Richard L. Gallo MD, PhD

Richard L. Gallo, MD, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor and Founding Chair for the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, San Diego. His research focuses on the role of the innate immune system in skin health and disease, focusing on antimicrobial peptides and aspects of the basic functions of the skin immune system. He has contributed several landmark observations to the field of Dermatology including the first description of an antimicrobial peptide in mammalian skin, the first demonstration that mammals depend on antimicrobial peptides for defense against infection, and the first association of a human diseases (atopic eczema and Rosacea) with a defect in antimicrobial peptide production. His work has been seen in some of the most prestigious scientific and medical journals and is well supported by grants from the NIH, the Veterans Administration, and private foundations.

Dr. Gallo trained in Dermatology at Harvard Medical School where he also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Cell and Developmental Biology. He received his MD degree at the University of Rochester, where he also received his PhD in Radiation Biology and Biophysics. Prior to Dermatology, Dr. Gallo trained in Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Gallo's clinical practice is located at the VA Medical Center in La Jolla.