Distinguished Teaching Professor
Ponciano Cruz, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Dermatology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is a Distinguished Teaching Professor and holds the Paul R. Bergstresser, M.D. Endowed Chair in Dermatology. He specializes in contact dermatitis, patch testing for allergic contact dermatitis, and alopecia areata.
Dr. Cruz earned his medical degree at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine in Manila, where he graduated cum laude as valedictorian. He completed residencies in internal medicine at Kettering Medical Center (where he served as Chief Resident) and in dermatology at UT Southwestern. He completed a fellowship in immunodermatology at UT Southwestern, as well.
Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Dermatology, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1990.
Dr. Cruz serves as Vice Chair of the Department of Dermatology at UT Southwestern. He is also Chief of the Dermatology Section at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He was the Director of the Dermatology Residency Program at UT Southwestern from 1991 to 2022.
Alongside Kiyoshi Ariizumi, Ph.D., Dr. Cruz co-heads an investigative laboratory that focuses on the discovery and characterization of immunologic molecules that are treatment targets against cancer and inflammatory skin diseases.
He belongs to numerous professional organizations, including those in which he has held the following leadership positions: President of the Society for Investigative Dermatology; President of the Photodermatology Society; and Board Director of the Association of Professors of Dermatology.
He is the Founder of the Dermatology Teachers Exchange Group and was Vice President of the Annenberg Circle of the Dermatology Foundation. For 22 years, Dr. Cruz was Editor-in-Chief of Dermatitis, the home journal of the American Contact Dermatitis Society.
He has delivered scores of presentations, contributed to more than 30 books, and published more than 180 peer-reviewed manuscripts in his research and clinical areas of expertise.
In 2023, Dr. Cruz earned the American Skin Association’s Research Achievement Award in Public Policy and Medical Education.
When he’s not at work, Dr. Cruz enjoys fine dining and exploring poetry and film.
