Rox Anderson, M.D., FAAD, is Professor in Dermatology, Director of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, and Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at MIT. Dr. Anderson conceived and developed many of the non-scarring laser treatments now widely used in dermatology. These include selective photothermolysis for birthmarks, microvascular and pigmented lesions, tattoo and permanent hair removal. He also contributed to laser lithotripsy, laser angioplasty, photodynamic therapy, infrared confocal microscopy. Dr. Anderson has contributed to basic knowledge of human photobiology, drug photosensitization mechanisms, tissue optics, and laser-tissue interactions.

Dr. Anderson graduated from MIT, received his M.D. degree magna cum laude from the joint MIT-Harvard medical program, Health Sciences and Technology, and completed his residency in dermatology and research fellowships at Harvard.

Dr. Anderson is a past trustee of Advancing Innovation in Dermatology, having helped co-found the organization.

Angela M. Christiano, PhD, is the Richard and Mildred Rhodebeck Professor of Dermatology and Professor of Genetics and Development at Columbia University Medical Center. She is also the Director of Basic Science Research in the Department of Dermatology at CUMC. For the past 20 years, Dr. Christiano's research has focused on understanding the molecular processes that lead to inherited skin and hair disorders in humans. Her research career began with the discovery of genetic mutations associated with epidermolysis bullosa, a skin disease that causes severe blistering. Dr. Christiano's recent work has focused on the investigation of the underlying genetic causes of and identification of potential therapies for alopecia areata, an autoimmune form of hair loss. She has published more than 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has trained more than 50 postdoctoral researchers and clinical fellows at Columbia University through the Program in Genetics & Development, the Institute of Human Nutrition, the Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program, the Stem Cell Training Program.

Dr. Christiano has received numerous awards, including the New York City Mayor's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology – Young Investigator's Award, Columbia University's Harold and Golden Lamport Research Award for Excellence in Clinical Sciences, the CERIES Research Award, and the North American Hair Research Society's award for Outstanding Paper of the Year, the Montagna Award from the Society for Investigative Dermatology, and the Ebling Award from the European Hair Research Society. Dr. Christiano is a prolific inventor and serial entrepreneur, having filed numerous patents on her discoveries, and successfully moved technologies from the academic setting into the commercial sector. She has co-founded several companies in the dermatology space, including Skinetics Bioscience (RNAi-based dermatology therapeutics, acquired by Sirna Therapeutics, which was acquired by Merck & Co. in 2007), Vixen Pharmaceuticals (JAK inhibitors for treatment of hair disorders, acquired by Aclaris Therapeutics in 2016), and Rapunzel Bioscience, focused on regenerative therapies and stem cell approaches for skin and hair disorders.

Dr. Christiano is currently President of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, and serves as Deputy Editor of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. She earned her MS and PhD degrees in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Rutgers University.

Michele De Luca, MD, is Director of the Centre for Regenerative Medicine “Stefano Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and Scientific Director of Holostem Terapie Avanzate S.r.l. Michele De Luca is internationally recognized as a leading scientist in epithelial stem cell biology aimed at clinical application in regenerative medicine and played a pivotal role in epithelial stem cell-mediated cell therapy and gene therapy. Beside his work on the use of human epidermal stem cell cultures in life-saving treatment of massive full-thickness burns, he, and his principal collaborator Graziella Pellegrini, were first in establishing human urethral epithelia stem cell cultures aimed at urethra regeneration in posterior hypospadias and human limbal stem cell culture aimed at corneal regeneration in patients with severe limbal stem cell deficiency. This latter treatment leads to recovery of vision in patients with poor alternative therapy and was recently approved as advanced therapy medicinal product by the European Medicine Agency with the name of Holoclar®. He is currently coordinating several ex-vivo epidermal stem cell-mediated combined cell and gene therapy clinical trials for genetic skin diseases as Epidermolysis Bullosa. During these studies, Michele De Luca and Graziella Pellegrini reported life-saving regeneration of the entire human epidermis of a Junctional EB patient by means of transgenic epidermal stem cells.

Elaine Fuchs is a renowned for her research in skin biology, its stem cells and associated genetic disorders, including cancers. She received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Princeton. After postdoctoral research at MIT, she joined the faculty at University of Chicago. In 2002, she relocated to Rockefeller University, where she is the Rebecca C. Lancefield professor of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development. She has been an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1988. Fuchs' awards and honors include the Richard Lounsbery Award from the National Academy of Sciences, National Medal of Science, L'Oreal-UNESCO Award, Albany Prize in Medicine, March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology, Pasarow Award in Cancer, Pezcoller Award in Cancer Research, EB Wilson Award, and in 2017, the Vanderbilt Prize and the McEwen Award for Innovation in Stem Cell Research. Fuchs is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine (formerly Institute of Medicine), American Philosophical Society and European Molecular Biology Organization (foreign member). She holds honorary doctorates from NYU School of Medicine, University of Illinois, Albany Medical College and Harvard University. She is past-President of American Society for Cell Biology, The International Society for Stem Cell Research and the Harvey Society, and serves on the NYAS Board of Governors and NAM/IOM Council. She's trained 30 graduate students and 100 postdocs, most now at academic universities and medical schools. Her lecture will focus on her latest work in the field of skin stem cells, how these tissue stem cells replenish dying cells within the skin, how they become mobilized to repair wounds, and how they acquire mutations that will ultimately lead to skin cancers.

Seth Orlow, MD, PhD has over 25 years of experience in medicine, science, and finance. As a faculty member at New York University, Dr. Orlow rose to become Chair of its leading dermatology department. He serves as a Senior Advisor with Pharus Advisors, focused on strategic transactional/investment banking advisory services in the dermatology and personal care sectors. In 1995 he co-founded Anaderm, a dermatologic discovery company backed by Pfizer and OSI Pharmaceuticals. He participated in the sale of Anaderm to Pfizer in 2002. From 2001-2010, he rose from Advisor to Partner with Easton Capital Partners, a venture capital firm focused on healthcare and consumer products. At Easton, he was involved in the sourcing, diligence, funding, oversight and exit of investments in many healthcare companies such as Acorda, Conor Medsystems, Protez, Salmedix and Transave. Dr. Orlow has licensed technologies to companies ranging from Pfizer to SkinMedica. An author of over 200 medical/scientific publications, he is an internationally sought-after speaker and thought leader. A graduate of Harvard in Biochemical Sciences and with an MD-PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Orlow trained in Pediatrics and Dermatology at Mt. Sinai and Yale.

Tony Andrasfay directly oversees clinical operation activities at Therapeutics. On a day-to-day basis he provides direction and management to Project Managers, Clinical Research Associates and Clinical Administrators. This clinical group is responsible for coordination and execution of all operational aspects of clinical studies, from study start-up to study closure.

Tony has over 20 years of clinical development experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, spanning from first-in-man and proof-of-concept studies to large multi-national registration studies and post-approval studies. He has been instrumental in the successful execution and completion of clinical development programs that have resulted in NDA approvals for three new molecular entities and one drug/device combination product.

Tony received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Irvine. He is also a Chairperson and active member of the San Diego Biotechnology Discussion Group.

Eugene Bauer is a co-founder of Dermira, Chief Medical Officer and a member of the board of directors. Prior to founding Dermira, he served as a member of Peplin's board of directors, and its President and Chief Medical Officer, until its acquisition by LEO Pharma. He was also the Chief Executive Officer of Neosil, Inc., and a co-founder and member of the board of directors at Connetics. Before initiating his career in industry, he served as the Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine and as Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He is a Lucy Becker Professor, Emeritus, in the School of Medicine at Stanford University, a position he has held since 2002.

Dr. Bauer has served on the boards of directors of a number of public and private companies. He is currently a member of the boards of directors of Aevi Genomic Medicine, Inc. (formerly Medgenics, Inc.), First Wave Technologies, Inc., and Kadmon Corporation. He previously served as a member of the boards of directors of Cerecor, Inc., Dr. Tattoff, Inc., Protalex, Inc., Vyteris, Inc., Peplin, and Modigene, Inc. (renamed PROLOR Biotech, Inc.).

He was a U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded investigator for 25 years and has served on numerous advisory groups for the NIH. He has been elected to several societies, including the National Academy of Medicine of the United States, and currently serves as a director of the American Dermatological Association, Inc.

Dr. Bauer received a B.S. in medicine and an M.D. from Northwestern University.

Dr. Becker joined Vidac Pharmaceuticals as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2013, bringing more than 20 years of biopharmaceutical industry entrepreneurship and leadership experience. Dr. Becker led or co-led more than $2B worth of deals with GSK, Amgen, Teva, Clevexel, and CFFT. Dr. Becker was a Founder, Director and Chief Science Officer of Predix Pharmaceuticals (Lexington, MA and Ramat-Gan, Israel), a GPCR-focused neurology play, which was acquired by Epix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:EPIX). Subsequently he served as the CSO of Epix. Under his leadership 5 novel drugs were discovered and introduced into clinical development (up to Phase 3).

Dr. Becker was also the Founder, Director and CEO of Dynamix Pharmaceuticals, a cancer and autoimmune drug discovery and development company, and is aco-Founder and a member of the Board of Directors of Immunity Pharma, which is developing a novel drug for ALS. Dr. Becker was a professor of biophysics at Tel-Aviv University and at Harvard University. He holds a PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a post-doctoral training from Harvard University. Dr. Becker has published more than 50 scientific papers, has co-edited 2 books, and is an inventor on numerous patents.

Dr. Stuart Collinson is the Executive Chairman of Tioga Pharmaceuticals and Arcturus Therapeutics, and a partner at Forward Ventures. Previously he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aurora Biosciences, held senior management positions at GlaxoWellcome and Baxter International, and was a consultant with The Boston Consulting Group. Dr. Collinson has also been the Chairman or Director of several private companies including Affinium Pharmaceuticals, NovaCardia, Conforma Therapeutics, GeneOhm Sciences, Cabrellis Pharmaceuticals, and Proprius Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Collinson received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Oxford, England.

Dr. Fisher is Chairman of Dermatology and Director of the Melanoma Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He is an expert in molecular oncology with particular emphasis on the biology of melanocytes and their involvement in malignant melanoma. He earned his Ph.D. from Rockefeller University with Drs. Henry Kunkel and Gunter Blobel, and his M.D. was obtained at Cornell University. He is also a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music (cello). Dr. Fisher carried out residency training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital as well as clinical fellowships in both adult and pediatric oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital. He conducted postdoctoral research in the lab of Nobel Laureate Phillip Sharp at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Fisher's lab has carried out seminal research on melanocyte development, signaling, and transcription. He has discovered several human oncogenes, generated a reagent used worldwide for melanoma diagnosis, and serves as Principal Investigator for a Harvard-wide Program Project Grant in Melanoma. He has also studied novel skin cancer prevention strategies based upon models of redhead/fair-skinned high risk susceptibility and non-mutagenic tanning. Dr. Fisher has published ~300 scholarly articles, many in the highest profile journals, and is former President of the Society for Melanoma Research and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Melanoma Research Foundation.

Dr. Richard Gallo received a B.A. from the University of Chicago, an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, and he completed a dermatology residency and postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard. He is the founding Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, San Diego and a prominent American physician-scientist who pioneered understanding of the innate immune system of the skin. Notable discoveries include identifying the presence of antimicrobial peptides in skin and subsequent delineation of how these molecules are involved in human diseases. During the last decade his lab has pioneered research in the function of the skin microbiome. This research has shown how commensal bacteria perform functions necessary for health, and has uncovered novel therapeutic opportunities for using specific elements of the human skin microbiome to advance treatment of skin diseases.

Dr. Gallo has published over 350 articles, with many in high profile scientific and medical journals including: Nature, Science, Cell Host and Microbe, Nature Medicine, Science Translational Medicine and New England Journal of Medicine. His work is among the highest cited in Dermatology with over 40,000 citations and a h-index of 99 by Google Scholar. He has received numerous awards including the Montagna (SID), Sulzberger (AAD), Rene-Touraine (ESDR), Dohi (JDA), C.E.R.I.S. and Rook (BJD) lectureships. He has also been honored by election to several prestigious societies in diverse scientific organizations including the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), Association of American Physicians (AAP), American Association of Microbiology (ASM) and the American Dermatological Association (ADA).

Dr. Lilit Garibyan is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and a physician scientist at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine working in Dr. Rox Anderson's laboratory. Her work focuses on innovative biomedical translational research aimed at identifying novel treatments for dermatologic diseases and beyond. She co-invented and developed a novel platform technology that uses injectable coolant for selective targeting of lipid rich tissue. Dr. Garibyan has co-developed and led an initiative at Massachusetts General Hospital called the “Magic Wand” to increase the engagement of clinical faculty in problem driven innovation.

Dr. Garibyan received her BS summa cum laude from University of California Los Angeles, her MD from Harvard Medical School and her PhD from Harvard University in Experimental Pathology/Immunology.

Bob Gauthier is responsible for Product Development at Therapeutics, including all aspects of planning, managing, and directing product development efforts, with an emphasis on leading cross-functional project teams to deliver novel products to the dermatology marketplace. He has led the development of multiple products leading to IND, NDA and 510(k) at Therapeutics, Inc. and directly manages TI’s external toxicology and CMC resources as well as performing technology and product assessments.

Bob brings significant experience in product development, portfolio, program, project, and vendor management in a variety of therapeutic areas including direct responsibility for solid oral, inhalation, and parenteral dosage forms. Formerly Director of Project and Portfolio Management at Élan Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Division, he led global project teams in the early stage development of 2 novel pharmaceutical products. Prior to Élan, Bob held positions as director of new products and director of project management at Dura Pharmaceuticals. At Dura, in addition to developing and implementing product development tools and processes, he also led project teams in the development of a novel DPI and formulations for asthma and COPD.

Prior to Dura, Bob was a key member of a start-up focused on closed-loop delivery of heparin. In this role, Bob invented an automated blood sampling system and rapidly advanced the project from design to initial clinical trial. His previous medical device and pharmaceutical background also includes IV pump design, clinical diagnostics instrumentation and various product development assignments at IMED, Baxter Healthcare and Gensia Pharmaceuticals.

Bob holds a Master of Science degree in Executive Leadership from USD and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from UCSD.

Sally Gottesman has been a force for change in the not-for-profit sector for nearly 30 years as both a professional and lay leader. Thus, in 2006 when her then one- year-old daughter was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), Sally committed herself to increasing funding and focusing the research for this disease which afflicts over 100,000 Americans. In short order, she became involved with the Children’s Tumor Foundation and established The Neurofibromatosis Therapeutic Acceleration Program (N-TAP) at Johns Hopkins University. In under a decade N-TAP has become a critical institution in the field of NF1 research and is known for its singular focus on accelerating the development of effective therapeutics for cutaneous and plexiform neurofibromas, two of the most prevalent symptoms of this disorder.

As an entrepreneur in the field of Jewish education, Sally is known as the co-founder of Moving Traditions, a national award winning program for teens, the co-founder of Ritualwell.org, a widely used resource for traditional and innovative Jewish rituals, and as the Chair of Encounter, an organization which invites leaders of the American Jewish community to expand their view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to be a positive force for communal change through educational experiences in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Sally is also involved with her family-owned-business, Edison Properties, LLC which owns and operates Manhattan Mini Storage and Edison/Park Fast Parking.

A graduate of Wellesley College, Sally double majored in Economics and Religion. She received her MBA from The Yale School of Management. She lives in NYC with her three children.

Dr. Lee graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University, and completed dermatology residency at Brown University, followed by a photomedicine fellowship at Harvard University (Massachusetts General Hospital). She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Brown University in Providence, RI. Her interests include treatment of hypertrophic, keloidal, and burn scars, as well as energy-based treatments of hair and nail disorders. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Dermatology and is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and the American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery.

William Lowry, Ph.D., uses human embryonic stem cells to study the process by which the ectoderm, the outermost layer of cells in the early embryo, splits into two distinct lineages of cell types: the cells that comprise the nervous system and the cells that make up the outer surface of the body including skin, hair and nails. Through examining how the ectoderm gives rise to these two stem cell types, Lowry hopes to gain an understanding of how the development process can go awry, leading to intellectual disability syndromes such as autism in the case of neural cells, or a predisposition to cancers like carcinoma in the case of skin cells.

Much of Lowry’s research on skin stem cells focuses on how they are prompted to make new hair or heal wounds, and how abnormal skin stem cell activity can lead to tumor development. In examining this process, he studies external factors including how cells interact with one another and their environment, and internal factors such as how they metabolize, or break down, available nutrients. This research has already resulted in the discovery of two drugs that promoted hair growth in animal models by altering the metabolism processes of hair follicle stem cells. Lowry is now working to manipulate metabolic processes of hair follicle stem cells to stop the initiation and progression of tumors, such as squamous cell carcinoma.

Peter Marinkovich, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at Stanford University, a faculty member of the Program in Epithelial Biology and the Stanford Cancer Biology Program. He is the Director of the Stanford Bullous Disease and Psoriasis Clinics as well as an attending dermatologist at the VA Palo Alto Medical Center.

Dr. Marinkovich has a long-standing interest in the role of the immune system on epidermal homeostasis, first in the area of autoimmune bullous disorders and more recently in the area of psoriasis. Dr. Marinkovich’s research focuses on pathogenesis and therapy of epidermolysis bullosa, psoriasis, hair disorders and skin cancers.

Raymond A. Miller is a partner and co-chair of the Intellectual Property Department of Pepper Hamilton LLP, resident in the Pittsburgh office. Mr. Miller is co-chair of the firm’s Life Sciences practice group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. A registered patent attorney, Mr. Miller focuses his practice on identifying, protecting, securing and maximizing the value of clients’ intellectual property.

Mr. Miller’s clients include universities, research institutes and businesses ranging from idea stage through Fortune 500 companies, as well as other organizations and individuals involved in basic research and technology transfer. He has represented Ivy League universities, research organizations, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, consumer products companies, manufacturing companies, computer software developers and R&D contractors. His practice includes both prosecution and transactional IP, including acquiring and licensing patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, as well as litigation.

Mr. Miller’s practice includes an array of chemical, medical, pharmaceutical, mechanical, environmental and business method fields. While he is particularly adept at handling technologies in the life sciences, he also is proficient in areas of material sciences, metallurgy, thin-film technology, specialty chemicals, polymer chemistry, nanotechnology and cosmetics.

Mr. Miller is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of University Technology Managers, Inc. and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. He has written and presented numerous scientific and legal publications.

Arisa E. Ortiz, M.D. is Director of Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology, and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of California, San Diego. She received training in Mohs Micrographic Surgery at UC San Diego and completed the prestigious cosmetic and laser fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Wellman Center for Photomedicine. Dr. Ortiz completed her dermatology residency training at UC Irvine and Beckman Laser Institute. She has authored over forty publications, several book chapters and edited a textbook on reconstructive dermatologic surgery. She has presented at international and national conferences and is an invited speaker at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). She actively serves as a journal reviewer for the Journal of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine and the Dermatologic Surgery journal. She has won several awards including the ASLMS Best of Session Award for Cutaneous Applications, the ASLMS research grant, and the ASDS Cutting Edge Research Grant. Dr. Ortiz has also served as the President of the San Diego Dermatologic Surgery Society and Program chair of ASLMS and Co-Chair of the Masters of Aesthetics Symposium. Her research interests are in laser treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer. She is currently the medical director of La Jolla Nanomedical.

Joshua Owen, MD, PhD, is currently a dermatology resident at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is a member of the 2017 Advancing Innovation in Dermatology Scholars Class, studying the problem of the prevention and treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in organ transplant recipients. His interests lie at the overlap of the immune system and neoplasia. He earned his MD and PhD degrees with Alpha Omega Alpha honors from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. There, he worked in the laboratory of Michael Brown, MD, and Joseph Goldstein, MD, studying metabolic signaling and insulin resistance. He earned BS degrees with summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors in chemistry and biochemistry from Texas A&M University.

Apostolos Pappas, Ph.D., started his professional career as a research biochemist in the Skin Research Center of Johnson & Johnson in ’99 and later in 2001 served as a group leader at Munich Biotech, where he worked on cancer research. Thereafter, in 2003, he returned to Johnson & Johnson, where he is currently a Research Manager and Fellow at J&J focusing on lipid metabolism research.

Dr. Pappas is one of the first to culture cells that were previously not cultured; as human primary sebocytes and more recently human facial preadipocytes. He has authored forty peer-reviewed scientific publications, patent applications, and four books. While at J&J he collaborated with many experts and KOLs to open a new field within the academic textbooks arena and curriculums on “Nutrition and Skin”, which was published by Springer in 2011. The success and wide recognition of this project paved the way for his second academic textbook by Springer in 2014: “Lipids and Skin Health”; which is the very first of its kind as well. He has initiated and chaired three major symposia and has given more than 20 invited lectures at prestigious societies and universities.

Dr. Piacquadio is the Founder and CEO/President of Therapeutics, Inc. He has been active in clinical research and medical product development since 1985, when he worked as the Director of Research and Development for Oncotherm, a biotechnology company in the field of hyperthermia where his responsibilities included regulatory affairs and clinical development. Since that time, he has started the clinical research program for the Division of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego. From 1989 to 1997, he served as Director of this organization, which became regarded as one of the leading academic product development groups in the United States. In 1997 he started Therapeutics, Inc as a research and development business dedicated to the field of dermatology serving the needs of the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and investment community.

Dr. Piacquadio has also actively participated in the development of a wide variety of biotechnology start-ups and medical product development programs. He has been instrumental in the pre-clinical and clinical development phase of a variety of soft tissue augmentation products including Hylaform® (Biomatrix) and was instrumental in regulatory strategy and clinical development of the first laser based hair removal technology pioneered by Thermolase among others. As a consultant for the FDA Generic Drug Group he assisted in the development of the current bioequivalency standards for topical steroids. Presently he serves in an advisory capacity for a variety of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Piacquadio received his B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He received his graduate clinical training at Brown University as an intern in Internal Medicine and his Dermatology training at University of California, San Diego.

Adam Raff, M.D., Ph.D. is a dermatology physician-scientist at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He works on developing point-of-care diagnostics for infectious diseases of the skin, specifically cellulitis, in the laboratory of R. Rox Anderson at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine. He obtained his M.D./Ph.D. with Alpha Omega Alpha honors at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, and his B.S. summa cum laude with Phi Beta Kappa honors at Georgetown University.

Dr. Iris K. Rubin is a board-certified and laser fellowship trained dermatologist. She is Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Clarity Cosmetics, Inc. She has developed the SEEN hair care brand, a breakthrough line of patent pending products that bring skin science to hair care. Dr. Rubin is Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at George Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Rubin received her undergraduate degree with honors from Stanford University, and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She did her dermatology residency at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School, and served as academic chief resident at Harvard. She completed a laser surgery fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Wellman Center for Photomedicine. Dr. Rubin has conducted research on development of a vein-selective laser to improve port-wine stain treatment, and has an issued patent based on her research. Dr. Rubin has been an invited speaker at meetings sponsored by the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS), American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), Washington D.C. Dermatological Society, and Children’s National Medical Center.

Dr. Rubin’s previous positions include Medical Director of the Dermatologic and Vascular Laser Surgery Program at Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C., Dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, and Director of Government Communications and Education for the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Stuart D. Shanler, M.D., co-founded Aclaris Therapeutics and has served as Chief Scientific Officer since its inception in July 2012. He has nearly 20 years of experience as a dermatologist. Between July 2011 and July 2012, Dr. Shanler served as a consultant to a number of pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Shanler co-invented a topical rosacea drug for, and co-founded and served as Chief Scientific Officer of Vicept Therapeutics, Inc. from 2009 until its acquisition by Allergan plc in July 2011. Previously, Dr. Shanler was a dermatologic surgeon in private practice.

Dr. Shanler is a board-certified dermatologist and received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Albany Medical College of Union University and received Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and the Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Sierra, Ph.D. is currently Vice President of LEO Science & Tech Hub Cambridge (USA). Prior to this position, he held the positions of Director of Medicinal Chemistry, Director of Chemical Research, Director of External Discovery and Executive Director of Translational Research at LEO Pharma (Denmark). Before that, Michael worked 10 years at GlaxoSmithkline’s Centre de Recherche, Les Ulis (France) and the biotech, CareX, Strasbourg (France) as Head of Chemistry. He received his BS in chemistry from Ohio Northern University (USA), his Ph.D. in chemistry at Wayne State University (USA) and held a 2 year post doctoral position at Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (France). He has 24 years of drug discovery experience in the therapeutic areas of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases as well as inflammation and dermatology with the identification of 18 clinical candidates.

Iain Stuart, Ph.D., has served as the Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Foamix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since August 2017. Dr. Stuart has been with Foamix since October 2016, and previously served as the Vice President of Clinical Development. He has 20 years of industry experience with approximately half of that time exclusively focused on leading the development of new products to treat a wide variety of dermatological conditions from early research through to commercialization. He previously held various positions at LEO Pharma both in Denmark and the USA from 2008 to 2016, including Director of Preclinical Development, Director of Clinical Operations, Vice President of R&D Project Management, and most recently, Vice President of Medical Strategy and Scientific Affairs. Prior to LEO Pharma, Dr. Stuart served as Project Manager, Pharmaceutical Development at the oncology-focused biotechnology company, Cyclacel, Inc. and Senior Study Director at Inveresk Research (now Charles River).

Dr. Stuart has a PhD and 1st Class Honors BSc. in Chemistry from Glasgow Caledonian University and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde.

Hamza Suria was appointed CEO in 2011 and has since led AnaptysBio’s transformation from its early platform technology focus to the development of a robust antibody product pipeline across key therapeutic areas. Prior to AnaptysBio, Mr. Suria was at Maxygen, where he was responsible for partnering and alliance management of next-generation protein therapeutics in oncology supportive care, hematology and autoimmunity, including partnerships with Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer and Astellas.

Mr. Suria holds a B.Sc. in biochemistry from Kalamazoo College, an M.S. in immunology from the University of Western Ontario and an Executive MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business. Mr. Suria is a graduate of The Mercersburg Academy.

Travis Whitfill MPH, Founder and Chief Science Officer, is a research specialist in the field of the skin microbiome. He has defined and patented innovative approaches to the treatment of skin disorders and is the Principal Investigator on several federally funded programs in the area. Travis serves on the board of several startup companies and is the co-founder of five biotech and healthcare companies.

Travis also has a vibrant career in finance and academia. Travis serves as a Senior Analyst at Bios Research, which provides consulting and short-focused healthcare market research to hedge funds and he is a partner at Bios Partners, which is a healthcare-focused venture capital fund out of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Travis also holds a faculty research appointment at the Yale School of Medicine in Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and his research is focused on quality improvement of pediatric acute care. He is an author on several dozen publications, and is a PI on several federal and foundation supported grants. Travis received scientific training at several leading academic institutions, including M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Duke University, and Yale University. He's a recipient of Forbes' 30 Under 30 award in 2018 in Healthcare.

Warren J. Winkelman, MD, PhD, MBA, FAAD, FRCPC is Senior Medical Director and Head of Medical Innovation for the Nestlé Skin Health Investigation, Education and Longevity Development (SHIELD) Center in New York. SHIELD, launched in December 2014, is a global network of innovative cross-discipline experts and visionaries working every day to develop new approaches in skin health, nutrition and wellness in this era of unprecedented longevity.

Warren holds a PhD in ehealth innovation, health policy, management and evaluation from the University of Toronto and an MBA in healthcare administration from SUNY-Binghamton School of Management. He was awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) fellowship in ehealth innovation science, and has conducted research under the auspices of the Center for Global eHealth Innovation (Toronto), the Canadian Dermatology Foundation (CDF) and the National Research Council-Canada (NRC) to help promote the empowerment of patients living with chronic skin disease and their caregivers through information and communication technologies.

Warren is a board-certified dermatologist with more than 25 years' experience in patient care, medical education, research, and has held medical leadership roles at Schering-Plough, Merck, Janssen and Galderma. He is a graduate of the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at City College of New York, receiving his MD from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and completing his dermatology residency at McGill University.

David T. Woodley, M.D. completed his undergraduate degree in English Literature at Washington University in St. Louis and his medical school education at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He completed his dermatology residency training at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He then completed a Dermatology Research Fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Michel Prunieras at the Rothschild Foundation and University of Paris in Paris, France. He served as an Expert Investigator at the National Institutes of Health for three years and then returned to Chapel Hill as an Assistant Professor of Dermatology. He left Chapel Hill in 1989 to be Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Dermatology at Stanford University. In 1992, he was appointed the Walter Hamlin Professor and Chair of Dermatology at Northwestern University. In 1999, he joined the medical faculty at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) and in 2004, he assumed his current position as the Founding Chair of the USC Department of Dermatology.

Dr. Woodley is the author of over 200 original articles and is a clinician-investigator with continuous NIH funding since 1982. He is the Co-Editor of a book entitled The Biology of Skin with Dr. Ruth Freinkel and serves as an Associate Editor of The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, The Archives of Dermatology, Clinical and Experimental Dermatology and Dermatology. Dr. Woodley’s scientific interests include type VII collagen, keratinocyte motility, wound healing, keratinocyte-derived collagenases, autoimmune bullous diseases and hereditary dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. He has served on numerous American Academy of Dermatology committees, the Board of Directors of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the Board of Directors of the California Dermatology Society, and the Board of Directors of the LA Metropolitan Dermatology Society. He is the current past President of the LA Metropolitan Dermatology Society and the President-Elect of the California Dermatology Society. He has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the American Dermatological Association (ADA) and the Association of American Physicians (AAP). Four NIH RO1 grants, one Challenge Grant and one VA Merit Review Grant support the USC Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology.