Our Team

Rosalynn M. Nazaria, MD

Title: Jag Bhawan Professor of Dermatology and Pathology, Head of the Dermatopathology Section, Director, Skin Pathology Laboratory & Dermatopathology training programs. Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine.

Dermatopathology Fellowship: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Board Certifications: Anatomic Pathology, Dermatopathology

Background: Rosalynn M. Nazarian received her M.D. degree from the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (2003). She trained in Anatomic & Clinical Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA (2004-08) and in Dermatopathology, Harvard Combined Program (2008-09). She was an Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Dermatopathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital until December 2025. She brings a background that bridges biomedical engineering and medicine, applying scientific insight to clinical dermatopathology. She served as Associate Program Director for the Mass General Brigham Dermatopathology Fellowship and as Vice Chair of the Harvard Medical School Faculty Council, and was honored with the Inaugural Professor Elizabeth Van Cott, MD, Award for Mentorship in Pathology. With over 140 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Nazarian serves as Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology and Vice Chair of the Standards of Practice Committee of the American Society of Dermatopathology. She led the Diversity Committee of the Department of Pathology and is a member of the Global Education and Clinical Innovation Collaborative at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she volunteered as a Dermatopathology Consultant, providing telepathology support to physicians in Armenia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Haiti.

Special interests: Melanocytic lesions, Squamous epithelial neoplasms and pigmentary disorders.

Research Interests: Cutaneous pathology of complex medical dermatoses, with a focus on signaling pathway activation in wound repair, calciphylaxis, scleroderma, and adverse drug reactions.

Select Publications:

• Oganesyan R, Pouli D, Shi B, Carns M, Dennis-Aren K, Teves ME, Varga J, Nazarian RM. Quantitative digital image analysis for assessing cutaneous fibrosis correlates with histopathological scoring in patients with systemic sclerosis. Lab Invest. 2025;105(8):104177.
• Azin M, Farokh P, McGarry A, Leung BW, Roster K, Rashdan H, Rajeh A, Khattab S, Stephens MR, Thang CJ, Fisher DE, Nazarian RM, Chen ST, Semenov YR, Demehri S. Type 2 immunity links eczematous and lichenoid eruptions caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2025;93(6):1456-1463.
• Jobbagy S, Madrigal E, Bouchouari H, Ouyang T, Nigwekar SU, Nazarian RM; and the Calciphylaxis Consensus Working Group. Multicenter evaluation of certainty and reliability in calciphylaxis diagnosis using a digital imaging platform. Lab Invest. 2025;105(7):104169.
• Hartsough EM, Watkins J, Nazarian RM. D2-40 and CK17 Immunohistochemistry as a diagnostic adjunct for HPV-independent squamous lesions in the vulva and their role in defining atypical lichen sclerosus. Am J Surg Pathol. 2024;48(12):1617-1623.
• Chaudet KM, Russell-Goldman E, Horn TD, Schuler AM, Chan MP, Nazarian RM. Characterization of T-helper immune phenotype in symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema (SDRIFE) endorses a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. Am J Dermatopathol. 2024;46(2):71-78.
• Cornejo KM, Hutchinson L, O'Donnell P, Meng X, Tomaszewicz K, Shalin SC, Cassarino DS, Chan MP, Quinn TR, Googe PB, Nazarian RM. Molecular profiling of syringocystadenocarcinoma papilliferum reveals RAS-activating mutations. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2024;148(2):215-222.
• Mansour MK, King JD, Chen ST, Fishman JA, Nazarian RM. Case 7-2023: A 70-Year-Old Man with Covid-19, Respiratory Failure, and Rashes. N Engl J Med. 2023;388(10):926-937.
• Rahrmann EP, Shorthouse D, Jassim A, Hu LP, Ortiz M, Mahler-Araujo B, Vogel P, Paez-Ribes M, Fatemi A, Hannon GJ, Iyer R, Blundon JA, Lourenço FC, Kay J, Nazarian RM, Hall BA, Zakharenko SS, Winton DJ, Zhu L, Gilbertson RJ. The NALCN channel regulates metastasis and nonmalignant cell dissemination. Nat Genet. 2022;54(12):1827-1838.
• McMahon DE, Kovarik CL, Damsky W, Rosenbach M, Lipoff JB, Tyagi A, Chamberlin G, Fathy R, Nazarian RM, Desai SR, Lim HW, Thiers BH, Hruza GJ, French LE, Blumenthal K, Fox LP, Freeman EE. Clinical and pathologic correlation of cutaneous COVID-19 vaccine reactions including V-REPP: A registry-based study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2022;86(1):113-121.
• Krystel-Whittemore M, Chan MP, Shalin SC, Sauder KJ, Hudson A, Foreman RK, Hoang MP, Brennick JB, Yan S, Nazarian RM. Deep Herpes. Am J Surg Pathol. 2021;45(10):1357-1363.
• Harris CK, Shepherd DJ, Bland DK, Anim W, Sohani AR, Duncan LM, Nazarian RM. The diagonal technique for alopecia biopsies. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2022;86(6):1354-1356.
• Stagner AM, Tahan SR, Nazarian RM. Changing Trends in Dermatopathology Case Complexity: A 9-Year Academic Center Experience. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2021;145(9):1144-1147.
• Chaudet KM, Goyal A, Veprauskas KR, Nazarian RM. Wnt Signaling Pathway Proteins in Scar, Hypertrophic Scar, and Keloid: Evidence for a Continuum? Am J Dermatopathol. 2020;42(11):842-847. doi:10.1097/DAD.0000000000001661.
• Larson AR, Sharkey KM, Poorman JA, Kan CK, Moeschler SM, Chandrabose R, Marquez CM, Dodge DG, Silver JK, Nazarian RM. Representation of Women Among Invited Speakers at Medical Specialty Conferences. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2020;29(4):550-560.
• Mortensen SJ, Menard EJ, Olson EB, Deng HC, Hasserjian R, Black-Schaffer WS, Pappadia T, Louis DN, Nazarian RM. Characterization of applicants for residency training in pathology: Does diversity exist? Ann Diagn Pathol. 2019;40:23-25.
• Williams EA, Moy AP, Cipriani NA, Nigwekar SU, Nazarian RM. Factors associated with false-negative pathologic diagnosis of calciphylaxis. J Cutan Pathol. 2019;46(1):16-25.
• Moy AP, Murali M, Kroshinsky D, Horn TD, Nazarian RM. T-helper immune phenotype may underlie 'paradoxical' tumour necrosis factor-α inhibitor therapy-related psoriasiform dermatitis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2018;43(1):19-26.

Select Awards/Honors:

• 2024: Platinum Scope Award for Resident Teaching, Massachusetts General Hospital
• 2022: Inaugural Professor Elizabeth Van Cott, MD, Award for Mentorship in Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital
• 2020: Pillars of Excellence Award for Integrating Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Mass General Brigham
• 2012: Partners in Excellence Award for Leadership and Innovation, Massachusetts General Hospital
• 2011: Eleanor and Miles Shore Fellowship Award, Harvard Medical School
• 2000: Jerome Serchuck Summer Research Award, Boston University School of Medicine
• 2000: Alumni Scholarship Award, Boston University School of Medicine

Additional Information: Link to CV in detail