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Dr. Aimee Payne, DF Stiefel Scholar.

Dr. Aimee Payne’s Path to Creating CAAR-T Cell Therapies

In 2011, Aimee Payne, MD, PhD, was running a lab at the University of Pennsylvania, studying pemphigus vulgaris, an autoimmune disease of the skin that results when B cells make antibodies that attack the cell-adhesion protein desmoglein 3.

2023 recipient of the 2023 DF Lifetime Career Educator Award.

Through the Lens of Education

Timothy T. Berger, MD, has always been a visual person and likes the stories art can tell. He understands something in the clinic better when he can draw a picture of it. Dr. Berger was Professor of Clinical Dermatology in the Department of Dermatology at the UCSF School of Medicine and, for his dedication to…

60 Years of Discovery and Counting

In the 1950s, Dr. Stephen Rothman was among those who pioneered the idea of investigative dermatology, believing physicians should apply basic scientific research to the practice of our specialty. Dermatologists embraced the role of science in dermatology, including those who created the Dermatology Foundation in 1964. They based the Foundation on a simple idea: that…

R. Jeffrey Herten is the 2023 recipient of the DF Clark W. Finnerud Award.

In Step With Patients and Residents

For more than 40 years, whether in a clinical setting or within university walls, Dr. Jeffrey Herten, the 2023 DF Clark W. Finnerud Award recipient, has been able to convey his love of the specialty and his compassion towards patients. He graduated from the Medical School of the University of California, Irvine, (UCI) in 1972…

Stuff I Worry About: High-Risk Squamous Cell Carcinoma and High-Risk Patients

Dr. Baum presented information about tumor- and patient-specific risk factors for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). First, Dr. Baum noted that the cSCC incidence in the US is increasing, with an estimated 180,000–520,000 new cases annually and a metastatic rate of 2–5%. Patients with bulky nodal disease have higher recurrence rates and lower overall survival…

In-Transit Melanoma Metastases

Dr. Baum described melanoma in-transit metastases (ITMs) and presented an overview of current treatments. Melanoma ITMs are lesions that develop between the primary tumor site and the draining nodal basin via lymphatic seeding, separate from spreading in the blood. ITMs occur in 5–10% of patients with melanoma and typically develop within 13–18 months. Fifty percent…

Cancer Overdiagnosis: A Dermatopathologist’s Perspective

Dr. Bennett shared his perspective on melanoma overdiagnosis and how to address the problem. First, Dr. Bennett advised dermatologists to be careful about the language they use to describe melanoma screening and diagnosis. “Overdiagnosis” means using current diagnostic criteria to correctly diagnose a condition that may not harm the patient. Overdiagnosis does not mean misdiagnosis….

Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss

Dr. Craiglow presented about the use of oral minoxidil for hair loss disorders. First, Dr. Craiglow described the history of oral minoxidil treatment. Oral minoxidil was first used in patients with severe refractory hypertension, and hair growth was reported as a side effect. The exact mechanisms of oral minoxidil are unclear. It functions as a…

Big Medicines for Little People: Systemic Therapies in Pediatric Dermatology

Dr. Craiglow discussed systemic therapies for pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis and shared tips for treating children. First, Dr. Craiglow emphasized the importance of patient experience in assessing the severity of disease. She suggested asking patients how much the disease affects their life on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 10 (ruins…

Vitiligo Treatment from the Iron Age to the Age of Biologics: New Hope for an Ancient Disease

Dr. Harris presented an overview of past and present treatments for vitiligo, including advances in vitiligo research and ongoing work to improve vitiligo treatment in the future. First, Dr. Harris described research that led to FDA approval of topical ruxolitinib for vitiligo. Dr. Harris sought to develop targeted immunotherapies that could treat vitiligo while avoiding…