Joseph F. Fowler Jr., M.D.
Medical Director/Principal Investigator
Dr. Joseph F. Fowler is a nationally recognized dermatologist for his dedicated work not only with his private practice but also education and clinical research programs. He began his dermatology career in 1984, following completion of a dermatology residency at the University of Louisville. Since that time, he has been in the private practice of dermatology and has also been active in teaching as a Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Assistant Clinical Professor for the Department of Occupational Medicine at the University of Kentucky and Director of the Occupational Dermatology and Patch Test Clinic. Dr. Fowler co-founded Dermatology Specialists, PSC with his partner Dr. Scott Kasteler in 1999. Dermatology Specialists, PSC has since merged with Forefront Dermatology in December of 2014 and continues to provide advanced medical care to patients.
In addition to his private practice and continued dedication to education, Dr. Fowler co-founded the clinical research program along with his wife, Lynn M. Fowler RN, BSN over 20 years ago. Together they have expanded Dermatology Specialists Research (DS Research) which now conducts over 40 clinical research trials per year with an experienced staff of 4 Board Certified Dermatologists, 2 Nurse Practitioners and 7 clinical research coordinators/RN, BSNs. Although Dr. Fowler’s initial expertise was in dermatitis and rosacea, he has been the primary investigator on well over 400 clinical trials in virtually all areas of dermatology such as acne, actinic keratosis, various eczemas, fungal infections, psoriasis, “sensitive skin”, and others. He has also been actively involved as a consultant in study development and product formulation. Dr. Fowler is an adviser to multiple dermatology pharmaceutical companies around the world and has been involved in clinical trials for a number of major US dermatology companies.
Dr. Fowler is author of almost 200 scholarly articles and book chapters, including “Fisher’s Contact Dermatitis” which is one of the most utilized textbooks today in dermatology education. Along with scholarly journals and chapters he is also an author on numerous medical journals reporting results of clinical trials he has conducted over the years as PI. Dr. Fowler is a frequent lecturer at national and international meetings, including the American Academy of Dermatology since 1989. He is the founder of the Caribbean Dermatology Symposium and the Coastal Dermatology Symposium, and in addition is the medical director of 4 other annual national conference seminars. Dr. Fowler is president of the North American Contact Dermatitis Group and holds the prestigious honor of being listed in the Woodward and White’s “Best Doctors in America”.
Dr. Fowler and his wife Lynn currently reside in Louisville, KY where they enjoy traveling, breeding/racing thoroughbreds and tennis.
Email: jfowler@dsresearch.com
Location: DS Research of Kentucky
Cindy E. Owen, M.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Cindy Owen is a Board Certified Dermatologist in Louisville, Kentucky. Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Dr. Owen received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Wake Forest University and a Masters of Science degree from Vanderbilt University. After working as a research coordinator for genitourinary oncology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, she began medical school at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, graduating summa cum laude in 2005. Dr. Owen completed both her Internship in Internal Medicine and Dermatology Residency at the University of Louisville. Upon completion of residency in 2009, she joined Associates in Dermatology, a leading dermatological practice with locations in both Kentucky and Indiana.
Dr. Owen is actively involved in the University of Louisville Division of Dermatology where she is an Assistant Clinical Professor, Director of the Inpatient Consultation Service, and Director of the University of Louisville HCOC Dermatology Clinic. She also serves on the division’s Clinical Competency and Program Evaluation Committees. Dr. Owen is a member of the JAMA Dermatology editorial board, an author and reviewer for UpToDate, and a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, the American Academy of Dermatology, Women’s Dermatology Association, the Dermatology Foundation, the American Medical association, the Kentucky Medical Association, and the Jefferson County Medical Society. She served as president of the Kentucky Dermatology Association in 2014. Dr. Owen presents regularly at national meetings and has published numerous book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Owen’s interest and expertise is in consultative and complex medical dermatology, skin signs of internal disease, and cutaneous drug reactions. Dr. Owen joined DS Research in 2016 as a sub investigator for various research studies such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne and more.
Email: cowen@dsresearch.com
Location: DS Research of Kentucky
Megan Vissing, M.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Megan Vissing is a native of Indiana, Board-Certified Dermatologist practicing in Clarksville, Indiana.
Dr. Vissing received her bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry, along with her medical degree, from Indiana University. She completed her internship and residency at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida graduating in 2020.
Dr. Vissing is a gratis faculty member of University of Louisville’s department of dermatology. She is an active member of the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Dermatology and has co-authored several publications.
Upon completion of residency, Dr. Vissing joined Associates in Dermatology, a leading dermatology practice with multiple locations throughout Kentucky and Indiana. In addition, she joined DS Research as a Sub-Investigator in August 2021 transitioning into the Principal Investigator role in May of 2022. As an Investigator for DS Research she has participated in various clinical trials for diseases such as acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, golfing, and Indiana Basketball.
Email: mvissing@dsresearch.com
Location: DS Research of Southern Indiana
Jyoti B. Burruss, M.D.
Sub Investigator
Dr. Burruss is a board Certified Dermatologist in both Kentucky and Indiana. Dr. Burruss received her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Speed Scientific School of Engineering at the University of Louisville, graduating with High Honors. Dr. Burruss furthered her education by receiving her Medical Degree from the University Of Louisville School Of Medicine, graduating in the top 20% of her class. Dr. Burruss completed her Medical Internship at the Internal Medicine school of Indiana University and completed her residency at the Division of Dermatology of the University of Louisville in 1994. Dr. Burruss has worked as an Assistant Clinic Professor at the Division of Dermatology at the University of Louisville, as well as working in the multispecialty group in the Columbus Clinic. Dr. Burruss then joined Associates in Dermatology, a leading dermatological practice with locations in both Kentucky and Indiana. Dr. Burruss has also published numerous book chapters as well as scientific meeting presentations. She has received many prestigious honors and awards as well as being an active member in the Kentucky Medical Association as well as the Kentucky Dermatological association. Dr. Burruss has experience in working with research for the University of Louisville as a Data Analyst in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology. Dr. Burruss joined DS Research in 2017 as a sub investigator for various research studies such as atopic dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, rosacea and more.
Email: jburruss@dsresearch.com
Location: DS Research of Kentucky
Ashley Brown, MD
Sub Investigator
Dr. Ashley Brown is a Board Certified Dermatologist in Louisville, Kentucky. She is a native of Louisville, Kentucky. She received her undergraduate degree from Centre College in Biology in 2008. She then attended the University of Louisville School of Medicine where she received her medical degree in 2014 and completed her Internal Medicine Internship in 2015. She then moved to Augusta, Georgia where she completed her dermatology residency at the Medical College of Georgia where she was selected as the Chief Resident. She was an Alpha Omega Alpha Member and Association of Pathology Chairs Honor Society Member during her time in Medical School. After completing her residency in 2018, she joined Associates in Dermatology, a leading dermatological practice with locations in Kentucky and Indiana.
Dr. Brown has been actively involved in the University of Louisville Division of Dermatology where she has been an Assistant Clinical Professor since 2018. Dr. Brown is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, Women’s Dermatology Association, the American Medical association, the Greater Louisville Medical Society and the Georgia Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery. Dr. Brown has published many peer-reviewed publications and presentations. Dr. Brown’s interests include general and cosmetic dermatology. Dr. Brown joined DS Research in January 2022 as a sub investigator for various research studies.
Email: abrown@dsresearch.com
Location: DS Research of Kentucky
Lindsay Chaput, APRN
Sub Investigator/ Senior Coordinator
Lindsay graduated in 2007 from the University of Louisville with her Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. She worked as a staff nurse in the Intensive Care Unit and Post Anesthesia Care Unit at Jewish Hospital before furthering her degree in 2010. Lindsay received her Master of Science in Nursing degree from U of L in 2012 and is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with a focus in Family practice. Upon graduating, Lindsay worked at Forefront Dermatology as an APRN seeing clinical Dermatology patients of all ages before joining DS Research in June of 2016. Lindsay now plays a vital role in patient care as a research coordinator as well as an APRN, providing outstanding care to all of our research patients.
Email: lchaput@dsresearch.com
Location: DS Research of Kentucky
Susan E. Elrod, MSN, APRN
Sub Investigator
Ms. Susan Elrod is an APRN in Louisville, Kentucky. Ms. Elrod received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Evansville in Evansville, IN as well as attending Harlaxton College in Grantham, Englad UK during this time. Ms. Elrod furthered her education by receiving her Masters of Science in Nursing as well as her Family Nurse Practitioner certification from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky in 2001. While practicing as a registered nurse, Ms. Elrod worked with the telemetry monitoring unit at Jewish Hospital and later began working as a labor and delivery registered nurse at the University of Louisville Hospital. Ms. Elrod has worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner for various health care facilities such as the Little Clinic, Family Health Centers, Inc., and the Wall Street Internal medicine in Kentucky as well as Indiana. Ms. Elrod is currently a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the Kentucky Coalition for Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives as well as the American Nurses Association. Ms. Elrod began working with Associates in Dermatology in 2013. In 2017, Ms. Elrod began working with DS Research as an APRN, assessing patients for various studies that include different dermatological skin conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea and more.
Email: selrod@dsresearch.com
Location: DS Research of Kentucky