New Chair in Ethnodermatology role aims to help improve care for skin conditions in skin of colour
Dermatology patients with skin of colour are often left behind when it comes to understanding and care for skin conditions, including eczema. Recent data and patient input has illuminated that patients with skin of colour experience underdiagnosis due to the lack of familiarity of how eczema and other skin conditions present across the skin spectrum.
To help address this disparity, the University of Toronto medical school recently announced a new role that aims to support and improve care for dermatology patients with skin of colour.
The role, titled Chair in Ethnodermatology, was developed with financial support from AbbVie. It was established to support diversity in dermatology training and care, aiming to address equity gaps in dermatological research.
Dr. Marissa Joseph, a Toronto-based paediatric dermatologist, and frequent ESC medical contributor, spoke about this new position as part of the news announcement. She shared her thoughts on the new role in AbbVie’s recent press release on the funding support for this new role:
“Richly-pigmented skin is not the same in many ways — the biochemistry, biology and diseases that affect it are different,” says Dr. Marissa Joseph, assistant professor with U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and medical director of the RKS Dermatology Centre at Women’s College Hospital. “By not studying and learning the differences in presentation of disease in skin of colour, there’s an increased likelihood of misdiagnosis, treatment delays, and/or the application of inappropriate treatment approaches – all of which can have catastrophic impacts on patients. As a clinician and educator, I welcome the creation of the AbbVie Chair in Ethnodermatology and believe it can be a powerful catalyst for change.”
ESC commends the University of Toronto, Dr. Joseph, and AbbVie for their leadership in this important area of patient care, as atopic dermatitis and eczema are skin disorders that can vary significantly in presentation and treatment across the skin spectrum.
To learn more about this announcement, read AbbVie’s press release here.
