[2] The publication of his 1978 book, Histologic Diagnosis of Inflammatory Skin Diseases[5] was a landmark both in Ackerman's career and for the profile of dermatopathology.
It introduced the concept of pattern diagnosis- the examination of a slide at scanning magnification and analysis of the silhouette of lesion rather than of its cells to a large audience.
He established the Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology in New York City in 1999 to provide training in the diagnosis of skin diseases.
[1][6] In line with his dedication to the field of dermatology and dermatopathology, in 2002, Ackerman and his nephew, Andy Zwick, launched Derm101, an online resource for medical professionals to learn how to diagnose and treat skin diseases.
[1] One of his final papers, published in the Archives of Dermatology in 2008, was titled "An Inquiry Into the Nature of the Pigmented Lesion Above Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Left Eyebrow", in which Ackerman argued that the failure of Roosevelt's physicians to consider the possibility of melanoma shows the flaws in medical wisdom at the time for diagnosing such lesions.