2nd Canadian Skin Research Conference - 2025

Dr. Drucker is a dermatologist and researcher focusing on epidemiology and evidenced-based treatment of skin disease. Through his research, Dr. Drucker aims to improve the lives of people with or at risk for inflammatory and neoplastic skin disease by evaluating risk factors, comorbidities, health service utilization and evidence-based treatments.

Dr. Drucker’s research is currently helping patients and clinicians navigate new treatments available for eczema (atopic dermatitis). This is an exciting time for individuals with eczema as there are many new treatments being studied to help those with more severe disease, where topical treatments are not enough. Dr. Drucker leads an international team conducting a living network meta-analysis of systemic immunomodulatory treatments for eczema. Through EczemaTherapies.com, this team is committed to providing the most up-to-date information on treatments for eczema to share with patients and clinicians.

Dr. Drucker is also focused on the safety of medications used in dermatology, particularly in older adults. He is currently studying potential adverse effects of topical and oral steroids used for people with eczema and is conducting a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funded study to evaluate the safety of biologic medications for older adults with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Dr. Sampath Loganathan received his Ph.D. from University of Alberta under the supervision of Dr. Joe Casey, Department of Biochemistry. In 2015, he joined the lab of Dr. Daniel Schramek as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto. He studied Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) using CRISPR based mouse models, ultra-sound guided lenti-viral injections, functional genomic tools and identified several novel tumor suppressors in HNSCC.

In his lab, he utilizes the in vivo CRISPR methodology in mouse models of HNSCC and investigate oncological mechanisms that drive the HNSCC with the ultimate goal of developing novel drug targets to treat this deadly cancer. In collaboration with other faculty members in Head and Neck Surgery department, Cancer Research Program, RI-MUHC and Goodman Cancer Research Centre, he focuses on:

1) Establishing HNSCC mouse models of novel tumor suppressors

2) Investigating drug targets from GPCR superfamily using in vivo CRISPR screening in HNSCC mouse models and

3) Utilizing patient-derived xenograft models to study drug targets and oncological mechanisms in HNSCC

Dr. Lefrançois is the Director of Research in the Division of Dermatology at McGill University. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, and of Surgery. He is a full-time staff dermatologist at the Jewish General Hospital where he is actively involved in multidisciplinary skin cancer clinics and tumor boards. He is an investigator at the Lady Davis Institute where he established a broad skin cancer biobank and a skin cancer translational genomics laboratory. He leads the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centre Network initiatives on basal cell carcinomas and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. He is a member of the Réseau Recherche Cancer - Québec, and Québec Cancer Consortium. He co-chairs SkIN Canada’s Translational Research Committee. His research program is supported by the JGH Foundation, LDI, TFRI-MOHCCN, FRQS, Cancer Research Society, Canadian Dermatology Foundation/CIHR, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Montreal Dermatology Research Institute, SkIN Canada, and CQDM. His translational activities include collaborations with biotechs to bring novel cancer therapeutics and diagnostics to pre-clinical and phase I studies, for all skin cancers - advanced and localized. Dr. Lefrançois holds a Ph.D. from Yale University, and a M.D. from Université de Montréal. He completed his dermatology residency at McGill. His work on skin cancers has been recognized by the Canadian Dermatology Association and the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dr. Abuabara studies the impact of inflammatory skin disease on overall health and the role of the skin in the aging process. Her interdisciplinary scientific approach combines genomic, physiological, environmental, and psychosocial variables to understand patient outcomes over time. Her goal is to develop truly personalized interventions that address both the pathophysiological and sociocultural aspects of disease to improve the lives of patients.

Dr. Chandan K. Sen, PhD, FNAI, is a distinguished figure in regenerative medicine and wound care. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Sen is a University Endowed Professor of Surgery and directs the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. He also serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Life Sciences Innovation and Commercialization at the University of Pittsburgh. With a career spanning over three decades, Dr. Sen's research has been instrumental in developing innovative solutions for tissue injury, regeneration, and infection management. Notable breakthroughs include pioneering technologies such as tissue nanotransfection (TNT) and electroceutical infection management. TNT achieves non-viral skin tissue reprogramming in vivo. Dr. Sen is the current vice-chair and chair-elect of the national NIH-funded Diabetic Foot Consortium. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Wound Care and Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. Dr. Sen's contributions have earned prestigious recognitions, including the 2014 Science & Humanity Award from the Oxygen Club of California @ UC Davis, 2014 Tocotrienol Research Pioneer, 2014 Mark Bieber Award of the American College of Nutrition, 2016 Frost & Sullivan Award for New Product Innovation, 2018 Edison Award for Innovation, Distinguished Professor at Indiana University and Indiana University Bicentennial Medal. With an extensive publication record, Dr. Sen’s work has been cited over 53000 times in the literature with current H-index 116.

Dr. Takeshita’s research program is dedicated to identifying, understanding and eliminating health and healthcare disparities related to dermatologic diseases, particularly chronic inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and acne. She uses quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research techniques to study health disparities and has authored many scientific publications on the topics of racial/ethnic health and healthcare disparities in psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and acne; psoriasis comorbidities; and comparative effectiveness research in psoriasis. Dr. Takeshita is a recipient of an Outstanding New Investigator Award from the National Psoriasis Foundation, a Young Investigator Award from the American Academy of Dermatology, and a Young Physician-Scientist Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation. She is a recipient of grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Dermatology Foundation, the National Psoriasis Foundation and the National Eczema Association.

Topic: Day-to-day life of a clinician scientist

Mike is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and General Internist at Sinai Health System and University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto. He completed his PhD at the intersection of epidemiology and machine learning, and his lab has extensive experience developing and implementing machine learning models (fralicklab.com). Of all his jobs, his favourite job is being a dad.

Topic: Applications of AI in dermatology research and clinical fields

Dr. Wongvibulsin is at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) Program. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Medical Scientist Training/MD-PhD Program, where she conducted research in computational medicine as part of the Hopkins Individualized Health Initiative.

She received numerous awards, including the Dermatology Foundation Dermatologist Investigator Research Fellowship, Skin of Color Society Early Career Innovation Award and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) F30 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, and has been recognized as a distinguished scholar through the Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program as well as the Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Her current research interests include precision dermatology, augmented intelligence (AuI), and digital health. She is an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) AuI Committee and the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) Enterprise Imaging Committee. She is especially passionate about educating both patients and dermatologists on AuI, including the potential benefits as well as the challenges and risks of these technologies.

Natalie Kermany is a Policy & Planning Analyst at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and is passionate about advocating for patients living with skin conditions. She is currently the Patient Research Partner (PRP) for the Training Committee of SkIN Canada, and has also served as a Grant Reviewer and Symposium Speaker for the Canadian Skin Patient Alliance (CSPA). Natalie has lived experience with a variety of skin conditions, including vitiligo, lichen planus, acne, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, eczema, and cold/heat urticaria. She is especially interested in bringing awareness to the mental health impacts that skin patients experience, and increasing available treatments for skin patients of colour.

Rachel Boehm is the Executive Director of Hospice Halifax and a Certified Health Executive with over 15 years of leadership experience in Mental Health and Addiction services in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. She is passionate about advancing awareness and support for individuals living with chronic skin conditions.

Rachel has lived with eczema since her late teens and currently manages severe, persistent hand eczema and multiple environmental allergies. Despite trying a wide range of treatments—including UV therapy, immunotherapy, and both conventional and homeopathic approaches—she continues to face daily challenges with pain, inflammation, and itch. She also experiences scalp eczema and sinus issues due to severe allergies to dust, ragweed, and grass.

As a mother of four, two of whom also have eczema, Rachel brings a strong patient and caregiver perspective to her advocacy. She is committed to improving treatment options and quality of life for those living with chronic skin conditions.