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Noxell Professorship in Dermatology

School of Medicine

Established in 1985 by the Noxell Foundation

The NOXELL COMPANY, manufacturer of Noxema Skin Cream and Cover Girl cosmetics, was founded in 1920 by pharmacist GEORGE AVERY BUNTING.

 

BuntingGeorgeHis son, G. LLOYD BUNTING SR., and then his grandson, GEORGE L. BUNTING JR. (pictured), led the company in turn until 1990, when it merged with Procter & Gamble. At the time of the merger, Noxell had sales of more than $500 million a year. George Bunting Jr. has chaired the boards of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, was the first chairman of Johns Hopkins Medicine, and is a longtime university trustee, now trustee emeritus.

At the time of the chair’s creation, it was one of only four endowed chairs in dermatology in the country. The Noxell Professorship provides a focal point and source of fiscal stability for work in patient care, research, and training in the Department of Dermatology. The first faculty member appointed to the chair was Thomas T. Provost, who brought exceptional experience not only in dermatology, but also in internal medicine and in the application of immunology to diseases of the skin. Dr. Provost, then professor and chairman of the Department of Dermatology, strengthened the young department’s emphasis on research by attracting a research-oriented faculty, which is now internationally recognized. Dr. Provost retired in 1996.

The Noxell Professorship is to be held by the chairman of the department.

Held by Sewon Kang

SEWON KANG is the Noxell Professor of Dermatology, and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Kang is a highly-regarded expert on skin aging and pharmacology, having conducted extensive research involving retinoids and other treatments to inhibit photoaging and the natural aging of skin. He holds numerous patents and has published more than 180 peer-reviewed articles on the topic. Dr. Kang is also the editor-in-chief of the Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology textbook (9th edition), which is the most authoritative reference in dermatology. He has been an officer of various professional boards, and has served as President of the Photomedicine Society and the American Acne & Rosacea Society.  Dr. Kang is also a trustee of the Dermatology Foundation, the largest organization in the US that supports skin research.