Andrew C. Krakowski, M.D.
Andrew C. Krakowski, M.D. (or "Dr. K" as he is better known to his patients and their families) is a board certified pediatric and adolescent dermatologist with an expertise in treating eczema/atopic dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, scars, and children’s birthmarks. Dr. K considers himself a lifelong learner – driven by a passion for patient care, education, and scientific investigation. He currently serves as the founding chair of Dermatology at St. Luke’s University Health Network. As the inaugural program director for the ACGME-approved St. Luke’s Residency in Dermatology, Dr. K is also directly responsible for training future generations of dermatologists.
Prior to his career in medicine, Dr. K completed a Master of Arts in American Studies/Environmental Studies and earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed a full residency in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, where he met his friend (and future pediadermics co-founder!), Dr. David Hanson. Dr. K continued his training in dermatology at the University of California, San Diego where he served as Chief Resident in his final year of dermatology residency. He completed a two-year research fellowship and a one-year clinical fellowship in pediatric dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, where he founded and directed the Kids’ Scar Treatment and Revision (S.T.A.R.) program – the first of its kind in the nation.
Throughout his career, Dr. K has dedicated himself to the service and education of others. Notably, as a student in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, he successfully created a medical recycling program that redistributed over $1 million worth of supplies to developing nations of the world. At graduation, he was honored with the Joel Gordon Miller Award for his contribution to the medical community. Building off that foundation, he established an annual wilderness medicine elective at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and won that hospital’s prestigious teaching award, in 2006. He was fortunate, also, to be elected to the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute’s Ethics Committee for two years and to the Department of Pediatrics’ Curriculum Committee for three years, before heading West to pursue a career in the sub-specialty field of pediatric dermatology. At the University of California, San Diego, he established two courses: The School of Medicine’s "Med 280: Pathophysiology of the Skin" and the Department of Literature’s "Medical Documentation and Narration." He also served as an invited International UCSD Mentor for two years, helping to train future generations of physicians.
Clinically, Dr. K’s work in atopic dermatitis/eczema, laser surgery, scar revision, and acne management is internationally regarded. He has authored 12 textbook chapters, and he is the co-editor of The Scar Book, published in 2017, and the senior editor of Procedural Pediatric Dermatology, published in 2021. He has published more than 100+ peer-reviewed publications including the following career highlights:
- A "state of the art" review on atopic dermatitis, published in the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics
- Expert consensus guidelines that reversed 30 years of mythology regarding isotretinoin’s purported effects on wound healing
- Expert recommendations on the management and treatment of port-wine birthmarks in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome
- Expert recommendations on the treatment of acne (officially endorsed by both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Dermatology)
- Several groundbreaking articles on scar revision and laser-induced neo-collagenesis in epidermolysis bullosa and Goltz syndrome
Dr. K serves as a regularly invited lecturer and course director at the annual meetings of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. He has been the invited pediatric dermatology editor for Infectious Diseases in Children ("Spot the Rash"), Practical Dermatology, and the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. Dr. Krakowski also founded the Society for Pediatric Dermatology’s "Patient Perspectives" initiative, a monthly feature in the peer-reviewed journal, Pediatric Dermatology. In 2010, the American Academy of Dermatology awarded him the Gold Triangle for his work in educating the public on atopic dermatitis/eczema. In 2013, he received the inaugural “Dermatologist from the Heart” award from LaRoche-Posay for his service to pediatric scar patients.
Outside of the hospital, Dr. K serves as a medical cartoonist for Practical Dermatology ("The Last Laugh") and a wilderness first-aid expert for Boys Scouts of America (BoysLife.com). He enjoys cheering for the Philadelphia Flyers, playing harmonica badly, and – above all else! – creating adventures with his horse veterinarian wife, his two young sons, and their goofy yellow Labrador.