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John Ingram  MA MSc DM(Oxon) FRCP(Derm) FAcadMEd

Professor John Ingram

(he/him)

MA MSc DM(Oxon) FRCP(Derm) FAcadMEd

Clinical Professor

Overview

Improving the care of people with hidradenitis suppurativa is my principal research and clinical focus within dermatology. Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a painful chronic inflammatory skin disease, characterised by recurrent skin boils in flexural sites, producing a large impact on quality of life and affecting about 1% of the population globally.

I am a co-founder of HiSTORIC, the core outcome domains global collaboration for HS and Chief Investigator of H-STRONG, the UK-Irish Treatment Registry Study. Previously I led several HS research consortia, including the Cochrane Review of Interventions for HS, James Lind Alliance HS Priority Setting Partnership, the British Association of Dermatologists HS Guideline Development Group, and the HTA-funded THESEUS study. I run a HS multidisciplinary clinic in Cardiff and champion a holistic approach to HS care, integrating medical and surgical therapy.

I am also immediate past Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Dermatology (https://academic.oup.com/bjd), impact factor 11.0, ranked third of the 94 dermatology journals, leading the journal from 2019-2024.

Publication

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2005

Articles

Research

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

My research focuses on hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a common, painful chronic inflammatory condition causing multiple boils in skin creases such as the arm pits and groin. Scarring including skin tunnels occurs in moderate to severe disease. HS typically affects young adults, affecting relationships, education, and careers, with a large impact on quality of life. 

I led the guideline development group producing the first UK guidelines for HS in 2018 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30552762/). My five year HCRW fellowship used primary care data to identify undiagnosed patients living with HS, increasing HS prevalence estimates from 0.1% to 1.0%, demonstrating that HS is a common condition. I was chief investigator of the HTA-funded THESEUS study which introduced to the UK deroofing for skin tunnels, our information video being viewed more than 1.5 million times (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftizgrBMzok).  

The impact of my HS research is demonstrated by my impact case for the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) process https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/medicine/research/impact/HS-skin-condition-research .

HiSTORIC and C3

I co-founded HiSTORIC, the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Core Outcomes Set International Collaboration, which defined the six core outcome domains, the 'what' to measure, in HS trials https://www.c3outcomes.org/historic. HiSTORIC is now identifying pre-existing validated instruments to measure each domain and is developing and validating new instruments where needed. I am co-copyright holder of the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Quality of Life (HiSQOL) instrument (https://research.med.psu.edu/hidradenitis-suppurativa/), as well as the Patient Global Assessment instrument to measure overall quality of life, and the HS Investigator Global Assessment (HS-IGA) tool. 

HiSTORIC began supporting other dermatology core outcome set development groups, leading to creation of CHORD, Consortium for Harmonizing Outcomes Research in Dermatology. I co-founded C3, the CHORD COUSIN Collaboration, following a merger with the Cochrane Skin Core Outcomes Set Initiative (CS-COUSIN) and I am current C3 Treasurer.     C3 now includes more than 20 dermatology core outcome set development groups https://www.c3outcomes.org/, providing resources and methodological support.

HS Biobank

I established a Cardiff HS database containing demographic and phenotype details linked to a biobank of tissue and blood samples held by the Cardiff University Biobank (CUB). Biobank samples are being investigated with several collaborators to improve our understanding of HS pathogenesis.    

Research Students

In progress

  • Dr Samar Hasan, PhD programme

Awarded 

  • Dr Ausama Atwan, MD 2018
  • Dr Faraz Ali, PhD 2021
  • Dr Rubina Shah, PhD 2024

Teaching

Medical undergraduates

  • Admissions interviewer
  • Dermatology clinical tutor
  • Academic mentor
  • Finals ISCE examiner

Dermatology postgraduates

  • Lecturer and examiner for Diploma & MSc in Clinical Dermatology
  • Lecturer for MSc course and intercalated BSc medical undergraduate course in Medical Education
  • Lead for Diploma in Practical Dermatology 2012–14. In this role I modularised the course, blueprinted assessments to level 7 learning outcomes and moved the Virtual Learning Environment to the Cardiff University Blackboard provider

Biography

Education & Qualifications

FRCP(Derm) Medicine Royal College of Physicians 2017
FAcadMEd Medical Education Academy of Medical Educators 2014
MSc Medical Education Cardiff University 2012
Certificate of Completion of Training Dermatology General Medical Council 2011
DM (Oxon) Medicine Oxford University 2008
MA Physiological Science Oxford University 2004
MRCP (UK) Medicine Royal College of Physicians 2002
BM BCh Medicine Oxford University 1999
BA Physiological Science Oxford University 1996
       
       

Career Overview

My present appointment is Professor of Dermatology, Cardiff University & Honorary Consultant Dermatologist, Cardiff & Vale University Health Board, first joining Cardiff University in 2011 as a clinical lecturer. 

Previously I trained in dermatology on the South Wales Training Rotation and worked for 12 months in dermatology and general medicine in Australia. I performed my DM doctoral studies in Cardiff after completing my SHO medical rotation in South Wales and undertook all of my undergraduate medical training at Oxford University.

Honours and awards

  • NHS Clinical Impact Award 2022-27
  • Honorary Associate Professor, University of Toronto, 2020
  • Awarded 5-year (£475,000) Research Fellowship, Health & Care Research Wales (HCRW), 2014-19
  • Best Presentation Award, Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board R&D Conference, 2011
  • Academy for Future Leaders in Dermatology Award, European Society for Dermatological Research, 2011
  • Registrar Fellowship Award, UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (DCTN), 2007
  • Hugh Wallace Essay & Publication Prize, Royal Society of Medicine, Dermatology Section, 2007

Professional memberships

Grant Advisory Committees

  • British Skin Foundation Large Grant Advisory Committee member 2013-18
  • HCRW Research for Patient and Public Benefit Grant Funding Board member 2016-17

Examination Boards

  • Royal College of Physicians Dermatology Specialty Certificate Examination Board member 2013-18

UK Advisory Roles

  • Clinical expert for four NICE single technology appraisals
  • NICE Evidence Resources Reference Panel member - dual RCP & BAD representative
  • Medical Adviser for Hidradenitis Suppurativa UK patient network
  • Performed External Review of St John’s Hidradenitis Suppurativa clinical service at the request of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust 2017
  • Lead for British Association of Dermatologists HS Guideline Development Group 2015-19
  • UK Department of Work & Pensions Adviser regarding HS disability

UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (UK DCTN)

  • Steering Committee member
  • Chair of Trial Generation and Prioritisation Panel (TGPP) 2014-18

All Wales Roles

  • Health and Care Research Wales Dermatology Lead

Speaking engagements

  • Keynote speaker at Symposium on HS Advances conference, Austin Texas 2024
  • Session Chair and delivery of two oral presentations, European HS Foundation conference, Lyon 2024
  • One of the few invited overseas speakers at American Academy of Dermatologists Annual meeting, San Diego 2024, New Orleans 2023, and Boston 2022
  • Virtual speaker at the 2023 annual meetings of the two Chinese dermatology associations with a membership of more than 20,000 dermatologists
  • Chair and speaker at the HS session of the 2023 World Congress of Dermatology, Singapore
  • Plenary lecture, British Association of Dermatologists annual conference 2022, Glasgow
  • Invited speaker at International Congress of Dermatology, Melbourne 2021