Edward Heilman

Edward Heilman, MD, FAAD, FCAP is Clinical Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology, at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.  He is a board-certified anatomic pathologist, dermatologist, and dermatopathologist.  He was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He received his undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University and completed his preclinical years of medical school at the University of Rome, Italy. He then returned to New York to complete his medical education, and received his medical degree from New York Medical College.  He subsequently completed his internship in general surgery at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine. 

Dr. Heilman spent the next three years as a resident in Anatomic Pathology at NYU Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital Center and served as chief resident in his final year.  During his time as a pathology resident, Dr Heilman completed a Dermatopathology Fellowship under the supervision of Dr. A. Bernard Ackerman.  He then went on to complete a combined dermatology residency, dividing his training between SUNY Downstate and NYU Medical Center, being mentored by Dr. Alan Shalita and Dr. Rudolph Baer, respectively.

In 1980, Dr. Heilman was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pathology at SUNY Downstate, allowing him to work with Dr. Shalita for the next 35 years.  In addition to his academic work at Downstate, Dr. Heilman, together with Dr. Robert J. Friedman, founded Dermpath Inc., a private dermatopathology laboratory, which they managed successfully for over 20 years. 

In the early 2000s, Dr. Heilman, in partnership with Dr. Ackerman, Dr. Shalita, and the Department of Pathology, reestablished the Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology Fellowship program with Downstate as the sponsoring institution. As Fellowship Director, he helped rebuild the program, which is now recognized as one of the most prominent Dermatopathology Fellowship programs in the country.

Dr. Heilman has over 70 publications and book chapters and has been active in the governance of the American Academy of Dermatology.  He also served as the Vice President and then President of the Dermatologic Society of Greater New York.

Soon after retiring from his dermatopathology laboratory in 2013, Dr. Heilman took on the role of Vice Chair of the Department of Dermatology at SUNY Downstate.  Due to Dr. Shalita's untimely death he was promoted to Interim Chair and then to permanent Chair of the department. 

Dr. Heilman has taught and mentored many residents, fellows, and medical students over the years at Downstate. The opportunity to help train over 200 dermatologists and over 60 dermatopathology fellows has been his most important and gratifying professional achievement.