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Dr Ian Coulson

Consultant Dermatologist

BSc, MB, BS FRCP

Practises at: The Beardwood Hospital, The Lancaster Hospital

Ian Coulson Dermatology

Personal Profile

After schooling in Durham City, Dr Ian Coulson qualified in medicine in 1978 from St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School London. He commenced training in dermatology after gaining higher qualifications in general internal medicine in 1981. After working at the national skin hospital, St John’s Hospital for diseases of the skin in London, he had posts as a Registrar and Senior Registrar at St George’s Hospital in South London.

During this period he was awarded the Registrars’ Prize by St John’s Hospital Dermatological Society in 1986. He had research interests in the mechanisms of inflammation in atopic eczema and has written over 80 clinical and research papers.

Dr Coulson commenced consultant practice in East Lancashire in 1990 and has broad interests in all areas of clinical dermatology and skin surgery. He was skin cancer network chairman for the Lancashire and South Cumbria area between 2005 - 2010. He has a local responsibility for the investigation or contact and industrial dermatitis, and co writes the UK investigation guidelines. He strives to obtain the best outcomes for all of his patients.

He has lectured widely and regularly presents research material both at the American Academy of Dermatology and British Association of Dermatologists Annual meetings. He was awarded jointly the Bristol Cup prize for best poster presentation in 2006, and silver prize in 1999 at the BAD.

He is enthusiastic about the teaching of dermatology and has produced a nationally used e-learning module covering the core undergraduate medical curriculum, as well as practical patient information material available on YouTube, and is an editor of the “e-learning for health dermatology” section. He co-edited a new text book of dermatological treatment, entitled ‘Treatment of Skin Disease’ published in 2002 and this became the global dermatology best seller in 2004; the book is a continued success with edition 6 due for release in 2021. He was therapy section editor of the British Journal of Dermatology between 2004 and 2009. He wrote 3 chapters for the internationally renowned Rook’s Textbook of Dermatology.

He is past president of the North of England Dermatological Society, and the Dowling Club, an international skin disease educational foundation, and is current treasurer for of the British Society for Medical Dermatology.

You can view Dr Coulson's professional website here.

Clinical Interests

  • Eczema
  • Psoriasis
  • Acne
  • Urticaria
  • Sweat gland disorders
  • Sun damage
  • Skin cancer and precancer.

Research Interests

  • The skin in Behcet’s disease.  Atopic and contact eczema.

Current NHS and /or University Posts

  • Consultant Dermatologist, East Lancashire NHS Trust
  • Dermatologist to the National Centre of Excellence for Behcet’s disease, Aintree, Merseyside

In press

  • Rook’s Textbook of Dermatology.  Chapter author - General Principles of Diagnosis, The skin in Internal Disease and Disorders of the Sweat Glands.
  • Co-editor The Treatment of Skin Disease, editions 1 to 6
  • Editorial Board, Dermatology in Practice

Professional Memberships

  • General Medical Council 2460374
  • Fellow, Royal College of Physicians
  • British Association of Dermatologists
  • Royal Society of Medicine –Dermatology Section
  • British Society for Medical Dermatology (Treasurer)
  • North of England Dermatological Society (past president)
  • British Society for Cutaneous Allergy
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