, the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine. Dr. Lebwohl has chaired numerous symposia and has written or edited several books including the first atlas devoted entirely to cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease, and the leading book on dermatologic therapy, Treatment of Skin Disease, now in its sixth edition. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages, including French, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish and Polish. Other books include Difficult Diagnoses in Dermatology and Psoriasis. He has authored or co-authored over 600 publications including articles, chapters, and abstracts. Dr. Lebwohl is actively involved in clinical trials of many new dermatologic treatments.
Outstanding Educator in Psoriatic Disease
This award honors highly meritorious efforts by health professionals in the field of psoriatic disease education.
Joseph F. Merola, M.D., MMSc
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
Vice Chair of Clinical Trials and Innovation, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Joseph F. Merola, M.D., MMSc, is associate professor in the Department of Dermatology and Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He is also an associate physician in the division of pharmacoepidemiology. Dr. Merola is board-certified in dermatology, internal medicine, and rheumatology. He serves as director of the Clinical Unit for Research Innovation and Trials (CUReIT), director of the Center for Skin and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases and the associate program director for the Harvard Combined Internal Medicine-Dermatology Residency Training Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Dr. Merola earned his medical degree at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine in New York, New York, followed by his Master of Medical Sciences degree at Harvard Medical School. He completed an internship in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, followed by a residency in dermatology at NYU Medical Center. He continued with a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in rheumatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Merola is on the NPF Medical Board, the Board of the International Dermatology Outcome Measures Group and Steering Committee Member for GRAPPA (Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis), the Board of the Lupus Foundation of America and is on the Board and Founding President of the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Clinics Multicenter Advancement Network Consortium (PPACMAN).
He is an active consultant / advisor to multiple biotech, pharma and financial services firms.
Health Professional Volunteer of the Year
This award recognizes a health care professional who has promoted NPF’s mission of improving the life of people with psoriatic disease through exceptional contributions to the key initiatives of NPF. The winner has been actively involved in NPF at the affiliate, local, or national level within the last five years and has a history of contributions to NPF goals and objectives.
Jonathan S. Weiss, M.D.
Dermatologist, Georgia Dermatology Partners
Medical Director, Gwinnett Clinical Research Center
Dr. Jonathan Weiss joined Georgia Dermatology Partners and Gwinnett Clinical Research Center in 1991. He has active clinical and research interests in psoriasis, topical and systemic retinoids, photodamage, actinic keratosis, skin cancer, rosacea, infectious disease, and cosmetic dermatology. Dr. Weiss enjoys challenging medical matters involving the skin and is committed to helping patients achieve their skin health goals.
He has authored or co-authored over 85 medical and dermatology publications in several journals. In addition to practicing at Georgia Dermatology Partners, Dr. Weiss is an adjunct assistant clinical professor of Dermatology at Emory University School of Medicine and lectures regularly at national meetings. He is a past president of the Atlanta Association of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery and the Georgia Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery and fulfills positions on the Board of Directors and Advisory Council for the Dermatology Foundation He is also a member of the AAD, the American Medical Association, and the Medical Association of Georgia. He is a reviewer and member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and a reviewer for several other medical journals. He has received the Physician Recognition Award from American Medical Association and AAD, received a Presidential Citation Award from the AAD and has been a Castle-Connolly Top Doctor since 2001.
Serving the community of people impacted by psoriatic disease for more than 50 years with patient support, advocacy, research, education, and funding, the National Psoriasis Foundation is the leading nonprofit representing individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The mission of NPF is to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of more than 8 million individuals in the United States affected by this chronic immune-mediated disease. As part of that effort, NPF created the Patient Navigation Center to offer personalized assistance to everyone with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. In recent years, NPF has funded more than $30 million in research grants and fellowships that help drive discoveries that may lead to more and better treatments and ultimately a cure. Learn more at psoriasis.org.