Penn dermatology scientist Sarah E. Millar, PhD received the 2016 FOCUS Award for the Advancement of Women in Medicine.

Millar, the Albert M. Kligman Endowed Professor and vice chair for basic science research in the department of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, is studying the development and renewal of skin, hair follicles, teeth, and mammary glands. She has collaborative interests in the areas of lung and heart development.

The award, recently presented at the annual FOCUS fall conference, recognizes “a faculty member at Penn Medicine, male or female, whose outstanding efforts and achievements have promoted the career success, leadership, and overall quality of life for Penn women in academic medicine.” FOCUS on Health & Leadership for Women is a Penn Medicine-based program that supports the advancement and leadership of women in academic medicine and promotes education and research in women’s health and women's careers.

“Dr. Millar is a highly respected researcher and scholar, outstanding supervisor, and exemplary mentor with an ardent commitment to the development and advancement of younger scientists, students, and post-doctoral fellows,” says Stephanie Abbuhl MD, executive director of FOCUS, in a news release. “Promoting women’s academic and professional excellence has been a priority throughout her distinguished career. Her mentoring has had a profound effect on numerous Penn-based young researchers, as well as nationally and internationally. And she regularly plays an active role in many initiatives here at Penn, bringing clear vision and exceptional levels of energy and dedication to every project.”

Millar was also cited for serving as chair of the School of Medicine’s Child Care Task Force during 2013-14, when she led the planning of a child care center at Penn Medicine, which is slated to open in 2018.

Millar has worked extensively with fellow Penn Medicine senior women faculty members and the school’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity to identify and rectify space and salary constraints hindering women’s progress in the basic sciences. In April 2016 she co-organized a symposium on gender bias in scientific publishing, which featured presentations and discussions with editors of the journals Cell, Science, and JAMA, examining ways to enhance gender equity in publishing in top-tier journals.

After receiving her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Cambridge University, Millar earned her PhD in molecular biology from the University of London and then trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the NIH and at Stanford University. In addition to her roles in the department of Dermatology, Millar holds secondary appointments in the department of Cell and Developmental Biology and in the School of Dental Medicine. She also is principal investigator and director of the Penn Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-based Center; principal investigator of the Penn dermatology research training grant; co-director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine Program in Epithelial Stem Cells and Regeneration; and member of the internal advisory boards for the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Penn Training Program in Rheumatic Diseases.

She is a member of the editorial boards of Developmental Cell and Experimental Dermatology, and has served on many national and international grant review committees. Millar has received several awards for her research accomplishments, including an NIH MERIT Award for her work on Wnt signaling in the skin and the 2017 William Montagna Lectureship Award of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.