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Giving dermatology a boost
From the President
Dr. Desai served as Academy president from March 2024 to March 2025.
By Seemal R. Desai, MD, FAAD, June 1, 2024
Dear members,
With Skin Cancer Awareness Month wrapping up and summer starting soon, I think this is a perfect time to reflect on our role as dermatologists, and specifically, about how we present ourselves to our patients and the public. As board-certified dermatologists, not only are we healers; we are also educators. I think it’s critically important for the public to know that dermatologists do more than just treat them. We’re also a wealth of information to help them find answers to questions they may have! That’s why I’m so proud of the Academy’s Your Dermatologist Knows strategy that positions us as the go-to experts on skin, hair, and nail conditions. With the support of the Academy behind us, we can present ourselves as a united force and help support and grow the specialty we all hold dear.
There are several things you can do as an individual to help educate the public and help boost our status as the healers and the educators that we know we are. I’m excited for this month’s launch of our national Firefighter Skin Cancer Checks program, which was developed in partnership with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. Did you know that firefighters are at a much higher risk of developing skin cancer than other citizens? You can help out the heroes who help keep our communities safe by hosting a firefighter skin cancer check of your own. Definitely take a look at the dedicated information about this initiative. For firefighters, the risk extends beyond the line of duty, and as dermatologists, we’re in a perfect position to help mitigate that risk.
This month, I’ll be attending the Japanese Dermatological Association meeting, representing the AAD as president, where I’ll provide an update on the great things the Academy is doing. I’ll also be attending events sponsored by the Global Vitiligo Foundation, the American Society for Mohs Surgery, the AMA House of Delegates, and the Canadian Dermatology Association. I take my role as the face of the Academy very seriously, and I want to be sure to represent you at as many events as possible so that you can always feel comfortable that your Academy is working for you.
I hope everyone has a safe and eventful summer. It is my absolute honor to be on this journey as president of our beloved organization. As I said in March in San Diego, let ‘Unity of our Specialty’ be our guiding principle!
With my best wishes and thanks,
Seemal.
Presidential spotlight
The Presidential Spotlight each month is an opportunity for me to highlight
someone who continues to do incredible work for our specialty or even someone who has impacted me on my leadership journey personally.
Pearl Grimes, MD, FAAD
This month’s recipient of the Presidential Spotlight goes to Pearl Grimes, MD, FAAD.
I am thrilled to be able to award this month’s AAD Presidential Spotlight to Dr. Pearl Grimes!
Dr. Grimes is a world-renowned expert in vitiligo and pigmentary disorders. She serves as the director of the Vitiligo and Pigmentation Institute of Southern California and as director of the Grimes Institute for Medical and Aesthetic Dermatology.
In the early 2000s, Dr. Grimes founded the Coalition for At-Risk-Restoring Youth (CARRY), a wonderful nonprofit organization focusing on providing equal opportunities and protecting the safety of at-risk youth, regardless of socio-economic status or background. CARRY began by providing pro-bono dermatologic services to other non-profit organizations, but has since expanded to provide camp opportunities, social skills programs, arts, etiquette classes, and a scholarship.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of the disproportionate rate at which COVID-19 sickened and killed people of color, Dr. Grimes partnered with actor Tyler Perry to spearhead Project D-Z-C. Project D-Z-C helped raise awareness about the benefits of oral vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin D supplements. The result was a short film, “The Colors of COVID: Saving Lives and the Benefits of D-Z-C,” which featured actors such as Angela Bassett, Jenifer Lewis, and Nicole Ari Parker, as well as a variety of leading medical experts.
Dr. Grimes has dedicated her life to serving her patients and to supporting underserved communities. On a personal note, Pearl is a close personal friend and mentor and has been an inspiring part of my leadership journey as a pigmentary disease specialist. Whenever I need clear, concise, and frank advice, I call Pearl. Whenever I am unsure of a clinical pigmentary question or in doubt, I call Pearl. She is truly a guiding light in my life and in the lives of her patients. I am proud and honored to bestow upon her this month’s AAD Presidential Spotlight to honor a true trailblazer in dermatology!
The American Academy of Dermatology is a non-profit professional organization and does not endorse companies or products. Advertising helps support our mission.
