Podcast Series: Stories of Our Skin

Aakaash Varma is a dermatology resident based in New York with a background in history. His interest in the stories of borders and separations between people has shaped his approach to dermatology, emphasizing the importance of understanding patients’ experiences and emotions. Aakaash is committed to enhancing dermatological education and raising awareness of global health issues through innovative digital platforms.

Professor Ncoza Dlova is the Dean of the School of Clinical Medicine and the Head of Dermatology Dept, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

She has many accolades and awards behind her name, recently she was awarded a Leadership award as the Best Dean Leader in her College in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

She is a well-published dermatologist with more than 135 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, and a “B” NRF rated researcher, which means her research has had an impact and is recognised by her peers both locally and internationally. Her interest and expertise are in Skin of Color: pigmentation and hair disorders as well as HIV and Skin disorders. She has contributed more than 15 chapters in international dermatology textbooks and a co-author of 2 dermatology books which depict Black Skin, and are relevant to skin of color.

Dlova has successfully supervised, mentored and trained more than 40 dermatologists, supervised numerous Masters students and currently supervising 5 PhD’s, contributing significantly to the transformation of dermatology in South Africa. She supports a number of community initiatives and helps to educate South Africans about skin and hair conditions through outreach programmes and sharing her research findings with consumers.

Sidra Khan is a dermatologist based in the UK with a passion for global health and education. She has worked on various international projects, including the Global Psoriasis Atlas, Burma Skin Care Initiative, and the Migrant Health Group of the International Foundation of Dermatology. Sidra’s extensive experience in global dermatology has fueled her dedication to improving access to dermatological education and care worldwide.

In one word, I am a skin enthusiast! My deep fascination with skin stems from its ability to reflect both systemic disorders and external concerns. The study of skin is a multidisciplinary field, encompassing medicine, biology, chemistry, psychology, sociology, and more. Currently, it’s exciting to see how digital innovations like AI, GenerativeAI, IoT, and Big Data are revolutionizing the skin industry. This industry, which includes dermatology, aesthetics, and skincare, faces challenges such as limited access to care and widespread misinformation. While digital technologies will never replace the expertise of medical professionals, and despite existing implementation hurdles, they offer promising solutions to these issues by enhancing care accessibility and providing accurate, data-driven insights.

Co-founder of the Skin & Digital Summit. The Vision of the Skin & Digital Summit is to create and facilitate a comprehensive conversation about what advances in digital technology & artificial intelligence can bring to the skin business at large (dermatology, aesthetics, skincare).

Toby Maurer, MD, has been a practicing physician for over 25 years. She is an expert in HIV dermatology and infectious diseases and an international lecturer and researcher in this field. Dr. Maurer earned a medical degree at the University of Calgary in 1987, after which she completed residencies in family medicine and dermatology and two fellowships in HIV medicine at UCSF. She served as a professor at UCSF in dermatology and was Chief of Dermatology at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for 25 years. Currently, Dr. Maurer is a Professor of Dermatology at Indiana University and Dermatology Lead for AMPATH, a consortium of 10 North American universities in collaboration with MOI Teaching and Research Hospital in Kenya. She continues her teaching and research in telemedicine with programs in Kenya, Uganda, India and Bangladesh and is working closely with the National Library of Medicine (NIH) to examine the intersection of teledermatology and artificial intelligence.

In her research, she has been studying teledermatology and its impact, which involves synchronous and asynchronous solutions for diagnosing and treating patients with dermatologic conditions. She has spent several years developing seamless models for the implementation of teledermatology, and is dedicated to sharing these innovations with physicians, hospitals and health care systems around the world. Toby Maurer is the Founder and President of Maurer Dermatology Associates (MDA).