Podcast Series: Stories of Our Skin

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.

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).

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).

Zainab Waheed is a dynamic young climate advocate from Islamabad, Pakistan. At just 19 years old, she has already made significant strides in raising awareness about climate change and its impacts on her community. Supported by the UN Sustainable Goals, Zainab educates local communities, including schools and madrassas, about climate change. She has collaborated with UNICEF to envision climate futures for children and uses her journalism skills to translate climate sciences into Urdu, making the information accessible to Pakistan’s youth. Zainab’s work focuses on empowering marginalised voices and advocating for climate justice.

Rick Guidotti, an award winning photographer, worked in NYC, Milan, Paris and London for a variety of high profile clients including Yves St Laurent, Revlon and L’Oreal. His work has been published in newspapers, magazines and journals as diverse as GQ, People, the American Journal of Medical Genetics, The Lancet, Spirituality and Health, the Washington Post, Atlantic Monthly and LIFE Magazine.

Rick founded POSITIVE EXPOSURE after a chance encounter in 1997 with a young lady living with albinism at a bus stop in New York City.  (Albinism is a genetic condition that results in the reaction or absence of pigmentation in the hair and skin.) As an artist, Rick was taken by her extraordinary beauty. In a quest for a better understanding of albinism, Rick sought out medical textbooks, where he was affronted by the dehumanizing images depicting disease, lacking all humanity. It was this experience which forced Rick to turn his lens from the more traditional ideas of beauty, to the beauty and richness of human diversity.

Rick has since spent more than twenty five years collaborating internationally with advocacy organizations/NGOs, medical schools, universities and other educational institutions to effect a sea-change in societal attitudes towards individuals living with genetic, physical, behavioural or intellectual difference.

Eva Rawlings Parker, MD, DTMH is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Core Faculty in the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her academic expertise includes the health effects of climate change, global health, HIV dermatoses, tropical skin disease, and infectious disease dermatology. She serves as Faculty Lead for DEI in Dermatology at VUMC and is passionate about ensuring access to quality dermatological care for underserved populations. Dr Parker staffs Nashville General Hospital’s dermatology clinic and Vanderbilt’s HIV clinic, while also providing volunteer dermatologic care to immigrant, refugee, and underserved populations in Nashville, TN at Siloam Health and Shade Tree Clinic. Additionally, she is a member of Addis Clinic’s volunteer medical corps, providing telehealth consultation services in Africa and is an external supervisor and mentor at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre in Moshi, Tanzania. She has a B.S in Environmental Science and is the Co-Chair of the American Academy of Dermatology’s Expert Resource Group on Climate Change and Environmental Issues, Associate Editor of the Journal of Climate Change and Health, and a member of the International Society of Dermatology’s Committee on Climate Change. Additionally, she is a member of the AAD’s World Congress Fund Review Task Force and an external adviser for the International League of Dermatological Societies’ WHO official relations committee. Dr Parker actively publishes and speaks at national and international meetings on the dermatologic effects of climate change and the intersection of climate change and global health, advocating for climate justice and health care sustainability and promoting broader education on the health impacts caused by climate change.