Dr. Rita Pichardo MD

Rita O. Pichardo, MD is a Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She completed her Dermatology residency at the Army Hospital and Dermatopathology residency at the Instituto de Biomedicina, both in Caracas, Venezuela. Dr. Pichardo completed a one year International Fellowship in Dermatopathology in 2002 and completed a two year Research Fellowship in Dermatology and Dermatopathology at Wake Forest School of Medicine in 2003-2004. She joined the faculty in 2005. Since 2006 she has been the faculty representative for the Southeastern Consortium for Dermatology and currently their treasurer since 2022. Director of the International Fellowship in Dermatology since 2014. In 2015 she completed the Woman’s Leadership program and in 2018 she participated in the Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar. After obtaining the Global Health program certificate in 2016, she joined the office for Global Health as faculty. She is author and has co-authored more than 100 publications both indexed and no indexed in Pubmed, several book chapters and has co-authored two books. She has participated in numerous clinical studies in dermatology as primary investigator and sub-investigator, mainly in hidradenitis suppurativa and alopecia areata. Dr. Pichardo has lectured regionally, nationally and internationally in English and Spanish on a variety of topics related to her clinical interests. She is passionate about educating and serving the community, especially through her contribution with the Hope for HS. Her main interests are hidradenitis suppurativa, vulvar dermatosis, hair disorders, dermatopathology, and global health.