2023 Annual Conference Recordings - PLENARY Magic Wand

Dr. Rox Anderson, MD is the Lancer Endowed Chair in Dermatology and Director of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston MA, where he practices dermatology, teaches and performs research. Many of the medical laser and optical diagnostic systems now in widespread use, stem from research and development in his laboratory. These include lasers that use selective photothermolysis for treatment of cutaneous vascular and pigmented lesions, hair removal, tattoos, scars and acne. Fractional laser treatments, tissue cooling for selective fat reduction, and the first reflectance confocal microscope for human use also came from Dr. Anderson's laboratory. He also contributed to vascular-selective laser treatments in the larynx, and laser lithotripsy. His early work includes basic research on the optics of human tissues, optical radiation transport, and mechanisms of photosensitization. Current work includes new treatments for skin tumors of NF-1 neurofibromatosis, and development of injectable ice for cryolipolysis treatment of pain and sleep apnea. All of these contributions were made possible by teamwork and extensive collaborations, from early resesarch through clinical applications. Dr. Anderson has trained more than 50 full-time MD fellows in dermatology, many students and postdoctoral ressearch fellows, and has contributed about 300 original scientific and clinical research publications. He co-founded, teaches and serves at laser treatment clinics in Vietnam and Armenia that provide free care for children.

Dr. Lilit Garibyan is a board-certified, practicing dermatologist and Associate Professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and Physician-Scientist at Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has expertise in cutting edge translational research in areas of device development, dermatology, cutaneous neurobiology, adipose tissue, and immunology. She has spent 20+ years at Harvard Medical School, where she has taught and trained students, residents and fellows in dermatology, laser and energy-based devices, and in problem-based innovation. Her research focuses on innovative biomedical translational discoveries aimed at identifying unmet medical needs and working with multidisciplinary teams to develop novel treatments for those needs. Dr. Garibyan is an inventor on >16 pending and granted patents, has published over 60 original, peer-reviewed publications and has obtained over $5.3 million grant funding from Department of Defense and NIH for her innovative research. She is the inventor of a platform cooling technology with various therapeutic applications that has led to three venture-backed, start-up companies. She is the scientific co-founder of two of those companies.

Dr. Garibyan is the co-founder and the Director of the “Magic Wand Initiative” and the “Virtual Magic Wand” programs, which teach the process of innovation to clinicians. These internationally-recognized programs empower, engage, and teach healthcare professionals on how to identify unmet needs and collaborate to identify and implement solutions to problems. Dr Garibyan has given many national and international lectures on the topic of engaging clinicians in problem-based innovation. She had directed sessions and led workshops in national and international meetings designed to engage healthcare workers in innovation.

Dr. Garibyan received her B.S. summa cum laude from University of California Los Angeles, her M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in Experimental Pathology/Immunology.

Dr. Lisa Arkin is an Associate Professor of Dermatology, Director of Pediatric Dermatology, and a Co-Director of the Birthmarks and Vascular Anomalies Center (BVAC) at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She studied American History at Brown University and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She completed her residency in dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and a fellowship in pediatric dermatology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia/University of Pennsylvania.

She is passionate about laser treamtent for vascular anomalies. In this realm, she has fostered research and clinical collaborations between laser surgeons and pediatric dermatologists, driven by the belief that synergy between fields is critical to understanding natural history, defining best practices, and improving outcomes. Her research primarily focuses on precision-based approaches to facial port wine birthmarks leveraging novel imaging, and investigation of potential downtream medical targets for therapy.

Dr. Fernanda H. Sakamoto, MD, Ph.D is an Assistant Professor in Dermatology at the Harvard Medical School, Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA since 2006. She is a fellow of the AAD, fellow of the American Society of Lasers in Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS), a member of the Société Française de Dermatologie; of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, of the Brazilian Society of Dermatological Surgery, of the Brazilian Group of Melanoma and of the International Society of Dermoscopy. She is a physician-scientist and board-certified Dermatologist from Brazil. Dr. Sakamoto’s research interests include laser and device therapies, PDT, acne, skin cancer, wound healing, and new material science. Working with translational and clinical sciences in academia and industry is Dr. Sakamoto’s field of interest. Currently her work is focused on the development of new light-based treatments for acne and atopic dermatitis. Dr. Sakamoto is a Co-Director of the Education Committee of the Wellman Center/MGH since 2017 and has served on the ASLMS Education, International Committees, Research and Development Committee and Women in Energy Based Devices Committee of which she was the Chair in 2021. She was the Program Chair of the 2022 ASLMS Annual Meeting and has received Best Overall Scientific Award, Best Clinical Science Award (twice) and Bast Basic Science Award, the Horace Furimoto Award for Innovation and the Ellet Drake Memorial Award for innovative laser procedures by the same society.   

Dr. Sakamoto has contributed with over 30 scientific and clinical publications in peer-reviewed journals, and over a dozen book chapters in the major Dermatology textbooks.  She is an inventor on seven US and international patents on innovations in Dermatology. She has contributed to the creation of FDA approved technologies, including the micro-coring device for skin tightening; and Dr. Sakamoto is the primary inventor of laser for acne treatment. 

She has served as Associate Editor for the Journal of Investigative Dermatology for 4 years and was Guest Editor of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine in 2012. Dr. Sakamoto maintains a cosmetic laser/device clinic in Brazil, and as a founding member of the Dream Beam Foundation, she is actively creating a free clinic and training center in Sao Paulo. In the past, has treated native Indians in the Amazon jungle. Dr. Sakamoto also works as a consultant to multiple laser and cosmetic companies in the US. Dr. Sakamoto lives in Boston with her husband, Rox Anderson, her 3 boys under the age of 8 years old and her little dog, BB.

Karen is an executive consultant, specializing in bringing medical technologies and skincare products from idea to commercialization stage. Karen was President and CEO and Board Member at Cytrellis from 2016 to 2022 and led the company from pre-clinical stage to the Company’s first ever FDA clearance and market introduction in 2021. She also raised more than $75M in venture capital funding for the company. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the life sciences and medical device industries has a track record of launching exceptionally successful products. Karen also has extensive expertise building commercial teams while spearheading operational improvements to drive productivity to increase company value. She managed the body contouring franchise at Cynosure, directing marketing and product management of several dermatologic product lines for treatment of cellulite and fat reduction. Previously, Karen was Head of Marketing for the Lab Solutions business at EMD Millipore. Throughout her 12 year tenure at EMD Millipore she successfully developed several new technologies, held various roles such as marketing manager, research and development scientist, and quality manager. She began her career in the biotech industry working with TransKaryotic Therapies. Karen has a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire and earned an M.B.A. with honors from Northeastern University.