Honorary Awards

What does receiving these awards mean to you? 
Melanie Grossman was a wonderful innovator, clinician and teacher. I was very lucky to get to know her a little bit. Receiving an award in her name drives me to live the values and activities that were important to her. Also, the women who have received this honor in the past are incredibly accomplished and amazing and I am humbled and thankful to be included in this group. I was not fortunate enough to know Dr. Drake, but he collaborated with colleagues to start the ASLMS, a society that has been incredibly helpful in my career and life, and I am so appreciative for this honor.

You will deliver two award presentations at the conference, “Collaboration is a Key“ and “Discover, Teach, Heal:  A Tribute and a Call.” Can you share some of the highlights of your talks?
I wrote these talks to honor the people for which the awards are named and to highlight some of the values that they embodied during their life. I will talk a little bit about my experiences and hope to inspire and encourage others to take advantage of all the ASLMS and the annual meeting have to offer. I want to encourage others to look for opportunities to Discover, Teach and Heal and to Collaborate with the wonderful members of the society during the meeting and beyond.

What highlights in your background have contributed to who you are today? 
I have been very lucky to come from an incredibly supportive and loving family, to have found a wonderful husband and to raise three amazing daughters who are now women finding their way to make the world better. From a professional standpoint, the ASLMS has served a very important role in my career, helping me to make connections, providing me leadership opportunities and giving me access to new technologies, techniques and ideas. I attended my first meeting when I was a fellow immediately after my residency year and I have come back every year.

How has your involvement with ASLMS contributed to your career? 
I have loved my involvement with the ASLMS. In addition to the above, I have many friends that I first met through the ASLMS. I look forward to seeing them at every meeting and catching up on the events of the last year.  

Why should young researchers and clinicians become involved with ASLMS?
The ASLMS gives young researchers and clinicians many opportunities. The society is the perfect size for providing opportunities for early career individuals to get to interact with leaders in the energy-based world including clinicians, scientists and industry representatives. There are wonderful leadership opportunities for those in all stages of their career. The annual meeting and the journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine and programming throughout the year provide the best opportunity to hear and discuss the most current energy-based treatments and devices.

What is something members may not know about you?
This year, I am a fellow in the Executive Leadership Academy for Medicine. It is an intense year and I applied so I can be the best leader I can and to find opportunities where I can help others, especially women, earlier in their career.

What does receiving this award mean to you? 
I am very honored to receive the Caroline and William Mark Memorial Award, which is given in memory of Caroline and William Mark, who were pivotal in the formation of The American Society, and I am really happy to experience that members of the Society found my work in the field of laser dermatology has been of importance.

You will deliver your award presentation, “Femtosecond Lasers in Dermatology,“ at the conference. Can you share some of the highlights of your talk?
The femtosecond laser is the newest type of laser in experimental dermatology. It allows us to rethink possible laser - tissue interactions. The unique process of two-photon excitation of skin chromophores may take place due to the extremely high power of the femtosecond laser pulses. Two near-infrared photons may interact and excite skin chromophores that normally only are excited by blue light. This may become important for photodynamic therapy where a deep penetration of the near-infrared light is combined with Soret band absorption of specific chromophores.

What highlights in your background have contributed to who you are today? 
My interest in dermatology has always been paired with a profound interest in physics and new medical technologies, and with the advent of lasers and energy-based devices in dermatology in Denmark in 1980, I became the first full-time laser dermatologist in this country. 

How has your involvement with ASLMS contributed to your career? 
From the start of my career, ASLMS has provided me with a great professional network and many friends, and LSM has been an immense source of clinical and scientific information for me.

Why should young researchers and clinicians become involved with ASLMS?
ASLMS is the leading source of knowledge in this field and provides opportunities for valuable personal contacts between clinicians, scientists, and industry.

What is something members may not know about you?
I was awarded a Knighthood by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark for my contribution to laser dermatology in Denmark.

What does receiving this award mean to you? 
I feel very honored to receive an award named after Dr. Horace Furumoto. I met him only a few times and know him mostly through the contributions he made. He is someone I admired early on in my career. 

You will deliver your award presentation, “Thirty Years of Aesthetic Devices,” at the conference. Can you share some of the highlights of your talk?
The industry has gone through a significant evolution. When I first came to ASLMS there was no aesthetic device industry. Certainly dermatology devices, as well as ophthalmic, and surgical. The society was promoting the new use of lasers. My involvement with aesthetic devices started with the development of the Ultrapulse laser and transitioning it from laparoscopic gynecology to skin resurfacing device. There has been an explosion of technology and applications since.

What highlights in your background have contributed to who you are today? 
Education as a physicist, and mentors and people I’ve worked with.  I have been fortunate to have worked for, and with, some amazing people and the opportunities they have provided have been valuable, many of whom are involved with ASLMS.

How has your involvement with ASLMS contributed to your career? 
Interfacing with faculty and staff, and too many people who have contributed to my career to mention here. Multidisciplinary opportunities and technologies to address issues that can be addressed with medical devices. 

Why should young researchers and clinicians become involved with ASLMS?
If you are a young researcher ASLMS is the one conference you can meet people who will influence your career, and the range of technologies and unique solutions presented will give you insight into solving challenges you will face. 

What is something members may not know about you?
I like traveling to interesting places, read about history, and still study physics. I am a dog lover, have two grown kids, and live with my wonderful wife Susan in Arizona.

What does receiving this award mean to you? 
I am honored to be nominated and to receive the Horace Furumoto Distinguished Contributor Award. I am encouraged that some of my endeavors aimed at expanding the understanding of the interaction between energy-based devices and human tissue are considered valuable by other members of the Society.

You will deliver your award presentation, “The Journey From Fractional Epidermal Injuries To Laser-Induced Optical Breakdown Induced Epidermal Cavities,” at the conference. Can you share some of the highlights of your talk?
Collaboration between scientists and physicians led to the serendipitous discovery of cavities in human epidermis produced by laser-induced optical breakdown initiated with a fractionated picosecond Alexandrite laser. 

What highlights in your background have contributed to who you are today? 
My undergraduate and graduate education in physics included extensive training in mathematics and mathematical modeling. For me, an important aspect in most projects is the development of a quantitative understanding of the relationship between the energy-based device parameters and the desired biological effect.

How has your involvement with ASLMS contributed to your career? 
Cooperation with physicians and scientist members of the ASLMS aimed at innovation based on mathematical modeling supported by clinical insight has led to the development of a few novel energy-based devices.

Why should young researchers and clinicians become involved with ASLMS?
ASLMS facilitates a unique environment for cooperation between young and experienced researchers and clinician members.

What is something members may not know about you?
I have a wonderful wife and a seven-year-old daughter. 

What does receiving this award mean to you? 
I am truly inspired by Dr. Horace Furumoto’s scientific achievements, vision, and lasting impact in the aesthetic laser industry. This award is a recognition of our work over the last nine years as a young investigator. This is a reminder of striving to make a lasting impact in the field through innovative science and translational technologies.

You will deliver your award presentation, “Nano-Biophotonic Tools for Neuroscience and Brain Therapeutics (NanoBrain),“ at the conference. Can you share some of the highlights of your talk?
Certainly! I will share our recent work on utilizing laser and nanomaterials to develop several exciting tools for the brain. First, I will share how we developed “opto-vesicles”, light-sensitive nanovesicles, that can be locally triggered to release molecules of interest to study brain physiology including neurotransmission and barriers for therapeutic delivery. Second, I will show our work on “optoBBB”, a new method to optical control the blood-barrier permeability with unprecedented spatial resolution. We will share our attempts to use this method to deliver therapy into the brain and spinal cord.  

What highlights in your background have contributed to who you are today? 
The interdisciplinary training has given me unique perspectives. I had the opportunity to work with excellent mentors in bioengineering, materials science, and chemistry and learn to lead teams with experts from different fields.

How has your involvement with ASLMS contributed to your career? 
I have known colleagues in the ASLMS who have helped me along the way, including Dr. Guillermo Aguilar, who nominated me for the award, and look forward to more involvement with ASLMS through this opportunity. 

Why should young researchers and clinicians become involved with ASLMS?
ASLMS offers a great platform for scientists, engineers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs to pursue translational work. Dr. Horace Furumoto is a great example of impacting medicine with his entrepreneurial career. We have immense opportunities to work with the ASLMS community to develop and translation impactful technologies for medicine.

What is something members may not know about you?
Outside work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, staying fit, and reading some history. 

What does receiving this award mean to you? 
I’m honored to be chosen as an Honorary Recipient for the ASLMS Laser Nursing/ Allied Health Award. Receiving this award is a meaningful and significant achievement. As a recipient of this award, I have an obligation to continue to serve as an advocate for the Nursing/Allied Health community.

What highlights in your background have contributed to who you are today? 
This accomplishment is not something I did alone. Success can only be achieved with the help and support of others. It is an honor and privilege to be recognized by colleagues and mentors, Eric Bernstein, MD, MSE, and Rebecca Sprague, NPC. This award marks a moment of achievement for my personal and professional growth.

How has your involvement with ASLMS contributed to your career?
My dedication to my professional development as an active member of ASLMS for the past 18 years, my role as the Nursing/Allied Health Course Director, my appointment to the ASLMS Board of Directors, multiple publications, and participating in clinical trials of novel laser treatments, led to my recognition by this society. Attending national conferences, workshops, and seminars, I remain at the forefront of advancements in cutaneous laser treatments.

Why should young researchers and clinicians become involved with ASLMS?
Getting involved in ASLMS can offer numerous benefits. Joining this society allows one to connect with peers, experts, and leaders in their field. By becoming a member, networking can lead to collaborations, mentorships, opportunities, and access to valuable resources. Overall, becoming involved can enrich your career, expand your professional network, and contribute to the advancement of your field.

What is something members may not know about you?
I am the proud mother of three talented daughters. In my spare time, you will find me antiquing and upcycling furniture in my studio or fostering mindfulness on my yoga mat.

What does receiving this award mean to you? 
This award has always been a very special recognition for significant scientific contributions to the field of laser medicine. For the last thirty years, I have collaborated with an exceptional group of scientists to explore and expand our understanding of current and emerging technologies to better treat our patients. This award is a testament to the significance of our work, ideas, and devices that we have developed and is a great honor for me and my colleagues. 

You will deliver your award presentation, "Curiosity, Caution, and Collaboration: My Journey in Laser Medicine" at the conference. Can you share some of the highlights of your talk?
My talk will focus on my journey in our field of medicine. Curiosity is a must if we want to make advancements to better understand and develop new devices. This attribute in a vacuum goes nowhere! Our industry has an incredible group of scientists who are dedicated to developing new technologies that benefit by active participation in the entire process with clinicians such as myself. My career has benefited from collaboration with a number of these individuals, who I will give special recognition to in my talk. In all that we do with patients, caution rules with appropriate thermal imaging, modeling, ex-vivo histology, and limited settings to guide us so that we optimize treatments and do not significantly hurt our patients. I will highlight my journey with my colleagues in our work with vascular devices, short-pulsed lasers, and the development of a 1726nm laser to treat acne.

What highlights in your background have contributed to who you are today? 
I have grown up in an environment where education and curiosity were encouraged and supported. While I was in medical school at UCLA, I spent one year doing anatomical and surgical pathology which was a firm foundation to understand medicine and especially dermatology. During my dermatology training at Harvard, I had the good fortune to work with Sam Moschella for one year and spend time in the Wellman Laboratory working with John Parish and Rox Anderson. This grounded me in skin diseases and prepared me for the field of laser medicine, which blossomed after I established my clinical practice. Throughout the years, my clinical practice provided the financial resources to carry out my investigations and research while my family encouraged and tolerated my research and travels.

How has your involvement with ASLMS contributed to your career? Why should young researchers and clinicians become involved with ASLMS?
Since my first ASLMS meeting in the early 1990’s, it has always been my favorite meeting of the year where we could hear and present new data in a forum where the participants could interact with the presenters. This allowed us to receive immediate and candid feedback on our research. This was the perfect forum where I met many of the scientists working in academia and industry, enabling conversations about a variety of ideas and projects. When I was the program chair in 2008, I introduced a number of initiatives, such as e-posters and better communication with translational researchers. That year, I was gratified by the highest attendance of any ASLMS meeting thus far and really enjoyed the experience. I have been disappointed by the recent fragmentation of our annual meeting by CME issues. My hope is that we can all get back together again and move forward with synergy between the Society, practitioners, and industry. We are all tied together and depend upon each other to be successful. We owe it to young researchers and clinicians to be directly involved in the ASLMS, as I believe it is the best forum for us all to learn and dialogue.

What is something members may not know about you?
I am supported by a terrific family with a wife, Rosamaria, who has supported and encouraged my endeavors. I have a daughter, Julia, who has directed my practice for the last nine years and supported my research interest with great success; for this, I am grateful. I have had a passion for the art of the American West and have a ranch house with an olive orchard where we make olive oil in a beautiful setting on the Consumes River. I am looking forward to spending time with my two young grandchildren, who live in Oklahoma, with my daughter Margo, who is a pediatric ENT surgeon. I am a blessed person.