Alex Ortega Loayza, M.D., M.C.R.

  • Associate Professor of Dermatology, School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Alex Ortega-Loayza is board-certified dermatologist specializing in both general and complex dermatology. He is also board-certified in internal medicine, and has completed his Master of Clinical Research. Dr. Ortega is particularly interested in the treatment of psoriasis, sarcoidosis, and pyoderma gangrenosum (PG).

Dr. Ortega's research focuses on advancing diagnosistic tools and treatment for the rare and often misdiagnosed condition of pyoderma gangrenosum. At OHSU, he has assembled a team of basic scientists, biostatisticians, and clinicians to form the pyoderma gangrenosum study team (PYGAS). He is also the co-leader of the Pyoderma Gangrenosum Group for the International Dermatology Outcome Measures and has been sponsored by the Medical Dermatology Society and American Academy of Dermatology to develop consensus guidelines to treat PG patients. Dr. Ortega enjoys working with medical students and residents in clinic as well as in scholarly activities and research projects. He has published several peer-reviewed papers, is a reviewer for several dermatology journals and has spoken at numerous medical conferences.

Dr. Ortega, a native of Lima, Peru, obtained his medical degree from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, the oldest medical school in Latin America. After working as a general practicioner in the Navy of Peru, he completed further research training at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill), and then completed his clinical training in internal medicine and dermatology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Following his medical training, Dr. Ortega joined the faculty of VCU for a couple of years before coming to OHSU in May 2016.

In his spare time, Dr. Ortega enjoys spending time with his wife and children; when he gets time for himself he likes running, soccer, watching sports and reading biographies. 

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • M.D., 2004, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
    • M.C.R., 2020, Oregon Health & Science University

  • Residency

    • Dermatology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013
    • Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010

  • Fellowship

    • Research Fellowship, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2005-2008

  • Certifications

    • American Board of Dermatology, 2013
    • American Board of Internal Medicine, 2014

Memberships and associations:

  • American Academy of Dermatology, Society for Investigative Dermatology, Medical Dermatology Society, Rheumatologic Dermatology Society, American College of Physicians, Peruvian-American Medical Society, Alpha Omega Alpha

Areas of interest

  • pyoderma gangrenosum

Additional information

Honors and awards

  • Dr. Jesse Ettelson Fund for the Advancement of Dermatology Research, OHSU Dermatology, 2021
  • Cochrane Scholarship, American Academy of Dermatology, 2020
  • Victor Newcomer Research Award, Pacific Dermatologic Association, 2019
  • Gerlinger Endowment Award, 2018
  • New Investigator Award, Medical Research Foundation of Oregon, 2018
  • Presidential Citation Award, American Academy of Dermatology Diversity Task Force, 2017

Publications

Elsevier pure profile

Publications

  • Gilteritinib-induced pyoderma gangrenosum in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia

    JAAD Case Reports
    1. Jonathan Sisley
    2. Mallory deCampos-Stairiker
    3. Sarah L. Becker
    4. Shannon K. Throckmorton
    5. Ronan Swords
    6. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • Healing a gap in medical education

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
    1. Sarah L. Becker
    2. Elizabeth Foy White-Chu
    3. Elena Paz Munoz
    4. Moira Shea
    5. Martha Oberg
    6. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • Leishmaniasis masquerading as pyoderma gangrenosum in a non-endemic area

    Australasian Journal of Dermatology
    1. Sarah L. Becker
    2. Gregory S. Phillips
    3. Jesse Keller
    4. Radhika Sheth
    5. Stephanie Egge
    6. Stephanie Mengden Koon
    7. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • More than a bag of tricks – Curriculum schema for chronic lower extremity wound healing

    Wound Repair and Regeneration
    1. Enjae Jung
    2. Bryanna De Lima
    3. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza
    4. E. Foy White-Chu

  • Patient-reported outcomes in patients with peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum

    JAAD Case Reports
    1. Tanya Magana
    2. Katherine M. Erickson
    3. Khoa Nguyen
    4. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • Pyoderma gangrenosum refined elements for core item selection and evaluation (PRECISE-PG)

    Archives of Dermatological Research
    1. Tayler Tobey
    2. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza
    3. Sharon I. Choe
    4. Olivia Haddadin
    5. Federico Bardazzi
    6. David O. Croitoru
    7. Diana M. Chen
    8. Morgan Vague
    9. Valentina Dini
    10. Philip J. Hampton
    11. William T. Huang
    12. Mihaly Imre
    13. Robert I. Kelly
    14. Fnu Nutan
    15. Sheila Shaigany
    16. Hadir Shakshouk
    17. Jenny Belén Altamirano Jara
    18. Barbara Nolan
    19. Tammi Zeiter
    20. Antonios G.A. Kolios
    21. Arash Mostaghimi
    22. Benjamin H. Kaffenberger
    23. Cecilia A.C. Prinsen
    24. Michael E. Jacobson

  • A core domain set for pyoderma gangrenosum trial outcomes

    British Journal of Dermatology
    1. Michael E. Jacobson
    2. Jonathan W. Rick
    3. Louise A.A. Gerbens
    4. Wenelia Baghoomian
    5. Lisa J. Gould
    6. Angelo V. Marzano
    7. Diana M. Chen
    8. Debbie L. Oakes
    9. Joachim Dissemond
    10. Toshiyuki Yamamoto
    11. Kanade Shinkai
    12. Barbara Nolan
    13. Dan Lobato
    14. Kim S. Thomas
    15. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza
    16. Lisa J. Gould
    17. Angelo V. Marzano
    18. Amit Garg
    19. Diana M. Chen
    20. Debbie L. Oakes
    21. Joachim Dissemond
    22. Hans Herfarth
    23. Marcia A. Friedman
    24. Afsaneh Alavi
    25. Toshiyuki Yamamoto
    26. Michael E. Jacobson
    27. Wenelia Baghoomian
    28. Louise A.A. Gerbens
    29. Kim S. Thomas
    30. Mihaly Imre
    31. Jonathan Rick
    32. Philip Hampton
    33. Kim Thomas
    34. Antonios Kolios
    35. Jean Bolognia
    36. Luca Borradori
    37. Maurice Moelleken
    38. Michael Jacobson
    39. Ashley Gray
    40. Carlo Alberto Maronese
    41. Daniel Wallach
    42. David Croitoru
    43. Ben Kaffenberger
    44. Angelo Valerio Marzano
    45. Lisa Jeanne Gould
    46. Pete Williams
    47. Neil Korman
    48. Diana Chen
    49. Kyle Amber
    50. Stan N. Tolkachjov

  • Clinical features and diagnostic challenges of genital ulcer biopsies

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
    1. Candace H. Chan
    2. Sharon I. Choe
    3. Erin Foster
    4. Christina Kraus
    5. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • Clinical Utility of a Digital Dermoscopy Image-Based Artificial Intelligence Device in the Diagnosis and Management of Skin Cancer by Dermatologists

    Cancers
    1. Alexander M. Witkowski
    2. Joshua Burshtein
    3. Michael Christopher
    4. Clay Cockerell
    5. Lilia Correa
    6. David Cotter
    7. Darrell L. Ellis
    8. Aaron S. Farberg
    9. Jane M. Grant-Kels
    10. Teri M. Greiling
    11. James M. Grichnik
    12. Sancy A. Leachman
    13. Anthony Linfante
    14. Ashfaq Marghoob
    15. Etan Marks
    16. Khoa Nguyen
    17. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza
    18. Gyorgy Paragh
    19. Giovanni Pellacani
    20. Harold Rabinovitz
    21. Darrell Rigel
    22. Daniel M. Siegel
    23. Eingun James Song
    24. David Swanson
    25. David Trask
    26. Joanna Ludzik

  • Deep Vein Thrombosis and Healing Outcomes in Patients with Pyoderma Gangrenosum

    JAMA Dermatology
    1. Hannah Zhao
    2. Sidharth K. Sengupta
    3. Jonathan M. Sisley
    4. Olivia Haddadin
    5. Hailey Pfeifer
    6. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • Drug-Induced and Malignancy-Associated Neutrophilic Dermatoses in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies

    Dermatology
    1. Mallory Decampos-Stairiker
    2. Shannon Kody
    3. Gabrielle Meyers
    4. Julia Maxson
    5. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • Eligibility Criteria for Active Ulcerative Pyoderma Gangrenosum in Clinical Trials

    Journal of Investigative Dermatology
    1. Kanika Kamal
    2. Eric Xia
    3. Sara J. Li
    4. Afsaneh Alavi
    5. Anna L. Cogen
    6. Alireza Firooz
    7. Angelo V. Marzano
    8. Benjamin H. Kaffenberger
    9. Cathryn Sibbald
    10. Anthony P. Fernandez
    11. Jeffrey P. Callen
    12. Joachim Dissemond
    13. João Renato V. Gontijo
    14. Kave Shams
    15. Louise A. Gerbens
    16. Lars E. French
    17. Lisa J. Gould
    18. Robert Bissonnette
    19. Sheila Shaigany
    20. Stanislav Tolkachjov
    21. Toshiyuki Yamamoto
    22. William Wei-Ting Huang
    23. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza
    24. Arash Mostaghimi

  • IL-12/IL-23 Blockade Reveals Patterns of Asynchronous Inflammation in Pyoderma Gangrenosum

    Journal of Investigative Dermatology
    1. Rashi Yadav
    2. Morgan Vague
    3. Malia Rettig
    4. Christopher P. Loo
    5. Kasidy Brown
    6. Abrar Samiea
    7. Joshua M. Moreau
    8. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • Impact of delay of diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum on healing outcomes and health care utilization

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
    1. Olivia M. Haddadin
    2. Katherine M. Erickson
    3. Emile Latour
    4. Jonathan Sisley
    5. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • Mortality and Autopsy Findings in Patients with Pyoderma Gangrenosum

    Dermatology
    1. Hadir Shakshouk
    2. Mallory DeCampos-Stairiker
    3. Shannon Kody
    4. Peter Stenzel
    5. Eric Xia
    6. Arash Mostaghimi
    7. Bicong Wu
    8. Michi M. Shinohara
    9. Angelo V. Marzano
    10. Samantha Polly
    11. Anthony P. Fernandez
    12. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

  • NETosis Is Induced by Complement Component 5a

    Journal of Investigative Dermatology
    1. Zhiping Wang
    2. Noah Hornick
    3. Morgan Vague
    4. Doris Yang
    5. Jesse Keller
    6. Shannon Kody
    7. Sancy Leachman
    8. Alex G. Ortega-Loayza
    9. Yuangang Liu