About

Robert Dellavalle, MD, PhD, MSPH, is Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota. He is recognized for his dermatoepidemiology expertise and research on the global burden of skin disease. Dr. Dellavalle is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal JMIR Dermatology. His career has focused upon serving US Veterans, improving the evidence base upon which dermatology care is provided with UpToDate, and preventing skin, hair, and nail disease—especially skin cancer. He places special emphasis on training the next generation of dermatology researchers and clinicians. Dr. Dellavalle has received the Melanoma Research Foundation Prevention Award and has over 450 publications.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Environmental health
• Pathology
• Political Science
• Internal medicine
• Dermatology
• Family medicine
• Medical education
• Demography
• Law
• Psychology
• Gerontology
• Surgery
• Immunology

Selected publications

• Antidiabetic Drug Associations With Heart Failure Outcomes: Real-World Evidence Study Using Electronic Health Records

  JMIR Diabetes · 2026-04-15

  articleOpen access

  Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart failure (HF), leading to health care burden including hospitalization and mortality. Among multiple T2D therapies, there are inadequate head-to-head comparisons of their effects on HF in the real-world patient population. Objective: This study aims to compare the time-to-HF among patients treated with different T2D drugs following metformin. Methods: We conducted a retrospective data analysis on electronic health records of 5000 patients with T2D. The inclusion criteria were previous treatment with metformin and initiation of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1 RAs), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i), sulfonylureas, or insulin. We grouped patients by the mechanism of their subsequent therapies and focused on 2 pairs of comparisons classified by insulin resistance: sulfonylureas versus insulin (increased resistance) and GLP1 RA versus DPP4i (decreased resistance). The outcomes were 5-year HF status and the HF-free survival time, which was verified manually by examining clinical notes. We applied doubly robust causal estimation and accounted for confounding by adjusting for coded and natural language processing electronic health record features identified through medical knowledge networks. Results: The study included 939 patients, of whom 204 (21.7%) received insulin, 482 (51.3%) received sulfonylureas, 90 (9.6%) received GLP1 RA, and 163 (17.4%) received DPP4i. Patients in the sulfonylureas group had a significantly higher 5-year HF-free survival compared to the insulin group (survival ratio of insulin/sulfonylureas 0.902, 95% CI 0.840-0.976; P=.01). There was no significant difference between the DPP4i versus GLP1 RA group in 5-year HF-free survival (survival ratio of GLP1 RA/DPP4i was 0.953, 95% CI 0.849-1.067; P=.40). For the occurrence of a HF-related hospitalization within 5 years, there were no significant differences between the sulfonylureas and insulin groups (risk difference 0.057, 95% CI -0.011 to 0.132; P=.11), and between the GLP1 RA and DPP4i groups (risk difference 0.010, 95% CI -0.096 to 0.129). Conclusions: We evaluated real-world evidence on 2 head-to-head comparisons of second-line T2D therapies on 5-year HF outcomes. Patients on sulfonylureas were associated with lower 5-year HF risks than those treated with insulin when measured by risk ratio, but no significant difference was detected when measured by the risk difference. Limitations of this study included potentially inadequate adjustment of confounding in the observational study and a limited sample size with validated HF outcomes.

  PublisherDOI

• Response to Jin et al “Global, regional, and National burden of pruritus: A comprehensive study from the Global Burden of Disease, 1992-2021”

  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2026-04-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• 0386 Utilizing the VISIA camera for analyzing 5-Fluorouracil treatment efficacy for actinic keratoses

  Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2025-07-21

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Regional Variations in the Availability of Continuing Medical Education Credits for Dermatology Grand Rounds: A Comparative Study of U.S. Dermatology Departments (Preprint)

  2025-07-01

  preprintSenior author

  <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Within dermatology, grand rounds serve as a foundational platform for continuing medical education (CME) and clinical development, yet little is known about how these sessions vary across U.S. academic institutions. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study aims to address the lack of comprehensive data on regional variation in CME offerings by conducting a comparative analysis of ACCME-accredited dermatology grand rounds at U.S. allopathic medical schools </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 112 dermatology departments affiliated with allopathic medical schools to assess regional differences in the structure of ACCME-accredited grand rounds, including frequency, delivery format, attendance, and CME credit allocation. Departments were eligible if they (1) internally hosted grand rounds and (2) offered ACCME-accredited AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Only departments meeting both criteria completed the full survey. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> Of the 57 programs that responded, 52 (91.2%) host grand rounds, with 44 (84.6%) offering CME credits. Results revealed notable regional variation: the Northeast hosted fewer, higher-credit in-person sessions, while the West favored frequent, lower-credit hybrid or virtual formats. Nationally, higher CME credit was associated with greater attendance, but this trend was not consistent across the regions. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> The observed variation reflects how institutional priorities, resources, and logistical considerations shape educational offerings. Understanding these dynamics may guide departments in optimizing their CME strategies moving forward. </sec>

  PublisherDOI

• Advantages of a Virtual Collaborative Research Dermatology Laboratory

  JMIR Medical Education · 2025-09-24

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Unlabelled: The Dellavalle/Dunnick Dermato-Epidemiology Lab transitioned from a single campus to a dual-campus collaboration between the University of Colorado and the University of Minnesota in 2024. Since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the laboratory has been operating on Zoom and allows medical students from any institution to join. This innovative laboratory structure offers students and other researchers unique opportunities to engage in dermatological research and develop professional networks across two large academic institutions. The laboratory's model embraces a virtual collaborative approach, promotes inclusivity, encourages student-led inquiry, and provides a structured environment for professional development and academic output. Through its commitment to diverse student perspectives and interdisciplinary cooperation, the Dellavalle/Dunnick Dermato-Epidemiology Lab creates a new, equitable, nationwide model for research and mentorship in dermatology, supporting medical students, residents, and fellows to navigate future careers in dermatology.

  PublisherDOI

• 0260 A systematic analysis of meta-analyses: Development of the Meta-Analysis Diversity Index (MADI)

  Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2025-07-21

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Geospatial impacts on melanoma stage at initial diagnosis - a systematic review

  Dermatology Online Journal · 2025-05-19

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  Melanoma, an invasive and potentially fatal form of skin cancer, is projected to comprise 5% of new cancer cases and 1.4% of cancer-related deaths in 2024 alone [1]. Survival rates are closely linked to the stage at detection, with thicker tumors at initial diagnosis associated with reduced overall survival rate [2,3]. Increased distance to healthcare providers creates barriers to early detection; disparities in sun exposure and healthcare access between rural and urban populations underscore the need for targeted interventions. This review explores the relationship between rurality and distance to providers with melanoma staging at detection. A search was conducted of the PubMed and Embase databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines [4]. The included studies examined melanoma staging and Breslow thickness in rural versus urban areas and the impact of distance to healthcare provider. Greater distance to healthcare providers was associated with more advanced tumor stages at diagnosis, while rurality status had largely insignificant effects. This review investigates the impact of rurality status and distance to a healthcare provider on melanoma detection. Ensuring equitable access is crucial for better melanoma management across different regions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Differences in NIH funding, publications, and H-index between men and women who are endowed dermatology chairs

  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2025-03-12

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 64122 Comparison of high- and low-cost dermatology medication prescriptions by prescriber specialty

  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2025-09-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Comparing NIH funding for skin disease research with US skin disease burden according to Global Burden of Disease 2021: a cross-sectional analysis identifies underfunded and overfunded diseases (Preprint)

  2025-01-25

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Understanding the burden of various skin diseases can help guide funding allocation for skin disease research. In 2015, Hagstrom and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study that found partial correlation between United States (US) skin disease burden according to the 2010 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding from 2012-13. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study aims to re-investigate the relationship between US skin disease burden and NIH research funding allocation using the latest data from GBD 2021 and NIH funding data from fiscal years 2021-22. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to compare the disability-adjusted life years for 15 skin conditions from GBD 2021 with NIH funding for these conditions from 2021-2022. Data was sourced from GBD Results and the NIH RePORT database </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> NIH funding for skin disease research and US skin disease burden according to GBD were partially correlated with several outliers. Malignant skin melanoma and pruritus were relatively overfunded, while psoriasis and urticaria were relatively underfunded. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> Disease burden is just one of the many important factors that must be considered when allocating resources including research funding to encourage research efforts that improve patient outcomes and positively impact public health. </sec>

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant K07CA092550

  NIH · $680k · 2008

Frequent coauthors

• Cory A. Dunnick

  247 shared

• Colby L. Presley

  Lehigh Valley Health Network

  142 shared

• Chanté Karimkhani

  133 shared

• Torunn E Sivesind

  University of Colorado Denver

  129 shared

• James Solomon

  Florida College

  127 shared

• Mindy D Szeto

  Northwestern University

  126 shared

• Martin A. Weinstock

  Providence College

  106 shared

• Chandler W. Rundle

  Duke University Hospital

  104 shared

Awards & honors

• Melanoma Research Foundation Prevention Award