David Harris

FRCP

Dermatology and Dermatological Mohs & Laser Consultant

Trained in dermatology at Westminster & St Stephens, The Royal Free, Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, Dr David Harris also has a cutaneous surgery fellowship in Mohs and laser surgery at the University of Minnesota in the United States.

In 1993, Mr Harris was appointed consultant at the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust and set up and ran the world’s first “store and forward” teledermatology link for pigmented lesion triage with a North London GP fundholding practice. In the following year, he established the laser unit and Mohs surgery at the Wellington Hospital.

In 2002, Mr Harris left the NHS to set up the London Clinic of Dermatology, which was London’s first stand-alone private dermatology unit based on the US cutaneous surgery model. The clinic provided dermatological laser, Mohs surgery and pigmented lesion surveillance, and it was equipped with two minor operating theatres staffed by specialist dermatological nurses. The Mohs service was supported by Plastic and Oculo-Plastic surgeons.

Mr Harris was also involved in microneedle research leading to the development of a cosmetic peri-orbital hyaluronic acid delivery device and performed proving studies for a Norwegian natural beta-glucan ointment for chronic plaque psoriasis sufferers. In addition, he developed clinical algorithms for teledermatology consultations that are currently used by virtual providers today.

Furthermore, David Harris’s research interests lie in dermoscopy, sequential total body scanning of pigmented lesions for the early detection of malignant melanoma, as well as laser treatment of acne scarring and keloid scarring with laser and injectables.

Throughout his career, the Dr performed over 400 cutaneous surgical procedures yearly for benign and malignant lesions, including Mohs, laser and intralesional chemotherapy for treatment-resistant warts and palliative care of non-melanoma skin malignancies.