The gift will fund an endowed professorship; a need-based medical student scholarship; a research fund for skin cancer research; annual lectureships in two specialties: cosmetic dermatologic surgery and psoriasis; and a dermatology exam room and a patient room at the Mount Sinai Hospital.

The Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai received a $5 million bequest promised by Kenneth L. Edelson, MD, Clinical Professor of Dermatology. 

This gift represents Dr. Edelson’s commitment to advancing dermatologic medicine and giving back to the Department and Mount Sinai, where he has served as a physician for the past 14 years.

“Dr. Edelson’s gift will be extremely beneficial to the Waldman Department of Dermatology and its groundbreaking skin cancer research and treatments,” says Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, Waldman Professor and System Chair of Dermatology, in a news release.

Dr. Edelson received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine as a member of the first four-year graduating class, in 1972. Dr. Edelson credits his transformative medical school experience to the faculty, who “were just phenomenal, giants in their fields.” Fenton Shaffner, MD, Hans Popper, MD, Henry Janowitz, MD, Burrill Crohn, MD, Leon Ginzburg, MD, and Rosalyn Yalow, PhD, among others, inspired him to pursue a career in dermatology. This experience was the motivation to pay it forward to the next generation since his education had a huge impact on his life and career.

Dr. Edelson has taught monthly workshops for Mount Sinai’s dermatology resident physicians for which he has won numerous awards including Teacher of the Year. He is internationally recognized as one of the first to use the bolus technique of injecting calcium hydroxylapatite for hand rejuvenation and has published journal articles and textbook chapters on the subject.

Dr. Edelson’s legacy gift to the Waldman Department of Dermatology will fund an endowed professorship; a need-based medical student scholarship; a research fund for skin cancer research; annual lectureships in two specialties: cosmetic dermatologic surgery and psoriasis; and a dermatology exam room and a patient room at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “It's a way of giving back to what Mount Sinai has done for me, which is everything, and I hope others will follow my lead,” says Dr. Edelson.

Dr. Edelson has worn many hats throughout his career. In 2015, Dr. Edelson was sworn in as an Honorary Police Surgeon by the New York City Police Commissioner. This is the highest rank a civilian physician can achieve within the NYPD. Additionally, Dr. Edelson has enjoyed a second career as a comedic actor, and he has appeared in more than 20 films.