Kristen Kelly

Professor, Dermatology
Professor, Surgery

Dr. Kristen Kelly is the chair of the department of dermatology at the UCI School of Medicine. She is Professor of Dermatology and of Surgery at UCI School of Medicine and is a clinical researcher at UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic.

Dr. Kelly’s research has helped to optimize cutaneous vascular lesion treatment, evaluate cutaneous angiogenesis and develop and evaluate novel dermatologic light-based imaging and therapeutic options.

From 2016 to 2017, Dr. Kelly served as President of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). She has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and 15 book chapters and has given over 200 lectures at local, national and international meetings. Dr. Kelly serves on the editorial board for “Lasers in Surgery and Medicine” and the “Journal of Clinical and Translational Research.”

Dr. Kelly’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dermatology Foundation, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery and the Sturge Weber Foundation. Dr. Kelly has been honored with the Physician of Excellence award from the Orange County Medical Association; the ASLMS Presidential Citation for contributions in port wine stain treatments and laser education; the Dr. Horace Furumoto Innovations and Professional Development Award; the Leon Goldman Award for excellence in clinical research, patient care, or education, related to medical lasers and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science Mentoring Award.

Dr. Kelly earned her M.D. and her B.S. in psychobiology from University of California, Los Angeles, where she graduated summa cum laude and inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Research Interests
+ Cutaneous angiogenesis
+ Vascular birthmarks
+ Photodynamic therapy of cutaneous lesions
+ Non-invasive optical imaging of cutaneous legions
+ Translational Technology Development: cutaneous laser surgery