R. Rox Anderson, MD, FAAD, receives Eugene J. Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin
MIAMI (March 7, 2010) —The American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) today awarded R. Rox Anderson, MD, FAAD, with the 2010 Eugene J. Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin at its 68th Annual Meeting. In conjunction with this award, Dr. Anderson also presented the Phillip Frost Leadership Lecture at the plenary session of the Academy’s Annual Meeting.
Dr. Anderson is a professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School in Boston and is the director of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Anderson’s award recognizes his tremendous advancements in laser technology. He conceived and developed dermatology’s most precise surgical instruments — selectively absorbed pulsed lasers. His work pioneered non-scarring treatments for vascular malformations (birth defects affecting arteries or veins) as well as a wide variety of skin conditions. He also invented and clinically introduced permanent laser hair removal, providing an important benefit to women with hirsutism, excessive growth of hair on the female face and body. Leading many collaborations, he developed laser tattoo removal and the concept of “fractional photothermolysis,” which is used in the treatment of photoaging, scars and melasma. Within the past five years, he co-developed a new strategy using polarized light analysis for rapid imaging of skin cancer margins, and co-invented the use of controlled tissue cooling to selectively and non-invasively remove body fat.
During the Phillip Frost Leadership Lecture, Dr. Anderson presented novel strategies for discovering new skin treatments. Also at the Annual Meeting, Dr. Anderson received the $15,000 Eugene J. Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin along with an additional $10,000 for the Phillip Frost Leadership Lecture. This award and lecture were made possible by a generous donation from Phillip Frost, MD, FAAD, emeritus clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine and former chairman of the dermatology department at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Fla. Dr. Frost named the award after his mentor, Eugene J. Van Scott, MD, FAAD, a recognized dermatology researcher, with whom he worked at the National Institutes of Health early in his career.
Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 16,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails. For more information, contact the Academy at (888) 462-DERM (3376) or www.aad.org.
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