Esther E. Freeman MD, PhD, DTM&H is Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and a board-certified dermatologist. Dr. Freeman attended Dartmouth College, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude. She received both an MSc and a PhD in infectious disease epidemiology as a British Marshall Scholar at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom. She received her medical degree (MD) from Harvard Medical School.  She completed her internship at Lahey Clinic, followed by dermatology residency at Harvard Medical School. In addition, she received her Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) from the Gorgas Memorial Institute in Peru.

Dr. Freeman is a physician-scientist performing epidemiological research in the area of HIV dermatology and global health. Her particular area of interest is in HIV-associated malignancies including Kaposi’s sarcoma. She has received the most highly cited author award in Epidemiology in AIDS. She is a consultant to the World Health Organization in Geneva in the area of HIV-associated skin disease and at MGH is the Director of Global Health Dermatology.

Since 2020, Dr. Freeman has been researching the effects of COVID-19 on the skin, in collaboration with the American Academy of Dermatology and the International League of Dermatologic Societies.  In addition to her research papers on COVID-19 dermatology, her work has been cited extensively in the lay press, including the New York Times, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio.

In addition to general medical dermatology, her clinical interests include infectious diseases of the skin (especially HIV-related disease, leishmaniasis and COVID-19).