London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The American Academy of Dermatology recently recognised board-certified dermatologist Kenneth Katz, MD, FAAD, (MSc Medical Statistics, 1999), San Francisco, California, as a 'Patient Care Hero' for his leadership of the Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The 'Patient Care Hero' award recognises physicians who transform patients' lives by using their expertise and collaborating with other providers to treat serious diseases.

Dr. Katz received his Medical Statistics degree from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1999. He was selected to be a member of the FDA's Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee in 2016 and promoted to co-chair in 2019. This committee of 11 physicians evaluates data and guides the FDA on the safety and effectiveness of new medicines.

The committee meetings are vital to the public because they help inform FDA's decisions about if and when treatments become available. Dr. Katz sees firsthand how the committee's recommendations lead to better health outcomes for patients—such as reviewing an innovative psoriasis treatment, making an effective acne treatment more accessible, and recommending a timeline for testing new pediatric eczema treatments. He takes great pride in knowing his team's decisions are expanding treatment options and improving the lives of millions.

Making critical recommendations to the FDA requires a thorough understanding of clinical research data. Dr. Katz credits the skills he attained studying medical statistics at LSHTM for understanding and contextualising the data to provide evidence-backed recommendations. He also applies his expertise and experience in caring for patients as a board-certified dermatologist at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco.

Dr. Katz looks forward to continuing to lead the committee and making decisions that enhance patient care and transform lives.