Fall 2020 Seminar Series (ENV 847-S/PHARM 847-S)
Duke Integrated Toxicology & Environmental Health Program
Friday, September 25, 2020, 12:00 – 1:15 pm
*Live Zoom Presentation. Register HERE to receive Zoom link!*
AMANDA MACLEOD, MD 
Associate Professor
Director, Physician-Scientist Development in the Department of Dermatology
Department of Dermatology
Duke University School of Medicine
Allergens and other skin toxicants affecting the immune system
The skin is a barrier organ protecting humans against the toxic effects of environmental hazards, including allergens, irritants, UV radiation, and microbes. The incidence of allergic skin disease has increased worldwide over the past several decades and thus remains a burden on human health. Given the unique characteristics of the immunological microenvironment of the skin, this lecture will unravel the mechanisms through which allergic sensitization and elicitation occur leading to allergic contact dermatitis. We will also learn about additional skin toxicants such as UV affecting the cutaneous immune function.
BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Amanda MacLeod received her Abitur (B.S. equivalent) from the Cecilien-Gymnasium in Dusseldorf, Germany and her M.D. degree from the Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany. She entered dermatology residency training under Dr. Thomas Ruzicka at the Heinrich-Heine University (Dusseldorf) and Ludwig Maximilian University (Munich), and had her postdoctoral training with Dr. Richard Gallo at UCSD and Dr. Wendy Havran at the Scripps Research Institute. After receiving a NIH K08 Career Development Award, Dr. MacLeod was recruited as Assistant Professor to the Department of Dermatology at Duke University in 2014 and received her promotion to Associate Professor in 2019. She runs a successful R01-funded translational research laboratory aimed at understanding skin barrier immunity, host-microbial interactions, wound repair and regeneration in inflammatory and infectious skin diseases. Dr. MacLeod authored and co-authored over 50 research articles, clinical case reports, invited previews and review articles in journals including the Journal for Investigative Dermatology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Science, Trends in Immunology, Journal of Immunology, Cell Host and Microbe, Plos One, Plos Pathogens, Science Signaling, Science Translational Medicine, Advances in Wound Care and many more. Dr. MacLeod received numerous honors and awards, including summa cum laude (BS), a Research Fellowship from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the 2009 Research Award Prize from Arbeitsgemeinshaft Dermatologische Forschung, a NIH K08 Career Development Award, the Physician-Scientist Strong Start Award, and most recently she was named a top 40 under 40 recipient by the Triangle Business Journal (TBJ). She was invited to give a Distinguished Lectureship at the University of Luebeck. Dr. MacLeod has served as Associate Review Editor for Frontiers in Immunology, and is now Associate Editor for Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. Dr. Macleod served as Associate Residency Program Director for Research in the Department for Dermatology and now is Director for Physician Scientist Development in the Department of Dermatology. Nationally, she serves as co-chair on the Committee for Education for the Society for Investigative Dermatology, on the committee for Diversity and Inclusion for the Society for Investigative Dermatology, and as Scientific Evaluation Review Member for the LEO Foundation. She is active in promoting and advocating for women (and men), and underrepresented minorities in medicine and science. At Duke, Dr. MacLeod serves or has served on multiple PhD committees as well as on the MSTP admission and the dermatology residency admission committee. Dr. MacLeod organized, chaired or co-chaired multiple symposia and conferences and also consults/has consulted for Silab and Novartis.