Fundamentals of Lasers for Clinical Applications On-Demand Course

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.

Dr. Sadeghpour is a Board-Certified, Fellowship-Trained. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Dallas Collegium V Honors Program and received her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine. Following her residency at University of Pittsburgh, where she served as chief resident, Dr. Sadeghpour completed the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS)-accredited fellowship in laser and cosmetic surgery at the renowned SkinCare Physicians in Boston, Massachusetts. During that year, she was the recipient of American Society of Dermatologic Surgery’s (ASDS) Frederic Brandt Grant, where she studied the utility of lasers in treatment of melasma. Her research works have received the American Society of Laser Medicine & Surgery Best of Session Abstract Award as well as the ASDS Drs. Alastair and Jean D. Carruthers Research Abstract Award.
Dr. Sadeghpour previously served as the Director of the Center for Skin, Laser, and Cosmetic Surgery at University of Colorado where she led and created an innovative educational curriculum to train physicians-in-training in laser and cosmetic dermatology. She was also the Founder of SkinMed Institute, an innovative private practice in Denver, Colorado where she established a Center of Excellence for treatment of skin conditions in patients with Skin of Color and where she continued to educate medical students and residents in training prior to her moving back to Pittsburgh to be closer to family.

Her clinical interests include melasma and disorders of hyperpigmentation, complications and safety in lasers, injectables, and cosmetic surgery techniques, and the utilization of laser medicine as it relates to evidenced-based treatment of dermatologic health and disease. She continues to lecture and teach physicians and residents nationally at academic institutions as well through multiple national societies, where she holds leadership positions.

Biography: Dr. Christine C. Dierickx, MD, received her M.D. degree from the medical school program of the University of Leuven, Belgium and completed a dermatology residency at the same university. She then developed clinical expertise in phlebology during a two-year fellowship with Professor Neuman in the Netherlands. Subsequently, she finished a clinical laser fellowship with Dr. R. Fitzpatrick in San Diego, California, and a Mohs fellowship with Dr. F. Mohs in Madison, Wisconsin. During a two-year laser fellowship with Dr. R. Rox Anderson at Massachusetts General Hospital of Harvard University, she developed research laser expertise in various fields. The projects on vascular lesions draw directly upon her research on the thermal relaxation time of ectatic blood vessels. She established the need of millisecond laser pulses for the treatment of vascular lesions and showed that the formation of gentle cavitations driven by a slow photothermal process underlies the destruction of blood vessels with the longer millisecond laser pulses. For this work, she received the Best Basic Science Award of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. Subsequently, she became a full-time staff member of the Wellman Laboratories at Harvard. During this time, she conducted research projects with long pulsed ruby and diode lasers for hair removal. She returned to Europe in early 1999, where she is currently in private practice in Luxembourg. She served as Vice president for the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery in 2006-2007. In 2013 she was the recipient of the Vasant Orwal Oration van de British Medical Laser Society. In April 2016 she received the Leon Goldman memoriam award from the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. She continues to be involved in the development of new applications for energy-based devices as well as new applications for photodynamic therapy. Dr. Dierickx has published and lectured nationally and internationally in the field of laser surgery and photodynamic therapy.

Dr. Kristen M. Kelly is a board certified dermatologist and Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of California (UC), Irvine. She attended UC Los Angeles as an undergraduate and medical student. She completed an internal medicine internship and then a dermatology residency at UC Irvine. After residency, Dr. Kelly was a fellow in photomedicine and biomedical optics at the Beckman Laser Institute and then obtained an academic appointment in the departments of dermatology and surgery at UC Irvine. In 2021, she started in her position as the first female Chair for the Department of Dermatology at UC Irvine. Her research has helped to optimize cutaneous vascular lesion treatment, evaluate cutaneous angiogenesis, and develop and evaluate novel dermatologic light based imaging and therapeutic options. She works with a number of patient advocacy groups including The Sturge Weber Foundation and The Vascular Birthmark Foundation. She has given over 300 lectures at local, national and international conferences and events and has authored over 140 scientific papers and 19 book chapters. Dr. Kelly is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and her research has been funded by the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Sturge Weber Foundation, Dermatology Foundation and National Institutes of Health.

Sungat K. Grewal MD FAAD is a double board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon who Co-directs the Aesthetic Medicine program at UC Irvine. She completed her dermatology residency at the UC San Francisco School of Medicine before completing a fellowship in laser surgery, aesthetics, and micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology at the UCI School of Medicine.

Dr. Thomas Griffin is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in cosmetic, medical and surgical dermatology. He is the Department Chair of the Laser and Aesthetics Surgery Center at Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting where he treats patients from throughout the tri-state area. Dr. Griffin believes in a patient-centered approach to dermatologic care. He strives to educate his patients on skin and their treatment options so that they can choose a treatment path that fits best with their lifestyle, their level of commitment and thus achieve their best results.

Dr. Griffin graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Anthropology. He attended Thomas Jefferson University Medical College where he was elected to the Hobart Armory Hare surgical honor society and the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He completed his residency training with the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Dr. Griffin is passionate about advancing the field of dermatology. He was influenced at a young age by his father, a prominent dermatologist and dermatopathologist in the Philadelphia area. As a child, he spent countless hours alongside his father looking through a microscope and learning how to read pathology slides. Today, as a recognized leader in the field, Dr. Griffin incorporates clinical trials and research projects into his practice. He advises medical device companies on the development of new laser technology by serving on their advisory boards and delivers invited lectures and educational seminars across the country about the latest advancements in laser surgery.

Outside the office, Dr.Griffin is an avid golfer, triathlete and die-hard Philadelphia sports fan. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his family - while wearing proper sun protection of course!

Molly Wanner, M.D., M.B.A., is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in laser and cosmetic dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital and is an assistant professor in dermatology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Wanner conducts clinical and basic science research in the areas of cosmetic and laser dermatology. Her research interested include topical cosmetic products and laser and cosmetic devices.

Dr. Wanner has authored numerous scientific publications and is frequently used as a clinical expert source. Dr. Wanner is a board member of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Wanner also contributes to popular consumer media.

Merete Haedersdal, MD, PhD, DMSc is a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and director of the Danish Research Center for Skin Cancer. She is a visiting scientist at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, focusing on the project “Laser-Assisted Drug Delivery” in collaboration with Dr. R. Rox Anderson and his team. Dr. Haedersdal received her MD degree from the Medical School program of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and was authorized as a specialist in dermato-venereology in 2004. Dr. Haedersdal received her PhD degree in 1997 and became Dr. of Medical Science in 1999. Her theses covered aspects of side effects from dermatological laser procedures in animal and human experimental studies. Professor Haedersdal has published more than 250 scientific papers and lectures internationally. Her research team focuses on translational medicine in the field of lasers and energy-based devices in dermatology, imaging-guided procedures, fractional laser-assisted drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, and treatment of skin cancer with light-based devices in combination with topically applied drugs.

Jill S. Waibel, MD, practices as a board-certified dermatologist specializing in general dermatology, cutaneous laser surgery, and cosmetic dermatology for adults and children. She is in private practice in Miami, Florida, and Coral Gables, Florida. She is currently the medical director and owner of the Miami Dermatology and Laser Institute in Miami. Dr. Waibel is the subsection chief of Dermatology at Baptist Hospital. In addition, Dr. Waibel serves as a Clinical Voluntary Assistant Professor at the University of Miami. She is a world-recognized leader in dermatologic laser surgery and lectures worldwide to train other physicians. In her practice, she has over 40 laser devices and treats a wide variety of cutaneous diseases. Dr. Waibel is active in basic science clinical trials at the University of Miami and has a clinical trials division at Miami Dermatology and Research. One of Dr. Waibel’s primary passions is the treatment of scars by applying today’s latest cutaneous laser technologies. She has successfully developed industry-leading procedures and techniques with lasers, received numerous awards for her contributions to medicine, and published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and several textbook chapters. She was named “Person of the Week” on ABC World News Tonight in 2015 and was recently granted a Cutting Edge Research Grant by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to medicine, including an award given by Surgeon General Koop. The 2016 JDD Humanitarian Award has been given to Dr. Waibel for her innovative work in using lasers to treat patients with traumatic burn injuries. Dr. Waibel lectures, collaborates, and trains military physicians to help the wounded warriors. Dr. Waibel makes her home in Coral Gables with her husband and four children.

Arisa E. Ortiz, M.D. is the Director of Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology, and an Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of California, San Diego.  She received training in Mohs Micrographic Surgery at UC San Diego and also completed the prestigious cosmetic and laser fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Wellman Center for Photomedicine. Dr. Ortiz completed her dermatology residency training at UC Irvine and Beckman Laser Institute. She has authored over fifty publications and several book chapters. Dr. Ortiz also coedited a textbook on surgical reconstruction. She has presented at international and national conferences and is frequently an invited speaker at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). She is on the editorial board of the Journal of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine and has won several awards including the Top Doctors Award, and Exceptional Women in Medicine, ASLMS Best of Session Award for Cutaneous Applications, the ASLMS research grant, and the ASDS Cutting Edge Research Grant. Dr. Ortiz has also served as the President of the San Diego Dermatologic Surgery Society and is serving on the ASLMS Board of Directors. Her research interests are in laser treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer.

Dr. Daniel Yanes is a board-certified dermatologist practicing in Washington, DC, specializing in cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery. Born and raised in Ohio, Dr. Yanes graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and then completed his residency training in dermatology in the Harvard Combined Dermatology Program. He has special interest in the use of laser and energy-based devices for treatment of complex medical dermatologic conditions.

Dr. Nazanin Saedi is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, and she serves as Director of Laser Surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology. She graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. She completed her medical education at The George Washington University School of Medicine, where she graduated with distinction and with Alpha Omega Alpha honors. Dr. Saedi completed her dermatology residency at the University of California, Irvine, and she completed her fellowship training at SkinCare Physicians in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Dr. Saedi has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. She lectures nationally and internationally on laser surgery and cosmetic dermatology.

Dr. Kachiu Cecilia Lee, MD MPH is a distinguished board-certified dermatologist in Philadelphia, known for her expertise in chemical peels, lasers, and injectable treatments. She's a principal investigator in groundbreaking clinical trials and an expert speaker for the FDA. With over 120 peer-reviewed publications, she also authors key medical textbooks. Dr. Lee received her B.A and MD from Northwestern University, completed her residency at Brown University, and a prestigious photomedicine fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She's a sought-after educator, chemical-peel expert, and injectables trainer.

Dr. Mara Weinstein Velez is a board-certified dermatologist who completed a prestigious Laser, Cosmetic and Dermatologic Surgery fellowship at SkinCare Physicians in Boston with clinical faculty from the Harvard and Yale Departments of Dermatology. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and completed her Dermatology residency training at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Weinstein has been invited to present at national professional meetings, published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored chapters in dermatology textbooks. Her health and beauty advise is prominently featured in magazines such as TeenVogue, InStyle and Redbook. She has been working in clinical research for over 6 years and has participated in multiple clinical research studies for state-of-the-art laser devices, minimally invasive cosmetic treatments, and acne medications. She is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and the Director of Cosemtic and Laser Dermatology. She also serves as the DI officer for the Department of Dermatology at URMC.