Duke Dermatology

What Duke Dermatology does

Duke Dermatology is the dermatology department of the Duke University School of Medicine, operating as an academic medical unit that delivers clinical care, conducts biomedical research, and trains dermatology physicians. The department provides patient services across multiple outpatient locations in Durham, North Carolina — including sites at South Durham, Patterson Place, and the Duke Health main campus — and runs a teledermatology service line for remote consultations. Clinical services cover general dermatology and subspecialties including dermatopathology, micrographic surgery, and pediatric dermatology, serving patients referred from within the Duke Health System and the broader regional market.

Research operations are anchored by the Pinnell Center for Investigative Dermatology and the Clinical Research Unit (CRU), which together support NIH-funded basic science programs, investigator-initiated studies, and industry-sponsored clinical trials. In 2025, the department ranked 4th nationally in NIH dermatology funding at $7.88M, reflecting sustained competitiveness in federal grant capture. Active pharma trial partnerships include collaborations with UCB, Eli Lilly, and Almirall across dermatology drug development programs. The department also houses ACGME-accredited dermatology residency and multiple subspecialty fellowships, training future dermatologists and feeding talent into its own faculty pipeline.

The department's revenue model is multi-stream and characteristic of academic medical centers: clinical collections from patient care services, federal research grants (predominantly NIH), industry-sponsored clinical trial revenue, medical education funding through the School of Medicine, and institutional support/endowment allocations from Duke University. In 2026, the department received a Climate and Health Big Idea Grant, expanding research scope into environmental drivers of dermatologic disease. The unit is not a standalone investable entity; it is a cost and revenue center within a non-profit university and integrated health system.

Name

Duke Dermatology

Legal name

Duke Department of Dermatology, Duke University School of Medicine

Website

https://dermatology.duke.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Duke Dermatology is the dermatology department of Duke University School of Medicine, delivering clinical care across multiple Durham, NC sites, conducting NIH-funded research through the Pinnell Center and CRU, and training residents and fellows. It generates revenue from clinical services, federal grants, and industry-sponsored trials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Dermatology Services

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

General & Medical Dermatology (HLAKACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Procedural Dermatology (Office-Based Surgery) (HLAKACAG), Dermatopathology (HLAKACAC), Dermatology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAL)

Keywords

• Dermatology patient care
• Medical residency training
• Clinical research trials
• Academic dermatology
• Skin disease treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Patient Care Services: Clinical services provided to patients through Duke Health system
2. Research Grants and Funding: NIH funding ($7.88 million in 2025), foundation grants, and endowment-supported research programs
3. Medical Education: Residency and fellowship programs; continuing medical education

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Duke Dermatology is an academic department within Duke University School of Medicine that delivers clinical dermatology services across general, medical, surgical, pediatric, and cosmetic dermatology, including phototherapy and teledermatology. It also trains residents and fellows and operates research programs through the Pinnell Center for Investigative Dermatology and the Dermatology Clinical Research Unit. Clinical services are delivered at multiple Duke Health locations including the main Duke University Medical Center, Duke South Durham, Patterson Place, and the Durham VA Medical Center.

Product overview

Duke Department of Dermatology is an academic medical department offering a comprehensive portfolio of dermatology services centered on three core pillars: clinical patient care, education and training, and investigative research. The clinical services include medical and procedural dermatology, phototherapy, and teledermatology. Education programs span a dermatology residency, multiple fellowship tracks (Skin of Color, Complex Medical Dermatology/Immunodermatology, and Clinical/Basic Research), and continuing medical education. Research infrastructure includes the Pinnell Center for Investigative Dermatology and a dedicated Clinical Research Unit conducting trials. The department operates multiple clinical sites including Duke South Durham, Patterson Place, and satellite locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pinnell Center for Investigative Dermatology: Annual research symposium commemorating Dr. Sheldon Pinnell's commitment to investigation and innovation in dermatology, focusing on skin disease research.

Products and services

• Clinical Patient Care Services

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• UCB PharmaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical trial sponsorship for bimekizumab (BE HEARD EXT) study for hidradenitis suppurativa treatment.
• Eli LillyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical trial sponsorship for upadacitinib (Step-Up HS) study for hidradenitis suppurativa in participants who have failed anti-TNF therapy.
• AlmiralminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical trial sponsorship for eltrekibart (LY3041658) study in moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harvard Medical School Department of Dermatology (MGH/Brigham): Harvard-affiliated academic dermatology program offering patient care, bench-to-bedside research, and competitive residency and fellowship training — operates at the same elite academic tier as Duke.
• Johns Hopkins Department of Dermatology: Academic dermatology department with a tripartite care/research/education model, NIH-funded research, and fellowship programs — directly comparable to Duke's structure and target patient population.
• Stanford Department of Dermatology: Academic dermatology department combining clinical care, translational research, and residency/fellowship training at a top U.S. medical school — comparable in research scope and subspecialty depth.
• University of Pennsylvania Department of Dermatology: Top-ranked academic dermatology department combining patient care, NIH-funded research, residency/fellowship training, and subspecialty clinics at a major U.S. academic medical center — directly comparable to Duke's tripartite mission.
• UCSF Department of Dermatology: Academic dermatology department with strong research funding, subspecialty clinical programs, and fellowship pipelines — competes for NIH grants, faculty talent, and complex patient referrals in the same national market.

Emerging players

• Arcutis Biotherapeutics: Dermatology-focused commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing topical therapeutics for inflammatory skin conditions — relevant as a potential sponsor for Duke's clinical trials and as a downstream pharma partner.

Broad incumbents

• Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery: One of the largest private dermatology practices in the U.S. providing general, surgical, and cosmetic services — competes for the same patient population Duke Dermatology serves in the Southeast.
• QualDerm Partners: Large dermatology-focused practice management platform providing medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology services across multiple U.S. markets — comparable clinical footprint without the academic research mission.
• US Dermatology Partners: One of the largest U.S. dermatology practice management companies; offers a comparable clinical dermatology service mix but focuses on community-based scale rather than academic research and training.
• Schweiger Dermatology Group: Large multi-site dermatology practice in the Northeast offering medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology; comparable in patient-care breadth but does not perform academic research or operate training programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dukedermatology
• Facebookfacebook.com/DukeDermatology
• Instagraminstagram.com/dukedermatology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duke-dermatology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Duke Dermatology