Anthony A. Gaspari MD

Anthony A. Gaspari, MD earned a bachelor’s degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; he earned a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He attended Emory University School of Medicine for his Dermatology Residency. After his residency, he took a post-doctoral fellowship in cutaneous immunology at the Dermatology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. He then joined the faculty at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, NY where he rose to the rank of Associate Professor, with tenure, in the Department of Dermatology. He held secondary appointments in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, as well as in the Cancer Center.  

He joined the Department of Dermatology at University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2001 to take the Albert Shapiro Professorship. He was named Interim Chair of the Department in 2003, and was named permanent chair in 2005.

Dr. Gaspari is the author of over 150 peer-reviewed publications. Including 25 book chapters, and has recently (October 2008) edited a Textbook entitled: “Clinical and Basic Immunodermatology.” He reviews for a number of major journals such as Journal of Immunology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Infection and Immunity, J. Leukocyte Biology, Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Archives of Dermatology. He is on a number of Editorial boards, including Dermatitis, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. He is past president of the American Contact Dermatitis Society, and he currently serves on the board of directors for the Association of Professors of Dermatology.

His clinical interests are in allergic and autoimmune skin diseases. He runs a busy diagnostic patch testing clinic in his outpatient practice, and also supervises the cutaneous immunopathology laboratory within the department of Dermatology. His laboratory research is focused on the role of epidermal keratinocytes in controlling T-cell mediated inflammation in the skin. He has been the recipient of VA merit awards, past NIH R01 grants, and has an active NIH R01 entitled: “Keratinocyte costimulation and Th2 Immune Deviation.” In this work, he has demonstrated how keratinocytes can exhibit profound influence on Th1 and Th2 lymphocyte responses to topical allergens. He also has received industry funding for his work related to the mechanisms and safety of topically applied immune modulating drugs.  He has also served on the study section for the National Institute of Skin and Musculoskeletal Diseases of the NIH as well as FDA advisory panel related to natural rubber latex allergy, and currently chairs an NIH Data Safety Monitoring Board, and well as two DSMB for Celegene corporation. He holds one patent. He is internationally recognized for his work on cutaneous immunology, and just within the last year been invited to speak at numerous international meetings related to Dermatology, Immunology and Toxicology in Istanbul, Turkey, Naples, Italy and most recently in Berlin, Germany.  He has gained the world’s attention for his role in the Dermatologist volunteering his efforts in Indonesia, and assisting a team of Doctors attempting to diagnosis and treat the “Treeman” of Indonesia (Dede Kosawa).