Esther Freeman, MD, PhD
Director, Global Education and Clinical Innovation

Esther Freeman, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and a board-certified dermatologist. She attended Dartmouth College, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude. She received both an MSc and a PhD in infectious disease epidemiology as a British Marshall Scholar at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom. She received her medical degree (MD) from Harvard Medical School. She completed her dermatology residency at Harvard Medical School. In addition, she received her Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) from the Gorgas Memorial Institute in Peru.

She is a physician-scientist performing epidemiological research in HIV dermatology and global health. Her area of interest is in HIV-associated malignancies including Kapok’s sarcoma. She has received the most highly cited author award in Epidemiology in AIDS. She is a consultant to the World Health Organization in Geneva in HIV-associated skin disease and at MGH is the Director of Global Health Dermatology.

Since 2020, she has been researching the effects of COVID-19 on the skin, in collaboration with the American Academy of Dermatology and the International League of Dermatologic Societies. She serves on the World Health Organization COVID-19 Clinical Characterization and Management Work Group. In addition to her research papers on COVID-19 dermatology, her work has been cited extensively in the lay press, including the New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and National Public Radio.

Please see Dr. Freeman’s Harvard Catalyst Profile for selected publications.