The SOCS Public Education Committee
For this month’s Committee Corner, we are pleased to feature the Public Education Committee, (formerly known as Patient Education.)
Co-chaired by Drs. Heather Woolery-Lloyd and Oluwakemi Onajin, this busy and productive committee is dedicated to creating and disseminating high-quality educational resources tailored specifically for individuals with skin of color.
About the Committee
The committee develops materials that address the unique dermatologic needs, conditions, and concerns of the public, empowering them with knowledge for better skin health and well-being. By providing accessible and culturally relevant information, the committee aims to enhance awareness and understanding, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
The committee oversees the educational content for the My Best Winter Skin campaign, an initiative that raises awareness about winter skin health while promoting volunteerism and donations to the SOCS Foundation.
In addition, the committee recently assumed the responsibilities of the SOC Images Task Force, whereby it will oversee the Society’s relationship with the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), facilitating collaboration on the AAD Image Collection to ensure more inclusive visual representation. Further, the committee will focus on increasing the presence of skin of color images in educational materials, including medical textbooks and patient pamphlets. A key priority for the committee will be to examine how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can be leveraged to improve the quality and accessibility of educational resources and images.
Meet the Co-chairs
Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd is the Director, Skin of Color Division, Dr Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. A well-recognized expert in skin of color who lectures nationally and internationally, Dr. Woolery-Lloyd participates extensively in clinical research, serving as an investigator for clinical trials with an emphasis on increasing the inclusion of skin of color patients. A longtime SOCS leader, Dr. Woolery-Lloyd is also an active Academy member, where she was recently honored with the AAD's Presidential Citation for her commitment to education and research in skin of color dermatology.
Dr Woolery-Lloyd has worked with Dr. Onajin and their committee to make skin of color dermatology patient education more accessible and easier to understand, particularly on the updated SOCS website. “Providing reliable, accessible information on common dermatologic conditions in skin of color is an important mission of SOCS. This commitment to education is one of the reasons I find serving on the Public Education Committee to be so deeply rewarding,” she notes. Dr. Woolery-Lloyd adds, “Patient education is key to improving health outcomes. If you're passionate about empowering patients through education, consider joining our committee to help further our mission and impact!”
Dr. Onajin comments, “As co-chair of the Public Education Committee, I am committed to ensuring that individuals of all skin tones have access to accurate, culturally sensitive and empowering information about skin health. In an era marked by increasing political polarization, our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is more critical than ever. I urge SOCS members to continue to raise awareness about the disparities in dermatological care faced by people of color, and to advocate for policies that dismantle systemic barriers to dermatological care.”
Check out the Public Education section of the SOCS website!
The SOCS Scientific Committee
SOCS Scientific Committee Co-chairs, Drs. Crystal Aguh and Cesar Antonio Virgen
For this month’s Committee Corner, we are delighted to feature the SOCS Scientific Committee, co-chaired by Drs. Crystal Aguh and Cesar Antonio Virgen.
Under their dedicated leadership, this busy, highly engaged committee is responsible for planning and delivering the Skin of Color Society's Annual Scientific Symposium, happening on Thursday, March 6, 2025 in Orlando, FL.
About the Committee
The Scientific Committee is dedicated to advancing education for dermatologists, residents, and non-physician scientists on dermatologic conditions that specifically impact individuals with skin of color. Through these efforts, the committee aims to foster greater understanding, promote the latest research, and enhance the quality of care provided to this diverse patient population. The committee plays a key role in ensuring that the meeting serves as a platform for sharing knowledge and improving dermatologic practice for individuals with skin of color. In addition to the Symposium, the Committee is also charged with coordinating educational programming for ancillary meetings held at the World Congress of Dermatology (WCD) and the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV).
Dr. Aguh is an Associate Professor of Dermatology and Director of the Ethnic Skin Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her area of research focuses primarily on skin conditions that disproportionately impact minority populations, with particular emphasis on cicatricial alopecia. She has authored four books on hair loss and has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and given multiple national and international talks on these topics. Dr. Aguh is the recipient of numerous prestigious research awards & grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Skin of Color Society, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and the Dermatology Foundation.
Dr. Virgen is a board-certified dermatologist and Assistant Attending Physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, NY. As a member of the inaugural cohort of MSKCC Faculty Scholars, he is dedicated to advancing dermatologic care and research in oncology. His clinical and research interests include cutaneous lymphomas and supportive oncodermatology, striving to enhance patient outcomes through research and compassionate care.
Message from the Co-Chairs
Dr. Aguh: “It has been so much fun working with such a wonderful group of dermatologists who have contributed so much to help develop a program that we feel will be enjoyed by the entire SOCS community. I have also thoroughly enjoyed working with my co-chair, Dr. Cesar Virgen, and collaborating with him through this entire process.
This year, the committee has been working hard to develop a Symposium that will highlight improving equity as it pertains to scientific research and clinical outcomes within dermatology. We have assembled a stellar line-up of experts in clinical care and scientific discovery. We are so excited to welcome our keynote speaker this year, Dr. Uche Blackstock, who has been a leader in advocating for healthcare equity.”
Dr. Virgen: “I am deeply grateful to my co-chair, Dr. Aguh, and the entire Scientific Committee for their dedication and hard work in curating an outstanding program for the upcoming Symposium, Innovating for Equity. I would like to send a heartfelt thank you to our committee members, who meticulously reviewed over a hundred abstract submissions and to the SOCS judges who helped select the top iPosters. Our work extends beyond medicine and science—it is about representation, equity, and driving meaningful change in dermatology.”
Both co-chairs enthusiastically encourage you to register for the upcoming 21st Annual SOCS Scientific Symposium, a program not to be missed!
The SOCS Meeting the Challenge in Research Committee
SOCS Past Presidents Drs. Valerie D. Callender (left) and Valerie M. Harvey lead the Meeting the Challenge in Research Committee.
For this month’s Committee Corner, we are pleased to feature the SOCS Meeting the Challenge in Research Committee, co-chaired by two past presidents, Drs. Valerie D. Callender and Valerie M. Harvey. This important and highly productive committee leads efforts to improve representation and participation in dermatological research, with particular attention to clinical trials.
Formerly known as the Diversity in Dermatology Clinical Trials Task Force, the Meeting the Challenge in Research Committee was upgraded to committee status at this year’s Annual General Business Meeting in March 2025 and its name was changed to better reflect the full scope and impact of its work.
Meet the Co-Chairs
Widely known as a “dynamic duo,” Drs. Harvey and Callender have co-led this exciting initiative since its inception in 2022. With passion and purpose, they and their dedicated group of members have accomplished so much in the last few years to bring a big, bold vision to life.
Dr. Callender is Professor of Dermatology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC; Founder & Medical Director, Callender Dermatology & Cosmetic Center, Glenn Dale, MD.
Dr. Harvey is the Clinical Director, Hampton Roads Center for Dermatology, Newport News and Virginia Beach, VA.
The Committee’s Main Achievements
The Meeting the Challenge in Research Committee has made significant progress over the past three years, including successfully organizing two summits focused on addressing key issues in ensuring broad representation in clinical trials. These meetings have provided a platform to discuss important issues in dermatology, from reasons for poor representation to defining and categorizing research populations.
This year’s Summit will focus on outcome measures used in dermatology research, offering an in-depth discussion of existing gaps and solutions on how to address them to ensure that all patient experiences are accurately captured.
We invite you to attend this program, which will take place on December 5-6, 2025, at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. Act now to RSVP here!
The committee’s work has also been published in journals such as JAMA Dermatology, The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Archives of Dermatological Research. A Delphi Consensus on the criteria for a skin classification tool is currently being prepared for submission.
Additionally, under the co-chairs’ leadership, the committee is collaborating with The CHORD COUSIN Collaboration (C3), a global research organization dedicated to developing and implementing high-quality Core Outcome Sets. This collaboration aims to identify gaps in current dermatology outcome measures to ensure that they reflect the variety of clinical signs across different skin tones.
Drs. Callender and Harvey jointly express, “It has been a privilege to co-chair this committee alongside a talented group of dermatologists who are deeply committed to ensuring that all experiences are considered in the design and execution of scientific studies. This approach is critical to generating results that can be applied across the broader population.”
Call to Action
Drs. Callender and Harvey encourage SOCS members’ continued engagement with the committee’s work, and invite researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders to collaborate in advancing dermatologic research that truly reflects the full spectrum of patient experiences and ultimately optimizes patient care and their well-being.
Please upload LABELED files as a .zip OR upload multiple photos at once (max 50 images) if required, refresh page and send batch of files if you have more than 50.
Using this spreadsheet, record each image, identifying each file following this format:
SOCS_Your First and Last Name_Condition Shown_Skin Tone (light, medium or dark).
Once you have named your photos and put the corresponding entries within the sheet, please upload the completed sheet below.
(You will upload your photos in the final step 3)
*Make sure to submit before moving on to step 3*