Lara Wine Lee, MD, PhD

September 2024

Lara Wine Lee, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor Dermatology and Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Wine Lee completed her general pediatrics residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia prior to her dermatology residency at the University of Pennsylvania. She subsequently completed fellowship training in pediatric dermatology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her research interests span general pediatric dermatology, with a focus on pediatric psoriasis, hemangiomas and vascular anomalies, as well as genetic skin disorders.

In recognition of her impactful work, Dr. Wine Lee was awarded the 2020 PeDRA Consensus Grant to develop guidelines for Capillary Malformation-Arteriovenous Malformation Syndrome. Additionally, she was a co-presenter for a PeDRA-sponsored webinar on recent advancements in epidermolysis bullosa research.

Dr. Wine Lee is actively involved in PeDRA, serving on the Patient Advisory Committee, Studies Committee, and Meetings Committee. For several years, she has co-chaired the NextGen Research Forum at the PeDRA Annual Conference, fostering collaboration among students and research fellows. Looking ahead, she will co-chair the 2025 PeDRA Annual Conference, continuing her leadership in advancing pediatric dermatology research.

The deadline to register for the 2024 PeDRA Annual Conference is 11:59PM PT on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Register today!

Diana Bartenstein Reusch, MD

August 2024

Diana Bartenstein Reusch, MD is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at UMass Chan Medical School, where she directs the epidermolysis bullosa clinic, is establishing a pediatric connective tissue disease clinic, and serves as assistant fellowship director. Dr. Reusch completed residency training at the Harvard Combined Residency Training Program followed by a pediatric dermatology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her research interests include epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and connective tissue disease, and she has been excited to engage in clinical trials for emerging EB therapies as well as other patient-centered clinical research. 

Dr. Reusch joined PeDRA in 2023. Since then, she has actively participated in PeDRA’s initiatives and has recently shared her expertise as a guest panelist on PeDRA Pub Club, a lively and insightful podcast series shing a light on recent PeDRA publications through a round table discussion with other PeDRA members. She is also a member of the Connective Tissue & Autoinflammatory Disorders Focused Study Group (FSG).

Indebted to all of her own PeDRA mentors, she currently serves as a mentor through the PeDRA Mentorship Program and will be our featured speaker at the upcoming 2024 Mentorship Mingle in October. PeDRA is currently accepting applications for the 2024-2025 PeDRA Mentorship Program and the deadline for mentors to apply is 11:59PM PT on August 31, 2024.

Hannah Chang

July 2024

Hannah Chang joins us as the new PeDRA Fellow and is currently a third-year medical student at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. In her role as PeDRA Fellow, Hannah provides support for our educational programs, the Board of Directors, and Annual Conference.

Hannah holds a background in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and has over four years of experience in pediatric dermatology research, particularly in atopic dermatitis. She was awarded a 2023 PeDRA Emerging Investigator Research Grant under the mentorship of Dr. Joy Wan and spent last summer at Johns Hopkins studying patient-reported outcomes in pediatric atopic dermatitis. Since joining PeDRA, Hannah has been actively involved in its initiatives, including presenting and volunteering at the PeDRA Annual Conference and participating in an atopic dermatitis advisory board with industry sponsors. Listen to Hannah’s Getting to Know You Interview to learn more about her research interests and path to pediatric dermatology.

In addition to her work in pediatric dermatology, Hannah serves as a senior manager at the Agape Dermatology Free Clinic at UT Southwestern and performs as a violinist in Heartstrings, an ensemble that gives monthly performances at local hospitals.

Jillian Rork, MD

June 2024

Jillian Rork, MD is a pediatric dermatologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire. Notably, she recently received an NIH grant for her project titled Down Syndrome and Psoriasis: An Investigation of Cardiometabolic Risk.

Dr. Rork devotes time to PeDRA as co-chair of the Down Syndrome subgroup of the Genetic Skin Disorders Focused Study Group; a member of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee; a mentor for the PeDRA Mentorship Program; and was the recipient of the 2023 Volunteer of the Year Award. Through a 2023 Emerging Investigator Research Grant, she mentored a research project with 2022-2024 PeDRA Fellow, Morgan Dykman. She has shared her expertise through various platforms, including contributing to a PeDRA Points of Discussion on the use of immune modulators in children with Down syndrome. Additionally, she co-presented a PeDRA Publication Presentation with a patient co-author, providing insights into treating hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) within the Down syndrome community from a patient perspective. View the publication here. Listen to Dr. Rork’s Getting to Know You Interview to learn more about her research and path to pediatric dermatology.

Looking forward, Dr. Rork will be a plenary speaker at the upcoming 12^th PeDRA Annual Conference, taking place October 24-26, 2024, in Phoenix, AZ.

Donglin Zhang, MD

May 2024

Donglin Zhang, MD recently received her medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and will be completing her dermatology residency at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Dr. Zhang is the host of PeDRA’s newest podcast program, PeDRA Pub Club, where she leads discussions with other pediatric dermatology researchers to shine a light on recent PeDRA publications. In each episode, listeners hear from a group of pediatric dermatology researchers at various stages of their training and careers talk about the impact the selected publications have on patients and families, as well as the pediatric dermatology field, and gain insight into publications relating to pediatric dermatology and learn what the research means for patients and providers.

She first became involved with PeDRA during her clinical research fellowship with the Department of Dermatology at University of Wisconsin, Madison. Additionally, she has worked with MedMoth, a storytelling group at MCW, to help others craft and share their stories. Through these platforms, she hopes to make dermatological research findings more accessible to patients and their families.

Milie Fang, DO

April 2024

Milie Fang, DO is a Dermatology Resident at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, OR. Her research interests include chronic inflammatory skin disorders and the impact of skin conditions on mental health and wellbeing.

Dr. Fang joined PeDRA in 2019 after attending her first PeDRA Annual Conference as a medical student. Since then, she has actively participated in PeDRA’s initiatives, including presenting at the virtual 2020 PeDRA Annual Conference. Recently she shared her expertise through a PeDRA Skill-Building Webinar providing a tutorial on Zotero, a valuable reference management software.

She currently serves as a mentor for trainees through the PeDRA Mentorship Program and spoke at the Spring 2024 Mentorship Mingle providing insights on self-coaching strategies tailored for early investigators. Furthermore, she is a valued member of the Early Investigators Committee. Learn more about Dr. Fang and her research through her Getting to Know You interview.

Irene Lara-Corrales, MD

March 2024

Irene Lara-Corrales, MD is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto and a Pediatric Dermatologist in the Division of Dermatology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada.

Most recently, she’s been championing Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) within PeDRA and the greater pediatric dermatology research community. She currently serves as a co-chair of the Acne/HS Focused Study Group (FSG), co-host of the recently launched PeDRA podcast series Unraveling HS: Exploring Hidradenitis Suppurativa Research, and participated in a dedicated Pediatric HS session at the 2024 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

Furthermore, she was the co-principal investigator for a 2022 Consensus Grant to provide guidelines for the Management of Reactive Infectious Mucocutaneous Eruption (RIME) in Children, and co-moderated two PeDRA Points of Discussions focusing on the safety of sunscreen for infants and the treatment of pediatric HS. Discover more about Dr. Lara-Corrales and her research through her Getting to Know You interview.

Silena L. Gaines

February 2024

Silena L. Gaines is a patient advocate for children with skin diseases, leveraging her extensive experience in healthcare and life sciences, particularly in clinical trial technology. As a mother of a child with eczema and a healthcare professional, she intimately understands the challenges of managing skin conditions in children and navigating treatment options. She is passionate about connecting people and caregivers of children diagnosed with severe eczema to clinical trials through education and advocacy.

She played a pivotal role on the steering committee for the recently concluded Eczema Counts project, a collaboration between PeDRA and the National Eczema Association (NEA). In this capacity, she represented the perspectives of patients and caregivers, offering valuable insights and suggestions to tailor the project to their unique needs. Stay tuned for a podcast on “How We Made It Count,” set to be released in early March on the PeDRA Pearls Podcast Channel.

If you’re a parent, advocate, or patient over the age of 18 with a direct connection or strong interest in childhood skin diseases or pediatric dermatology research, consider joining PeDRA as a Community Member – membership is FREE!

Elena Hawryluk, MD, PhD

January 2024

Elena Hawryluk, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School, where she serves as the Director of Pediatric Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Faculty Director of Pediatric Dermatology for the Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency Program, and also sees patients at Boston Children’s Hospital. 

Dr. Hawryluk studies pediatric melanoma and pigmented lesions. She attended her first PeDRA meeting in 2013 and her career and research interests have been supported by PeDRA.  She was the recipient of the first Career Bridge Research Grant, a 2019 PeDRA Research Grant, and a 2017 PeDRA Pilot Grant. Check out the PeDRA Publications page to view her published studies.

In addition to her current role as chair of the Early Investigators (EI) Committee, she serves on the Meetings Committee and Executive Committee, is an active member of the Skin Tumors and Reactions to Cancer Therapies (STARC) Focused Study Group (FSG), and is a longtime mentor for the PeDRA Mentorship Program. Furthermore, she has co-presented a PeDRA Webinar on Catalyzing Your Research from Idea to Action, a PeDRA Points of Discussion on The Use of Laser Therapy for the Treatment of Congenital Melanocytic Nevi in Children, and an SPD/PeDRA Virtual Journal Club discussion.

Angel D. Pagan Gonzalez, MD

December 2023

Angel D. Pagan Gonzalez, MD is the recipient of a 2021 PeDRA Research Fellowship. During his research fellowship at the Mount Sinai Department of Dermatology and Laboratory for Inflammatory Skin Diseases, he completed many research publications and the PeDRA Publication Presentation, “Dupilumab Improves Clinical Scores in Children and Adolescents with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis.” The PeDRA Research Fellowship has contributed to his professional development since, providing ample opportunities for research and mentorship.

He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Ponce Health Sciences University and his passion for dermatology research has led him to collaborate with esteemed institutions including the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, has received prestigious awards such as the American Academy of Dermatology Diversity Mentorship Grant, and has published in many high-impact factor journals including the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

His research interests include inflammatory skin diseases, skin pigmentation disorders, and novel therapeutics. He actively participates in free clinics, organizes skincare donations for local hospitals, and coordinates the AAD Good Skin Knowledge event in his community. His research works can be accessed here.

Fonette Fonjungo

November 2023

Fonette Fonjungo is a fourth-year medical student at Meharry Medical College. Raised in a Cameroonian-American family, her cultural roots fueled her passion for public health and community enrichment. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Syracuse University and a Master of Biomedical Science from Rutgers University School of Graduate Studies. While completing her graduate degree, Fonette was selected as a USAID Research Fellow and briefly moved to Indonesia to work with scientists and members of the Ministry of Health on vaccine implementation strategies for middle-income countries. This project subsequently supported the national mobilization of the COVID-19 vaccine in Indonesia. These international experiences deepened her dedication to cultural exploration and improving healthcare access.

Focused on health equity in dermatology, Fonette dedicated a year of her medical education to pilot a digital remote skin monitoring tool with Dr. Eleni Linos at Stanford Dermatology. She was awarded a Travel Scholarship to attend the 11^th PeDRA Annual Conference.and presented at the 2023 NextGen Research Forum, highlighting the utility of digital remote monitoring tools in the longitudinal management of infantile hemangioma. In her final year of medical school, Fonette maintains her commitment to addressing the needs of communities with limited access to dermatological care. Her research interests include exploring the biochemical impact of anxiety and depression on skin diseases and investigating their effects on pediatric quality of life, family dynamics, and treatment outcomes. Upon graduation, Fonette is eager to provide holistic patient care and collaborate in research that enhances the delivery of evidence-based medicine to underserved communities.

Colleen Cotton, MD

October 2023

Colleen Cotton, MD is a pediatric dermatologist in the Division of Dermatology at Children’s National Hospital and assistant Professor of dermatology and pediatrics at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Cotton joined PeDRA in 2014 as one of the first PeDRA Fellows under the mentorship of PeDRA’s first Executive Director, Sheila Rittenberg. In addition to her current role as vice chair of the Acne/HS Focused Study Group, she is the co-chair for the Early Investigator Forum and a featured speaker for the Mentorship Mingle Session at the upcoming 11^th PeDRA Annual Conference. Furthermore, Dr. Cotton will be the co-chair for the upcoming HS Podcast Series.

To learn more about Dr. Cotton and her research, check out her Getting to Know You episode and recent interview from the 2023 Annual Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances.

Lisa Arkin, MD and Esteban Fernandez Faith, MD

September 2023

Lisa Arkin, MD is the Director of Pediatric Dermatology, an Associate Professor of Dermatology & Pediatrics, and a Co-Director of the Birthmarks and Vascular Anomalies Center (BVAC) at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Her research focuses on vascular anomalies and auto inflammatory diseases in children. She is particularly interested in targeted approaches to facial port wine birthmarks leveraging novel imaging and genetics. In the realm of autoinflammatory disease, she has fostered collaborations between pediatric dermatologists and rheumatologists to better understand natural history, validate disease severity, and standardize treatment regimens to improve outcomes for patients with cutaneous lupus, morphea and dermatomyositis.

Esteban Fernandez Faith, MD is Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology at the Ohio State University. He is Program Director of the Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and a member of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance and the Hemangioma Investigator Group. His academic and research interests include vascular anomalies, laser surgery and medical education.

Dr. Arkin and Dr. Fernandez Faith are the co-chairs of the upcoming 11th PeDRA Annual Conference, and they recently joined us for a special Getting to Know You episode to dive into all things Conference and share their favorite memories over the past years. The Conference takes place November 9-11, 2023 in Atlanta, GA and registration closes on October 26, 2023.

Jeff Yu, MD

August 2023

Jeff Yu, MD is an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the Director of the Occupational and Contact Dermatitis clinic where he has developed an expertise in patch testing children for allergic contact dermatitis. He is also the Associate Director of Clinical Trials where he is engaged in the development of novel therapeutics for various pediatric dermatologic diseases ranging from alopecia areata to vitiligo.

He is an active member of PeDRA, and has been a mentor and mentee through the PeDRA Mentorship Program, a member of the EI Committee, and is currently serving on the Outcomes and Meetings Committees, as well as a member of the Steering Committee for Eczema Counts, a project supported by an Engagement Award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Dr. Yu is an avid runner and participates in races all year long to support research and organizations making a difference in the lives of children. Most recently, he was selected to serve as the next president for the American Contact Dermatitis Society.

Together with Beth Drolet, MD, he will be co-leading the Early Investigator Forum at the 11^th PeDRA Annual Conference, where they’ll share their expertise on networking and grant preparation. Residents, pediatric dermatology clinical fellows, and early investigators who are less than seven years out of training are eligible to register for this exciting session.

Diana Zarowin

July 2023

Diana Zarowin is a fourth-year medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. An active member of PeDRA, she’s the recipient of a 2022 PeDRA Research Fellowship under the mentorship of James Treat, MD and a 2023 PeDRA Emerging Investigator Research Grant with Brittany Craiglow, MD. Her pediatric dermatology interests include, but are not limited to, medical education surrounding skin of color and disability patients, vascular anomalies, and hair disorders.

While shadowing Dr. Craiglow, Diana experienced an inspiring patient encounter when an ‘Alopecia Barbie’ was gifted to a pediatric patient. Knowing more could be done with these toys, she reached out to Mattel Inc., the creators of Barbie, to explore a giveaway partnership with the well-known brand. A  few weeks later, 300 lbs. of medical representation Barbies – ‘Vitiligo Barbie & Ken’ and ‘Alopecia Barbie’ – were delivered to Diana’s home and the Barbie Like Me campaign was born. Diana has been disseminating these special Barbies throughout clinics in the Northeast and they will be given out this summer at Camp Discovery. If you are interested in learning more or receiving products, please email Diana.

Francesca Tenconi, MBA

June 2023

Francesca Tenconi is the Founder and Executive Director of the Children’s Skin Disease Foundation (CSDF). When Francesca was 11 years old, she was diagnosed with pemphigus foliaceus, a rare skin disease. Today, she uses her unique insights from this ordeal to help other children. She currently serves as the chair of the PeDRA Patient Advisory Committee (PtAC) and recently joined PeDRA in DC to bring the patient perspective to Corporate Council and contribute actively in getting patients involved in the research process. She also spoke with NIH about the history of the PtAC and the role PeDRA plays in the research process.

CSDF runs Camp Wonder, providing a place where children get to be kids, without the burden of their disease taking center stage. Camp Wonder’s unique approach allows children to put their childhood first and gives their parents and siblings a much-needed rest from doctor’s appointments, sleepless nights, and all the other challenges that come with skin disease. At Camp Wonder children participate in “normal” camp activities, including swimming, arts and crafts, games, dances, and so much more all while under the care of fantastic camp staff and medical professionals. Check out our Community Spotlight featuring CSDF to learn more about Francesca and this incredible non-profit.

If you’re a parent, advocate, and/or patient over the age of 18 with a direct connection or significant interest in childhood skin disease or pediatric dermatology research, you can join PeDRA as a Community Member – it’s FREE!

Reid Oldenburg, MD, PhD

May 2023

Reid Oldenburg, MD, PhD is a Dermatologist and Assistant Professor of Dermatology at UC San Diego Health. While he’s busy in his new role as an attending physician, he continues to stay actively involved in PeDRA by serving on the Grants Committee, Early Investigators Committee, and as a mentor for the Mentorship Program.

During his residency, Dr. Oldenburg was the recipient of a 2020 PeDRA Research Grant. His current project involves studying the immunopathogenesis of severe cutaneous adverse reactions, which includes reactive infectious mucocutaneous eruptions and drug induced hypersensitivity syndromes. This involves collecting patient blood samples prior to any treatment, during treatment and upon recovery. They use multiplex cytokine profiling, single cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and flow cytometry to maximize data acquisition from patient samples. By understanding the pathogenesis and immune dysregulation, his team hopes to facilitate the selection of targeted therapies in clinical trials and the development of consensus guidelines for treatment of these serious diseases. Learn more about Dr. Oldenburg and his research here.

Brenda Abreu Molnar

April 2023

Brenda Abreu Molnar was interviewed by @HCPLive® to discuss her experiences managing both clinical and bench research to study treatment options for epidermolysis bullosa (EB) patients.

Brenda is currently a gap year medical student. She is a PeDRA Mentorship Program mentee and a member of several collaborative PeDRA Focused Study Groups (FSGs), including the Acne/HS FSG, Psoriasis FSG, Neonatal FSG, and Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders FSG. Watch the interview to learn more about Brenda’s work.

Morgan Dykman

March 2023

Morgan Dykman is a third-year medical student at the University of Minnesota and our current PeDRA Fellow. As the PeDRA Fellow, she is fortunate to have many opportunities, including representing PeDRA at meetings and events. She recently attended the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting and shares her experience as a first-time attendee.

Read Morgan’s recap of AAD here, view her experience through photos and videos on PeDRA’s Instagram in the events highlight, and learn more about Morgan on Getting to Know You.

Maria Teresa García-Romero, MD, MPH

February 2023

Maria Teresa García-Romero, MD, MPH was interviewed by @HCPLive® to discuss her team’s recent development of the Morphea Activity Measure (MAM), a clinical tool designed for determining pediatric localized scleroderma (morphea).

Watch the interview to learn more about Dr. García-Romero’s work and check out the publication to learn more about this study.

Amy Paller, MD and Andrea Rustad

January 2023

Two of our dedicated PeDRA members, Amy Paller, MD and Andrea Rustad, fourth-year medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, recently published a children’s book, Skin-Vincible, in collaboration with the Foundation for Ichthyosis & Related Skin Types. Through the experiences of its main character, Cece, this book addresses skin differences and how to cope with bullies.

Watch our interview with the authors to learn how this book was made and why it’s an important tool for parents, teachers, and children in addressing bullying and differences.