We’ve partnered with the industry’s leading dermatologists and scientists to assist with development efforts at Revea. Our panel of experts, working in the cutting-edge world of bioinformatics, medicine, and formulation chemistry, lend their insight into our research and help shape our science education and messaging.
Meet Dr. Roxana Daneshjou
Revea Advisor, Dr. Roxana Daneshjou, a board-certified dermatologist and Standford Clinical Scholar, has dedicated her career to using machine learning and AI to remove bias in dermatology research and education. A frequent speaker at the American Academy of Dermatology, Dr. Daneshjou runs a research and clinical practice at Stanford Medical School. A daughter of Iranian immigrants, Dr. Daneshjou was the lead researcher on the Iranian Genomes Project, the first study on Iranian ancestry through whole genome sequencing. She’s also an active member of Education Under Fire, a global campaign to protest the Iranian Government’s policy of expelling Baha’is from universities.
Q & A With Dr. Roxana Daneshjou
We recently interviewed Dr. Daneshjou to learn more about her practice machine learning, and Revea’s technology. Here, in her words, is how technology is shaping the future of skincare.
Q: What influenced you to enroll in medical school and become a dermatologist?
A: I was interested in the ability to use science to advance our understanding of skin health. I was drawn to dermatology in particular because skin diseases are worn in an outward fashion. Meaning, they have a profound influence on how people view themselves and engage with society. I like the opportunity to help people treat those kinds of diseases. Additionally, many internal diseases can manifest on the skin. People may not know that something’s going on, but they’ll notice a skin change so it’s a great opportunity to help make diagnoses that may have gone unnoticed, otherwise.
Q: You’re focused on removing bias and increasing equity in skincare. Can you share why this is a huge issue for those not familiar?
A: There are existing health inequities and biases in the healthcare system. Even within dermatology, these disparities exist. For example, many of our educational materials are not representative – they don’t show diseases across diverse skin tones. This can influence how people learn to diagnose skin diseases. We need to tackle this issue at the root to improve health disparities, but it’s not a simple problem to solve. There are current issues with access to care and systemic inequities. From the point of view of being a dermatologist, there are very concrete steps that we can take, including improving educational materials and ensuring we have a diverse, representative workforce.
Q: AI and Machine Learning are often discussed as creating bias, but you want to use them to remove bias in skincare and dermatology. Can you elaborate?
A: Algorithms carry the biases that exist within the data and their creators. If we can work with diverse teams to develop algorithms on diverse data, we can remove some of the biases in diagnoses that exist by building models that perform more equitably across skin tones. This has to be undertaken in a very intentional way.
Q: More skincare brands are developing a science-based focus. Is the future of skincare, 100% tech-based? Would love to hear your thoughts!
A: Skincare needs to be based on science and ingredients that have been validated to work. We also need to use our understanding of precision medicine to tailor treatments to what people actually need because everyone’s skin is unique.
Q: Where, or how, do you see Revea’s technology fitting into your vision for the future of skincare?
A: Revea’s technology is about creating a precise map of what’s going on in the skin and using that information to decide on topicals and ingredients at the individual level. This must be validated over time to ensure that what we’re predicting will work, actually does. The technology also allows the opportunity to reassess whether there’s been empirical improvement in your skin condition after using Revea.
Q: As a dermatologist, are you seeing a rise in particular skin concerns you didn’t observe in the past?
A: Post-covid, many patients have been coming in with cases of hand dermatitis. Hand irritation has been common with the increased usage of hand sanitizers. I’ve also seen an increase in acne from mask use. Additionally, skin diseases often flare with stress, and the last few years have been stressful for many. People have rashes showing up post-covid as well, and hair loss has increased due to stress and post-covid telogen effluvium (where hair loss results after 3 months of any major illness). The issues I’ve seen in skin disease have been mostly due to the pandemic.
Dr. Daneshjou’s Parting Words: It’s exciting to be able to use precision medicine! I greatly admire Revea’s focus on ensuring this technology is accessible to all and takes into account diverse skin tones and types.
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