Wilma Fowler Bergfeld, MD, FACP, is Past Head of the Section of Dermatopathology in the Department of Pathology and Staff Dermatologist and Past Head of the Section of Dermatological Research in the Department of Dermatology, at Cleveland Clinic. In addition, she is the Director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Dermatopathology Fellowship and Professor of Dermatology and Pathology, the Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation. She is also an Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, and Case Western Reserve University. She serves as a consultant to the Department of Sports Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. Dr Bergfeld’s specialty interests include clinical dermatology, dermatopathology, hair disorders, androgen excess, photoaging and cosmetic dermatology.
Dr. Bergfeld completed her undergraduate work at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., and is a graduate of Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa. She completed her dermatology residency at Cleveland Clinic and her dermatopathology fellowship at Armed Forces of Pathology in Washington D.C. She joined Cleveland Clinic in 1969 as a Clinical Dermatologist, Department of Dermatology and later, after the AFIP Dermatopathology Fellowship in 1972, she was appointed as Head (1977-2007), Dermatopathology, and Department of Pathology and in 2007 Co-Director of Dermatopathology. She has been the Director, Cleveland Clinic’s Dermatopathology fellowship since 1975.
Dr. Bergfeld is a former chair and current consultant to the FDA Dermatology Advisory Committee. She is a past Board of Directors member of the American Society of Dermatopathology, 1992 President of The American Academy of Dermatology and past President of the Cleveland Academy of Medicine, the Cleveland Dermatology Society, the Ohio Dermatological Association and the Women's Dermatological Society. She has served on the Cleveland Clinic’s Board of Governors and Board of Trustees (1992-97), and was the President of the Cleveland Clinic Staff.
Since 1977, she has been a member and the Chair (1990-current) of the Cosmetic Ingredient Expert Panel, an expert panel that determines the safety of cosmetic ingredients. She holds an honorary membership in the American Academy of Dermatology, Women’s Dermatology Society, the Cleveland Dermatology Society, Ohio Dermatological Society, the Canadian Dermatology Society and the Italian Dermatology Society.
In 1996, she received the Women's Dermatological Association Rose Hirschler Award honoring an outstanding physician who has contributed to medicine and dermatology while enhancing the role of women in the Dermatology. She received the American Academy of Dermatology's prestigious Marion B. Sulzberger Award in 1997 and was the recipient of the AAD Golden Triangle Award 2000 for Community Service. In 2000, she was the first recipient of the Wilma F Bergfeld MD Leadership Award, presented by the Women’s Dermatology Society. In 2005, the Cleveland Academy of Medicine awarded her the “John Budd, MD, Distinguished Member Award. The American Society Dermatopathology in 2007 awarded her the prestige’s “Founders Award” and she was elected 2009 President of the American Society of Dermatopathology.
Her American Academy of Dermatology volunteer activities have included: Chair, Council of Communications and long time member of the communications committee, original member and long-term member of “Dialogues in Dermatology,” Chair of the Scientific Council (annual meeting committee), Chair of the Volunteer Circle: “Members Making a Difference.” She has also served on several AAD and Women’s Dermatology Society Visionary Committees. Dr Bergfeld has received many AAD Presidential citations that have included Leadership in AAD Communications and the Volunteer Circle. In 2008, she was awarded Marian Duran Metal, awarded by the International Society of Dermatology. Since 1995, she has been cited in “Best Doctors in America,” “Top Doctors,” “Top Pathologist,” and in numerous Who’s Who publications.
Dr Bergfeld is the author of over 600 publications, three books and 65 book chapters. She has served on many editorial journal boards and has been a reviewer in the both her professional fields of clinical dermatology and dermatopathology. Other activities include consultant to many pharmaceutical companies.
On a personal note, Dr Bergfeld is married to John A Bergfeld MD, an internationally known Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon at Cleveland Clinic. She is the mother of two daughters, Onee Bergfeld Lowe (deceased) and Sigrid Bergfeld Grieco. She has five granddaughters.
