Page 8 - 2019 UM Dermatology Annual Letter - Pages 121819

8 | Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery ENDOWMENT
THE FROST DEPARMENT

Naming of the Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery with
Miller School Dean Henri Ford, University of Miami President Julio Frenk, Dr. Phillip
Frost, Patricia Frost, Dermatology Department Chair Robert Kirsner, and University
of Miami Provost Jeffrey Duerk

The $10 million+ endowment by Dr. Phillip and the top Dermatology journals of the day (Journal
Patricia Frost to the Department catapulted our of Investigative Dermatology and Archives of
efforts to be the best Dermatology Department Dermatology) but also published in high impact
in the World. As a result, our Department was general medical and science journals such as
renamed the Dr. Phillip Frost Department of JAMA, the Lancet and Nature. After leaving UM,
Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery. Having the he founded the Dermatology Department and
Department bear Dr. Frost’s name is exceedingly dermatology residency training program at Mt.
special as he is a great part of the legacy of the Sinai on Miami Beach, which was subsequently
Department. Dr. Frost joined the faculty at the re-established as part of our Department in
University of Miami in 1966, after 2 years at the 1990s. Beyond Dermatology, Dr. Frost is
the NIH. His work at the NIH and subsequently best known as a pharmaceutical industry giant,
in Miami was landmark. His seminal work on founding Key Pharmaceuticals, IVAX Corporation
understanding and classifying the Ichythosis still and is currently CEO of OPKO. He is also known
remains as the basis for clinical classification of as a great philanthropist with the UM Frost School
these diseases. He, along with Dr. Gerry Weinstein of Music and the Frost Museum of Science among
and others, studied epidermal cell kinetics, not others bearing his name.
only providing an understanding of normal skin
and mucosal cell behavior but an understanding of This gift not only allows us, at the Dr. Phillip Frost
diseases such as psoriasis, benign and malignant Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous
tumors and its treatments, which we still use today. Surgery to work to make a greater impact in
His work, with Drs. Ed Gomez, Bob Hsia, and patients’ lives at UM and beyond, but his great
others, also advanced the field of steroids, steroid confidence in us with this gift empowers us and
metabolism, and sex hormones in Dermatology. others to appreciate the importance of our work.
Renowned for his work in basic research and its We are indebted to Phil and Pat Frost!
clinical translation, Dr. Frost published regularly in