Meet our renown faculty of dermatology experts. Diversity in Dermatology thanks you for sharing your knowledge with our members.
Latanya T. Benjamin, MD is a renowned double board-certified and fellowship trained Pediatric Dermatologist and former Professor at Stanford University. Dr. Benjamin is the Founder of Young Skin®, a private medical practice dedicated to specialized care and healing for all children with rare and common skin concerns, inclusive of all skin typer and colors.
Nationally recognized as an expert in atopic dermatitis, acne, molluscum and all things baby, her medical expertise has been featured in The NY Times, Wall Street Journal, FoxNews, Huffington Post, USA Today, Elle, the Bump, Parents and People magazine. In 2023, Legacy magazine named her one of the “Most Influential & Prominent Black Women in Business & Industry in South Florida”. Dr. Benjamin was recently named among the Top 52 Best Black Dermatologists across the United States by Allure magazine.
Dr. Benjamin currently leads as the President-Elect of the Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS). She will take her post as President of the WDS in March 2024. She is a trailblazer and a leading female dermatologist who strives to make a difference in today’s world of medicine and serves as a mentor to young physicians. Dr. Benjamin is a sought-after speaker with an expanded role for national speaker bureaus and is a spokeswoman for multiple global USA beauty brands such as Dove, Avene, L’Oreal (La Roche-Posay and CeraVe), Mustela and Aveeno.
Latanya is a passionate advocate for women and children and is dedicated to the fight against childhood bullying and human trafficking. She wants to ensure that every child is accepted, protected, loved, and treated equally. She has collaborated with celebrities and published her first Amazon self-help book Authorities: Where Do I Belong?
When she is not busy with work and travel, she is a mother to her young daughter and Cavapoo puppy Pumpkin in South Florida.
Instagram: @DrMommy.derm
TikTok: @ dr.mommy
Web: YoungSkinMD.com
LinkedIn: Latanya Benjamin, MD, FAAD, FAAP
Tracee Blackburn is a Board-Certified Physician Assistant, nationally certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and licensed by the state of Illinois. She has been serving in the healthcare industry since 1998 and has specialized as a PA in Dermatology since 2005. She also had the privilege of practicing in Adolescent and Pediatric Health and enjoys interacting with and treating children and teenagers. Tracee graduated from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois in 2005. She has worked in several entities of healthcare, but found her passion in Dermatology where she has extensive experience in general, surgical, and aesthetic dermatology. She diagnoses and treats common dermatologic conditions, is proficient in detecting and treating skin cancers, performs basic and intermediate surgical procedures, and performs cosmetic and laser services. Her special interests are acne, eczema, psoriasis, benign skin lesions, and skin cancer. Tracee likes to focus her attention on patient education, as she believes it is a vital part to every patient’s recovery. She is an active member and co-chair for the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants, and an active member and former President and Director at Large of the Illinois SDPA. She is also a member of the AAPA and the NEA, the National Eczema Association, in which she volunteers her time annually at the Eczema Expo.
Tracee is a published author and has written two childrens’ books entitled “Wally The Wart” and “Xzema, A Children’s Guide to Happy Skin”, as well as a few published articles. She is also a Speaker, Mentor, and creator of Project Skin-X, her passion project to help those in need of help for their skin, hair, and nails.
She has also volunteered her time doing medical mission trips with CHAI to Haiti.
When she is not at work or driving her 4-yo daughter around to social events, she enjoys working out, hanging out with her family and friends, and watching anything on the Bravo network. :-)
‘Currently, she is pursuing her Masters Degree in Integrative Medicine at George Washington University in Washington DC and is expected to graduate in 2022.
Kristin Burton, MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-HM is a practicing physician assistant in pulmonary/critical care. She has served on the board for Indiana Academy of Physician Assistants, and serves as Affiliate Faculty for Butler University’s PA program. She is also the founder of Strive Coaching, a company devoted to the promotion of financial literacy and financial independence to healthcare professionals.
Dr. Karen Johnson has dedicated her career to serving women on the South Side of Chicago. After 20 years of practicing Obstetrics and Gynecology she joins the Raby Institute to continue to pursue her passion for Women’s Health. She is committed to taking care of the “whole” person by integrating care for the mind, body and soul. Her interests include female intimacy issues, sexual dysfunction, atrophic vaginitis, menopausal syndrome, osteoporosis and chronic pelvic pain.
At an early age, she knew she wanted to be a Physician. Dr. Johnson gained insight and appreciation for the field of medicine while being treated for an autoimmune disease during her teenage years. Her physician served as both an inspiration and a mentor.
Dr. Johnson graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in Psychology and Biology. Her study of Diabetes at Wayne State University after college fueled her desire to eliminate lifestyle diseases through exercise, diet, herbal remedies, stress reduction and lifestyle changes. She received her Medical Degree from Wayne State University in 1994 where she remained for her residency.
Dr. Johnson is a certified DiVinci robotic surgeon and previous Medical Director. She was instrumental in growing her previous practice over the past 17 years with the expansion from two providers to six providers. She developed a site of service initiative, in office hysteroscopy.
She is a diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a fellow in the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Diplomate candidate of The American Council of Holistic Medicine.
Dr. Johnson is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and serves on the Social Justice Task Force of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. She is an exercise enthusiast, foodie and traveler. She shares these passions with her husband Lafayette and their two children.
Dr. Elizabeth Kiracofe is a board-certified dermatologist and Founder of Airia Comprehensive Dermatology, located in downtown Chicago’s Fulton Market District, practicing medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology. She is a national expert and speaker on inflammatory skin conditions, specifically atopic dermatitis, ps. She completed her Medical Doctorate at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and her dermatology training at The Ohio State University, where she served her colleagues as Chief Resident. She has published her research in numerous peer-reviewed journals, as well as in Allure and Parent’s Magazine. Before becoming a dermatologist, Dr. Kiracofe was a 3rd grade teacher, worked for the American Cancer Society, and then advocated policy as a registered lobbyist for the State of Ohio.
In recognition for her efforts in public health, in 2014 Dr. Kiracofe was awarded the Physician Advocate of the Year award. She is the first Dermatologist and youngest physician to ever receive this award for Ohio. She continues to engage in her community volunteering at free clinics and hosting skin screenings events throughout Chicagoland, actively fighting to combat the health disparities and access to care issues prevalent in dermatology.
Drew Kuraitis obtained his PhD in stem cell biology and molecular medicine before completing his MD at Tulane University, where he also completed residency and served as chief resident. He currently works at a comprehensive cancer center and focuses on oncodermatology, inflammatory dermatoses and paraneoplastic conditions.
After attending Michigan State University as a National Merit Scholar, Dr. Rosen graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School cum laude. He trained in internal medicine at the University of Alabama and in dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, where he currently serves as Professor and Vice-Chair of Dermatology and Chief of Dermatology at the Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Rosen previously served a term on the Board of Directors and is the immediate past AAD/A Vice-President. He was the 2017 recipient of the AAD Thomas G. Pearson Memorial Award for lifelong achievement in education, and the 2019 recipient of Baylor’s prestigious Master Clinician award.
Dr. Rosen has written over 300 peer-reviewed journal articles, 26 textbook chapters and 4 textbooks. He has been a visiting professor at over 75 university training programs and a plenary speaker for many city, state, national and international organizations, including the national dermatology societies of Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Hong Kong, Korea, China, Australia and New Zealand.. On a personal note, he helped raise four, productive, sane and debt-free adult children. Dr. Rosen is an avid numismatist, diehard Chicago Cub fan and life-long devotee of horror films. His most pressing bucket list item is to score a cameo role on AMC’s cable program “The Walking Dead.”
Riverchase Dermatology
Naples, FL
Brittany Scurto is a board-certified Physician Assistant who specializes in Medical, Surgical and Cosmetic Dermatology. She graduated from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science with a Master’s Degree in 2006. Prior to specializing in Dermatology in 2015, Brittany practiced in a number of different medical fields including Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Surgery and Urgent Care. Her passion lies in treating the whole person and she strives to help her patients understand their medical conditions and improve their well-being through partnership and education. Brittany’s goal is to assure that her patients are not only healthy on the inside, but confident about their outside as well. Brittany loves to educate and often speaks about various medical topics including Integrative Medicine. She also teaches pre-PA, PA and medical students. Brittany values a strong work life balance that allows her to spend quality time with her 2 children, friends and family. She is an avid reader who enjoys cooking, dancing and singing. Having lived and worked abroad, she also loves to travel and donate her time/resources to various non-profit organizations. Brittany speaks fluent conversational and medical Spanish.
Dr. Todd Schlesinger is a board-certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon and clinical investigator. He completed his residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and is the founder of a three-office dermatology and dermatologic surgery practice and clinical research center. His areas of research focus are inflammatory dermatoses, cutaneous oncology, and cosmetic dermatology. He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications as well as several book chapters and numerous presentations and posters at national and international conferences. He is past president of the South Carolina Medical Association, the South Carolina Academy of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, and the current Editor in Chief of the AAD’s ongoing member CME program Dialogues in Dermatology.
Dr. Shahriari is Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine, Associate Director of Clinical Trials at CCD Research, and Senior Editor for the Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. She is also the former president of the Connecticut Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery. Prior to co-founding Central Connecticut Dermatology, Dr. Shahriari was assistant clinical professor of dermatology and associate director of the clinical trials unit at the University of Connecticut Department of Dermatology where she completed both her medical school and residency training.
Her clinical and research interests include inflammatory skin conditions and the study of novel therapeutics for skin disease. Her clinical focus includes psoriasis and eczema, in particular treatment regimens utilizing biologics and novel systemic therapeutics. She has served as principle investigator and sub-investigator for numerous multi-center clinical studies, published articles in well renowned peer-reviewed journals and served as an invited speaker at local and national conferences.
Dr. Sarah Smith is a Charting Coach for Physicians, as well as a practicing Rural Family Physician in Alberta, Canada. She has helped over 150 physicians in the specific area of getting their charting done before going home.
Dr. Marc Serota is triple board certified in dermatology, allergy/asthma/immunology and pediatrics. He is in private practice in Denver Colorado and attends the dermatology residents and the University of Colorado and VA hospitals. After graduating medical school at the age of 23 he pursued 8 additional years of training. He completed a pediatrics residency at Cohen’s Children’s Hospital in New York, then completed an allergy/asthma/immunology fellowship at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and then completed a second residency in dermatology at the University of Colorado. He has published numerous textbook chapters, online reference articles and peer-reviewed articles in the areas of dermatologic and allergic diseases.
Dr. Jennifer Soung is a board certified dermatologist and the director of clinical research at Southern California Dermatology in Santa Ana, CA. Dr. Soung is an expert in medical dermatology and clinical research focusing on chronic autoimmune skin diseases. She is on Clinical Faculty at Harbor University of California, Los Angeles, and on the medical board of the National Psoriasis Foundation.
Dr. Amy Spizuoco is a board certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist. She did her undergraduate training at SUNY Binghamton, majoring in Italian and Biology. She then went to medical school at the NY College of Osteopathic Medicine.
After medical school, she completed her dermatology residency at LECOM/Alta Dermatology in Arizona. During that time she studied skin cancer surgery, pediatric dermatology at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and attended Dermatology Grand Rounds at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.
After residency, Dr. Spizuoco went back to NY to complete a dermatopathology fellowship at the Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology.
Dr. Spizuoco has been practicing medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology, as well as dermatopathology in Manhattan for 8 years.
She is the President of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology and is an Associate Clinical Instructor in the Department of Dermatology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is also on the editorial board of Practical Dermatology and Dermatology Times.
Dr. Richard Usatine is a Professor of Dermatology, Cutaneous Surgery and Family Medicine at University of Texas Health, San Antonio. He is the lead author of 8 books including “Dermatological and Cosmetic Procedures in Office Practice”, “The Color Atlas and Synopsis of Family Medicine” and “Cutaneous Cryosurgery”. He has published over 130 journal articles. Dr. Usatine began teaching dermoscopy in 2009 with the mentorship of Dr. Marghoob. In 2014, he co-developed a free interactive app for smart phones and tablets called “Dermoscopy: Two Step Algorithm”. It remains the top downloaded app for dermoscopy and was updated to contain the “TADA” method too. In 2018, he was elected to the board of the International Dermoscopy Society. Dr. Usatine has also developed over 80 dermatology instructional videos and the Interactive Dermatology Atlas website. His photography of skin disorders has been used in many books, monographs, journal articles and educational websites (including the American Cancer Society). He has taught dermoscopy for the American Academy of Family Physicians, Texas Dermatological Society and for general practitioners in Australia and Canada. Dr. Usatine has been teaching yearly in the American Dermoscopy Meeting since 2014. He teaches regularly on Dermoscopy of Skin of Color and is the lead author of the Dermoscopedia chapter on this area.
Dr. Vlahovic is a Clinical Professor and J. Stanley and Pearl Landau Faculty Fellow at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (TUSPM) in Philadelphia, PA. She is also a member of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow).
Dr Vlahovic graduated from Yale University with a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and received her medical degree from TUSPM. After finishing her surgical residency at St Luke’s University Health Network in Allentown, PA, she was the first podiatrist in the US to complete a fellowship in podiatric dermatology under the supervision of Stephen Schleicher, MD.
She is board certified in foot surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and in podiatric medicine by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine. Dr. Vlahovic currently teaches the Fundamentals of Dermatology course at TUSPM and has received numerous teaching awards. She has authored several articles in peer-reviewed journals and is involved in multiple clinical research trials for various dermatological therapies and devices.
She is the author of Skin Disease of the Lower Extremities: A Photographic Guide (HMP Communications) and Onychomycosis: An Illustrated Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment along with Antonella Tosti and Roberto Arenas (Springer).
Matthew Zirwas, MD is an American Board of Dermatology certified physician. He is a nationally known expert who specializes in patch testing, pruritus, atopic dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis.
Dr. Zirwas founded the Bexley Dermatology Research Clinic in 2017 which has become one of the busiest clinical trial centers in the US for atopic dermatitis. He is also a physician contributor and dermatologic advisor for companies such as ALL Laundry Detergent, Cerave, AsepticMD, fitbit, Peloton, Oculus, Sanofi/Regeneron, Abbvie, Lilly, Pfizer, Leo, Incyte, Arcutis, Dermavant and many more.
He received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1996. Dr. Zirwas also received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh in 2000. He then completed his dermatology residency at the University of Pittsburgh in 2003 where he became Chief Resident. He served as Residency Director at Ohio State University for nearly 10 years before founding the Bexley Dermatlogy Research Clinic.
Dr. Zirwas professional memberships include:
In Dr. Zirwas’s free time, he enjoys spending time with his kids, rock climbing and traveling.
Emmy M. Graber, MD, MBA is the Founder of The Dermatology Institute of Boston, a private practice in Boston, Massachusetts. With over ten years experience, Dr. Graber treats a wide range of dermatologic issues and specializes in acne and cosmetic dermatology. She is currently an Affiliate Clinical Instructor at Northeastern University and has extensive experience teaching students of all types.
Dr. Graber received her BS in Biology at The Pennsylvania State University and was a member of the Schreyer Honors College. She also completed her medical training at The Pennsylvania State University and graduated with membership in Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. After an internship in Internal Medicine, she underwent Dermatology residency training at The Pennsylvania State University/Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. During this time she received the Intern Of The Year Award and was selected by her peers for a Humanism and Excellence In Teaching Award.
Following her residency training, Dr. Graber further specialized with fellowship training in Laser and Cosmetic Surgery at SkinCare Physicians of Chestnut Hill. She then practiced dermatology with that group for two years prior to working at Boston University. At Boston University, Dr. Graber was Director of the BU Cosmetic and Laser Center. She was also the associate residency program director and taught many medical students, resident physicians and international physicians in-training. In 2014 Dr. Graber completed her MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s esteemed Wharton School of Business.
Dr. Graber has academic interests in acne, acne scars and cosmetic dermatology. She has lectured and written extensively on these subjects in scientific journals and serves on the board of directors of the American Acne and Rosacea Society. Additionally, Dr. Graber is frequently cited in the media as an authority in dermatology. Dr. Graber is a regular contributor on national public radio (NPR) and her expert opinions can be seen in O Magazine, InStyle Magazine, and Good Housekeeping Magazine amongst other national media sources.
Dr. Koo graduated from Harvard Medical School. He is board certified in both Psychiatry and Dermatology. He finished his dermatology residency at University of California San Francisco Medical Center and Psychiatry residency at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. He has been a faculty at University of California San Francisco Medical Center Department of Dermatology. He has more than 300 peer reviewed publications. He is the chief editor for a two volume textbook on psoriasis where “mild to moderate psoriasis” volume is now in its third edition and “moderate to severe psoriasis” is in its fourth edition. This two volume textbooks is one of the most widely used in USA. Dr. Koo was named “best researcher in dermatology” at SID meeting. He also received the “best speaker” award at Fall Clinical Conference. He received the best mentor award from UCSF. Lastly, he was honored for “lifetime achievement award” by National Psoriasis Foundation.
Dr. Kircik is a Board Certified Dermatologist who graduated with AOA Honors from State University of New York at the Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn after completing his undergraduate work with Phi Beta Kappa at New York University. He completed a Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology Fellowship under the auspices of Dr. Frederick Mohs at the University of Wisconsin after completing his dermatology residency at State University of New York in Buffalo.
He currently teaches as Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, IN, as well as Clinical Professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Kircik is also the Medical Director of DermResearch, PLLC, Physicians Skin Care, PLLC and Skin Sciences, PLLC in Louisville, Kentucky. He has been the principal investigator of numerous clinical trials for psoriasis, acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, skin cancers, and actinic keratosis, just to name a few.
Dr. Kircik is an author of many scientific articles, abstracts and posters. He has lectured extensively nationally and internationally on all aspects of dermatologic conditions. In addition, he also serves on the advisory boards of several pharmaceutical companies as a consultant. He is on the editorial board of Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, Practical Dermatology, The Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology, and Case Report in Clinical Pathology. He volunteers for multiple local and national medical society committees.
Dr. George Cohen is a 1977 graduate of Howard University College of Medicine. He finished his residency at Howard University Hospital Department of Dermatology in 1981 and has been a practicing board certified dermatologist for over 39 years.
Dr. Cohen has worked as a dermatologist in private practice, for large HMOs, for the Veterans’ Affairs Hospital and has worked as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force Reserves.
He has held numerous academic positions including Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of South Florida, Associate Professor at the University of Florida and most recently has Clinical Professor and the founding program director at the Florida State University College Medicine division of Dermatology.
His areas of interest and expertise include; medical dermatology, telemedicine, treatment of keloids and the skin cancer in the Afro-American population.
Hilary Baldwin is a board-certified dermatologist and medical director of the Acne Treatment & Research Center in Brooklyn, NY. She is a clinical associate professor of dermatologist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center. Dr. Baldwin has interests in acne, rosacea, keloidal scarring, cosmeceuticals and the skin microbiome. She is a frequent national and international lecturer and visiting professor, and her work has been published extensively in dermatology journals. Dr. Baldwin served as a founding board member and second president of the American Acne and Rosacea Society.
Skin and Cancer Center of Scottsdale
Originally from Michigan, Robert graduated with honors from Michigan State University holding a degree in Biology. He completed his degree in the PA program of Western Michigan University in 1999. He began his career on the trauma surgery service at the Toledo Hospital, and in the emergency department of University of Michigan Hospital, for three years.
His experience in dermatology began in 2002, and to date his experiences include medical, surgical and cosmetic care, as well as management of patients in a psoriasis treatment center. He is a member, clinical instructor, and consultant to the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants, and a co-founder and former executive officer of both the Michigan and Arizona Dermatology PA Societies. Currently he serves on the Arizona state society PA legislative affairs committee, is a consultant to multiple pharmaceutical companies, and is a host for the SDPA’s Dermcast TV.
In March of 2012, Rob founded the Skin and Cancer Center of Scottsdale in Scottsdale, AZ. As the CEO and founder, he continues to have a passion for the development of PA/ physician relations, clinical instruction, and entrepreneurship. He also continues to pursue his passion for humanitarian efforts in AZ and other states, and has participated in international medical missions in the Philippines and Africa.
Dr. Jeffrey T.S. Hsu is a fellowship-trained, board-certified dermatologist with expertise in neurotoxins, laser surgery, Mohs micrographic surgery, fat grafting, soft tissue augmentation, and scar revision. Dr. Hsu specializes in minimally invasive techniques for facial and body rejuvenation.
Dr. Hsu graduated with distinction from Stanford University where he earned the coveted President’s Award for academic achievement. He received his medical degree from University of California at Los Angeles, earning top honors along the way. He then completed an internship in Internal Medicine and residency in Dermatology at the Mayo Clinic. He pursued further training by completing a Laser and Cosmetic Surgery fellowship under the direction of faculty from Harvard University and Yale University School of Medicine.
Dr. Hsu is also passionately involved in teaching and academic pursuits. He is an internationally recognized expert in dermatologic and cosmetic surgery, frequently invited to teach other physicians in Asia, Australia, and Europe while continuing to care for his patients at home. He has already co-authored several widely used textbooks; the latest publication is the Manual of Dermatologic Therapeutics 8th Edition. He is the author of numerous scientific articles in leading dermatology journals and is regularly invited to present his newest techniques and his latest scientific discoveries at national and international conferences. Dr. Hsu is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Dr. Hsu’s memberships include the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, the American Society for Mohs Surgery, International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, the American College of Phlebology, and the American Medical Association.
