Dr. Jon H. Meyerle, MD, has been a part-time faculty member in the Department of Dermatology since completing his fellowship training in immunodermatology in 2006. Currently, he serves on active duty in the U.S. Army and is stationed at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD.
Dr. Meyerle's primary research interests are in the areas of amputee skin care, melanoma and blistering skin diseases.
He is developing a therapeutic to alter the skin identity at the amputee stump. The goal of this research is to allow the skin at the stump to take on the properties of skin found on the palms and soles.
Dr. Meyerle became interested in amputee skin care as a result of his interaction with amputees returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of his mentors, Dr. (COL-retired) Chuck Scoville is a strong advocate for amputees and directed the Military Advanced Training Center (MATC) at Walter Reed who encouraged him to pursue ways to address skin disease in this population.
Research in skin disease in amputees is important because over half of amputees develop skin disease at the stump site. This skin disease is often overlooked and not easy to treat. As a result, the amputee cannot wear the prosthesis or use more advanced prosthesis devices.
In addition to research in amputee skin care, Dr. Meyerle also has an interest in better ways to diagnose melanoma. His research in melanoma focuses on the genetic and environmental risk factors for developing melanoma in military personnel. Melanoma is the most significant cancer to affect an active duty military population. It strikes young adults in their 20-40s and, if not diagnosed in time, is fatal.
As a trained immunodermatologist, Dr. Meyerle has a clinical interest in blistering diseases such as pemphigus and pemphigoid. Dr. Meyerle's clinical interest in immunodermatology has been nurtured since fellowship by his mentor, Dr. Grant Anhalt at Johns Hopkins.
In addition to his clinical and research interests, Dr. Meyerle sees patients with medical dermatology conditions at Greenspring Station and the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center.