April W. Armstrong, MD MPH, Professor of Dermatology

Dr. April Armstrong is Associate Dean of Clinical Research at Keck School of Medicine at USC. She also serves as Director of Clinical Research for the Southern California Clinical and Translational Research Institute (SC CTSI). In the Department of Dermatology at USC, she serves as Vice Chair, Director of Clinical Trials and Outcomes Research, and Director of the Psoriasis Program.

Dr. Armstrong obtained her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed dermatology residency at the Harvard Dermatology Residency Program. She also obtained a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health. Prior to joining faculty at the University of Southern California, Dr. Armstrong served as Vice Chair, Director of Clinical Research, and Director of Psoriasis Program at dermatology departments at the University of California Davis and later at the University of Colorado.

For her research focus, Dr. Armstrong is particularly interested in the appropriate use of systemic agents, comparative effectiveness research, technology-enabled healthcare delivery, and comorbidities associated with inflammatory skin diseases. Dr. Armstrong has conducted studies examining how new therapies impact patients’ disease states, quality of life, and their access to medical care. She is also examining how technology-enabled healthcare delivery can be applied to manage patients with chronic dermatological diseases. She is a federally funded investigator with an extensive clinical trial experience, having led or collaborated on over 120 studies. She has authored over 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has been an editor for the top pharmacology textbook Principles of Pharmacology. Her work has been supported by the NIH, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Dermatology Foundation, and the National Psoriasis Foundation.

Dr. Armstrong has held multiple leadership positions at professional societies, serving as a Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation, Councilor to the International Psoriasis Council, Steering Committee Member for Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. Dr. Armstrong is Chair for Teledermatology SIG at the American Telemedicine Association. She also has served on multiple task forces and committees at the American Academy of Dermatology. Dr. Armstrong also has also served on the editorial boards of JAMA Dermatology, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Telemedicine and eHealth. She was also past President of Sacramento Valley Dermatologic Society.

“I am fortunate to work with talented students, young doctors, and research staff every day. Some take the blind faith and travel across the country or the globe to work with me in Los Angeles. Over the years, I have found that I learn from them just as much as the other way around. Their courage, grit, and compassion fill me with the optimism that the future of dermatology is bright. Importantly, our lives become intertwined in the most beautiful and meaningful ways. I am privileged to be a witness to their incredible journeys.” –April Armstrong, MD MPH