Scientific Advisory Board

Eric Bernstein, MD, is a distinguished practitioner, researcher and innovator in the fields of dermatology and laser surgery. He received his BS from Duke University and MD from the Yale University School of Medicine. Following fellowships with the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health and Hahnemann University, he joined Jefferson Medical College, where he directed a photobiology laboratory and served as the first director of the Laser Surgery Center.

His research on a molecular model of skin photoaging led to the development of his own firm, DakDak LLC, which performs in vitro phototoxicology testing for large pharmaceutical companies and pursues discovery of novel anti-aging and pharmaceutical compounds. Dr. Bernstein holds several U.S. and international patents, has authored over 40 peer-reviewed articles, and has given more than 150 presentations at scientific meetings. A board member of Candela Corporation, a leading manufacturer of medical laser systems, he also consults with numerous cosmetic and biotechnology firms. He currently serves as Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick is an innovative leader in Dermatology. In March of 2005 he was named Allure Magazine's "Physician Who Has Most Influenced Beauty" and was honored as the Sturge-Weber Society's 2005 "Physician of the Year." He was instrumental in the development of several medical lasers and laser procedures, including laser resurfacing of the skin with the UltraPulse CO2 laser. Dr. Fitzpatrick is the author of medical textbooks on laser surgery, as well as numerous scientific articles. He lectures all over the world and has trained thousands of physicians in laser techniques. His scientific interest in topical formulations to reverse photoaging led him to develop a unique skin care line, SkinMedica.

A Princeton University graduate, Dr. Fitzpatrick went on to Emory University Medical School where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society for academic excellence. Dr. Fitzpatrick completed his internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Southern California and attended the University of California at Los Angeles to complete his specialty training in Dermatology. Dr. Fitzpatrick's surgical interests led him into the field of laser surgery.

Board Certified by the American Board of Dermatology, he is a member of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. He served as President of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery in 2000-2001. He is also a member of the American Medical Association, the California Medical Association and the San Diego County Dermatologic Society.

Dr. Fitzpatrick is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Dermatology at UCSD School of Medicine. He is on the medical staff of Scripps Memorial Hospital , La Jolla and Encinitas.

Dr. Fitzpatrick is listed in "Best Doctors in America " and the National Directory of Who's Who in Executives & Professionals. The American Cancer Society recognized him as a "Volunteer of the Year". He is the recipient of the 2004 Leon Goldman Memorial Lectureship Award from the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery for integrity, dedication, and overall excellence in clinical laser research and services, and recipient of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery's 2005 Drake Ellet Lectureship Award. He is also the recipient of the Richard Webster Lectureship Award from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery in 2001, honoring his contributions to cosmetic surgery.

Roy G. Geronemus, M.D., Director of the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, graduated from Harvard University and pursued his medical education at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

He trained in dermatology at the New York University Medical Center where he was chief resident and subsequently underwent a fellowship training in Mohs micrographic surgery under the auspices of the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology. He is clinical professor of dermatology at the New York University Medical Center where he founded its laser program and served nine years as chief of dermatologic and laser surgery. He is also the Director of the skin/laser division in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary, Immediate Past President of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and President Elect of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Dr. Geronemus has been a featured speaker of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Society and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery for many years, as well as speaking to other national and international audiences. He has published over 165 medical articles, chapters, and books, including the most recent 2nd Edition of Illustrated Cutaneous and Aesthetic Laser Surgery. He has been involved with the development of several new laser systems and therapeutic techniques which are now commonly used throughout the world. He has been listed in New York Magazine's "Best Doctors in New York" nine times, twice in Woodward and White's "Best Doctors in America", and in Town & Country's "Best Cosmetic Surgeons".

Melanie C. Grossman, M.D., graduated from Princeton University and New York University School of Medicine. She interned at Yale University and completed a dermatology residency at Columbia University. She developed clinical and research laser expertise during a two-year fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital of Harvard University. Dr. Grossman is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery.

She is a clinical instructor of dermatology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and Assistant Attending at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center. In addition, she holds an appointment in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Grossman is a featured speaker for the American Academy of Dermatology. She has published and lectured nationally and internationally in the field of laser diagnostics and therapeutics. She is involved in the development of new applications in laser and photodynamic therapy, and she holds patents in these fields.

Dr. Suzanne Linsmeier Kilmer, a board certified dermatologist, is the Director of the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of Northern California. She received her M.D. degree and completed her dermatology residency at U.C. Davis Medical Center, then moved east for a one year clinical and research fellowship in laser surgery at Harvard Medical School's Wellman Laboratories of Photomedicine. She remained at Harvard as a faculty member for two years following her fellowship, researching Q-switched laser treatment of tattoos and pigmented lesions. In addition, she was involved in a burn debridement study using the rapidly pulsed CO2 lasers now popular for laser resurfacing. Upon returning home to Sacramento , Dr. Kilmer continued her research with Q-switched lasers at the laser center she founded. A principal investigator in the multicenter trials on UltraPulse skin resurfacing and laser hair removal, her research also involves skin cancer treatment with the CO2 UltraPulse, erbium lasers for laser resurfacing, and pulsed dye laser treatment of scars.

Chosen as one of the "Best Doctors in America" by her peers, she lectures internationally, has published numerous articles and chapters on cutaneous laser surgery, and is a frequent instructor of laser surgery to her peers. Dr. Kilmer is currently on the editorial review board for the Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, and the International Journal of Laser Surgery. She is past President of ASLMS's, chairs the Standards of Training and Finance committees, and has served as the Dermatology/Plastic Surgery co-chair, Poster Section chair, Laser Safety Officer and on the Board of Directors. She has been featured in Newsweek and Self Magazine where she was listed as one of the top ten laser surgeons in the country. Very active in the community, she has been honored with Outstanding Community Service Awards for the gang tattoo removal project, which she founded in 1993.

Dr. Zelickson grew up in the Twin Cities. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1982 and the Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1986. His post-graduate medical training included one year at the Hennepin County Medical Center and three years at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Medicine. In 1990, he received special training in immunoelectron microscopy under a fellowship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill .

Dr. Zelickson is currently a member of the faculty at the University of Minnesota Medical School's Department of Dermatology. He is also director of that department's Electron Microscopy Laboratory. He has been repeatedly named one of the Twin Cities "Best Doctors" by Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine.

Although he has extensive training in all aspects of dermatology, Dr. Zelickson's special medical interests include laser tissue interaction and teledermatology. He is nationally recognized for his accomplishments and contributions to laser medicine and surgery. He has published more than 30 medical journal articles in the field and currently serves on the Government Liaison/Blue Ribbon Committee for the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). He has also developed ASLMS course work that is used across the country to train other physicians in laser techniques.Although he has extensive training in all aspects of dermatology, Dr. Zelickson's special medical interests include laser-tissue interaction and teledermatology. He is nationally recognized for his accomplishments and contributions to laser medicine and surgery. He has published more than 40 medical journal articles in the field and currently serves on the Government Liaison/Blue Ribbon Committee for the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). He has also developed ASLMS course work that is used across the country to train other physicians in laser techniques.

Dr. Dover's interests are in general dermatology, laser medicine and cosmetic surgery. Dr. Dover graduated as the silver medalist, Magna cum Laude with an M.D. degree from the University of Ottawa. His dermatology training was received at the University of Toronto followed by research fellowships at St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin at the University of London in London , England , and a two-year photomedicine fellowship at the Beth Israel Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Dover was Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School , was Chief of Dermatology at the New England Deaconess Hospital for over ten years and also Associate Chairman of Dermatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center . He now directs SkinCare Physicians of Chestnut Hill and is Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Section of Dermatologic Surgery and Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Medicine (Dermatology) at Dartmouth Medical School.

Dr. Dover is the author of over 300 publications, including articles, reviews, and book chapters, as well as several instructional audio and videotapes. He has co-authored 10 textbooks, five on cutaneous laser surgery and cosmetic surgery; with Dr. Arndt Illustrated Cutaneous Laser Surgery: A Practitioner's Guide, Lasers in Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, Illustrated Cutaneous and Aesthetic Laser Surgery, Controversies and Conversations in Cutaneous Laser Surgery, and with both Drs. Arndt and Kaminer Atlas of Cosmetic Surgery, five other textbooks, two on general dermatology with Dr. Arndt; Pocket Guide to Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, and Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery: Self Assessment and Review, and two for lay individuals; Skin Deep: An A to Z of Skin Disorders, Treatments and Health , and the Encyclopedia of Skin and Skin Disorders, and the most recent Photoaging. Dr. Dover edits Journal Watch for Dermatology, a monthly abstracted journal by the Massachusetts Medical Society, publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine, and he is a member of numerous journal editorial boards.

Dr. Dover is the founding editor of Journal Watch Dermatology, produced by the publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine, and he is on the editorial board of the surgical section of the Archives of Dermatology, Dermatologic Surgery, The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Skin and Aging, The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, Acta Dermatolgica Croatica, and Laser Surgery Japan. He authored the American Academy of Dermatology Guidelines of Care for Laser Surgery. Dr. Dover has been course director, along with Drs. Arndt and Kaminer of many top rated Harvard Medical School courses and SkinCare Physicians Advanced Seminars over the past 2 decades.

Dr. Dover is an elected treasurer of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, and past president of the New England Dermatological Society. He has organized and directed numerous medical conferences, including the Atlantic Dermatological Conference, the annual Harvard Medical School Continuing Medical Education Cutaneous Laser Surgery Course, the Cosmetic Surgery Course and the Controversies in Cutaneous Laser Surgery Course, New England Dermatological Society didactic meetings, as well as numerous courses at the annual meetings of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery

He has received many honors including repeated nominations for "teacher of the year" at Harvard Medical School and the Leon Goldman Award of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Dover is listed as one of the best cosmetic surgeons in the U.S. by Town and Country and amongst the top dermatologists in multiple editions of Boston Magazine, The Improper Bostonian, Who's Who of American Medicine, Guide to Top Doctors, The Best Doctors in America.

Anthony J. Durkin is an Assistant Professor at the Beckman Laser Institute (BLI) at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Durkin’s research is focused on the development and application of optical techniques to interrogate living tissue in-vivo. Dr. Durkin is co-Director of the Wide-field Functional Imaging (WiFI) core within the Laser Microbeam and Medical Program (LAMMP) at the BLI with a commitment to developing and characterizing spatially modulated imaging. He is a member of the BLI Technology Transfer and Incubator committee and chair of the IT committee.
 
Prior to his arrival at the Beckman Laser Institute, Dr. Durkin was the Director of Bioscience at Candela Corporation from Jan. 1998 until Jan. 2001, where he worked on development of diagnostic and therapeutic applications of optical technologies to tissue. From 1995 through 1998, he conducted research in the Electro-optics branch, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Durkin holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering that was awarded in spring of 1995 from the University of Texas at Austin with emphasis on biomedical optics.
 
He has 10 issued patents and 9 patent applications in process. In addition to serving on the editorial boards of Applied Optics (Optical Society of America) and Journal of Biomedical Optics (SPIE), Anthony served as the Chair of the Division of Optics in Biology and Medicine for the Optical Society of America from 2003-2005.

Dr. A. Jay Burns serves as president of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, April 2006-2007. The Society has over 3,000 members representing more than 45 specialties and is a valuable resource for laser research, safety, education, and clinical knowledge.

Dr. Burns, who was born in Garland, Texas in 1955 studied for his Baccalaureate at Baylor University in Waco and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1977. He was voted "Outstanding Senior Man" in 1977 and "Outstanding Young Alumnus" in 1994. He received his Doctor of Medicine Degree at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and served his Internship for General Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah, from 1981 - 1982 under Frank Moody, M.D.

He served his residency in General Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah, from 1982 - 1986 under William Gay, Jr., M.D. He served his residency in Plastic Surgery from 1986 - 1988 at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, TX. under Fritz Barton, Jr., M.D.

Dr. Burns is Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery (expired) and the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, Inc. and has a teaching appointment at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center where he has served as an assistant professor since July of 1988. He also received a Fellowship (Vascular Anomalies) from July 1988 - October 1988 at Boston Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts under John B. Mulliken, M.D.

Jerome M. Garden, M.D., has devoted his medical career to the treatment of patients with lasers. Since receiving his medical degree, and dermatology training at Northwestern University Medical School, he has been constantly involved in laser therapy, research and patient care. He is currently a Professor of Clinical Dermatology at Northwestern University Medical School, and Director of the Physicians Laser and Dermatology Institute of Chicago. He is the author of numerous articles and chapters in the field of lasers in dermatology. He is also a frequent lecturer on these topics at national and international medical meetings. For many years he has been involved in the training of physicians in laser therapy. His areas of research and study include laser hair removal, tattoo removal, skin rejuvenation and pigment and vascular lesion therapy.

Dr. Garden has been privileged to be placed multiple times on such lists as: "The Best Doctors in America", "Top Doctors in America" and "The Best Doctors in Chicago". He has also been featured in national magazines, in addition to serving as President of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Dr. Moy was appointed to the California Division of Medical Quality by Governor Gray Davis in 2000. He is a practicing physician in private practice in Los Angeles. He serves as editor-in-chief of Dermatologic Surgery. He worked as co-chief and assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine’s Division of Dermatology. He has been on the Board of Directors of national organizations including the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and the Association of Academic Dermatologic Surgeons. He is a member and past President of the Los Angeles County Medical Association. Dr. Moy has published hundreds of scientific articles, given hundreds of scientific lectures, and has written several books on the topic of cutaneous and cosmetic surgery.

Dr. Moy earned his medical degree from the Albany Medical College of Union University in 1981.

Dr. Brian Biesman received his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Michigan where he graduated with high honors. He completed his Ophthalmology residency at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary before taking fellowship training in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York, NY. Upon completion of his fellowship, Dr. Biesman returned to Chicago where he served as Chief Resident.

Dr. Biesman then moved to Boston where he assumed the Directorship of the Eye Plastics Service and the Center for Aesthetic Eyelid and Facial Surgery at the New England Medical Center, and was an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine. Over the next four years he earned faculty appointments in the Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery at the New England Medical Center and the Divisions of Dermatology and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Biesman relocated to Nashville in 1998, and opened his own medical practice in 2002. He currently holds appointments as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and Dermatology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Biesman has spoken and taught on local, national and international levels regarding the use of surgery, lasers and other technology-based devices, Botox, and fillers for facial rejuvenation. He continues to perform cutting-edge research to develop and refine technology based cosmetic surgical treatments. He has authored numerous scientific papers and has written a textbook on the use of lasers in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Biesman is the President of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. He has served on the Executive Committee of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and has held leadership roles in many civic organizations. He has been named one of America’s Best Doctors since 2006.

Dr. Robert A. Weiss became President of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) in 2008. He completed a three year residency in dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University after graduating from Columbia University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Additional fellowship training at the National Institutes of Health in dermatologic research followed. Board-certified, he has been a featured speaker for the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery for many years, as well as speaking to many other national and international audiences and has received numerous awards. A prolific author, Dr. Weiss is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at Johns Hopkins. He has helped to prepare the rigorous examinations used to certify physician specialists through the American Board of Dermatology. He served as Treasurer of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, and was President of the American College of Phlebology (formerly the North American Society of Phlebology) from 1996 to 1998. He is a member of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. He has published extensively on many subjects, especially varicose vein treatment, sclerotherapy, lasers, and cosmetic dermatology surgery. His expertise on these topics has led to his appearances on many TV shows such as "20/20" and "The Today Show." One of his many textbooks is "Vein Diagnosis & Treatment: A Comprehensive Approach," published by McGraw-Hill in 2001.

Mathew M. Avram, M.D., J.D. is the director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center, one of the leading international centers for laser and aesthetic skin care. Dr. Avram is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School, where he is also Faculty Director for Procedural Training in the Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Avram is the Program Co-Chair of the 2010 American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) annual meeting in Phoenix Arizona. He is co-author of A Color Atlas of Cosmetic Dermatology published by McGraw-Hill and has published multiple papers in each of the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Lasers in Surgery & Medicine and Dermatologic Surgery as well as multiple chapters in leading dermatology textbooks. He is co-director of the MGH/Wellman Laser & Cosmetic Fellowship. He is an affiliate faculty member of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy and serves as Secretary of the American Society of Cosmetic and Laser Surgery Advisory Board. He serves on the Editorial Board of Lasers in Surgery & Medicine. In 2009, he served as Co-Chair of Cutaneous Laser Surgery Section of the annual ASLMS meeting. Dr. Avram has chaired seven national meetings and has spoken over 100 times at national and international meetings. Dr. Avram attended college at Princeton University and completed his dermatology residency training at Harvard, where he served as chief resident, Subsequently, he completed his Mohs micrographic surgery, laser & cosmetics fellowship at UCLA.