Arisa E. Ortiz, MD, is the new President of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS).
Wausau, WI Arisa E. Ortiz, MD was introduced as President of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) during the annual Business Meeting on April 11, 2024. ASLMS is the world's largest professional organization dedicated to promoting research, education, and high standards of clinical care in the field of medical laser and energy-based applications.
Dr. Ortiz is the Director of Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology and an Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of California, San Diego.
She has authored over sixty publications, several book chapters, and also co-edited a textbook on surgical reconstruction. She has presented at international and national conferences and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. She has received several awards, including the ASLMS Dr. Horace Furumoto Young Investigator Award and ASLMS Best of Session Award for Cutaneous Applications, ASDS President’s Outstanding Service Award, Top Doctors Award, Exceptional Women in Medicine, and Newsweek America’s Best Dermatologists. Her research interests are in laser treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Dr. Ortiz has established several initiatives for her term, including a focus on safety standards. “In the ever-evolving field of laser medicine, it is imperative that we continuously strive to improve the regulation of laser usage, ensuring that patients receive the highest standard of care with minimal risk,” said Ortiz. “One way we can achieve this is by offering a rigorous laser safety certification course with continuing education opportunities to enhance the collective knowledge within the laser community and foster a culture of heightened safety standards for the benefit of our patients.“
Dr. Ortiz succeeds Murad Alam, MD, MSCI, MBA, who now serves as the Society’s Past President. The 2024-25 ASLMS Executive Committee also includes President-Elect Ashish C. Bhatia, MD, FAAD, FASLMS; Vice President Omar A. Ibrahimi, MD, PhD; Secretary Kristen M. Kelly, MD; Treasurer Molly Wanner, MD, MBA; and Historian J. Stuart Nelson, MD, PhD.
Other new members of the Board include representatives for Basic Science, Fernanda H. Sakamoto, MD, PhD; Industrial/Marketing, Alexander J. Makowski, PhD; Laser Safety, Zakia Rahman, MD; Non-Dermatology Laser Surgery, Taryn Travis, MD, FACS; and Dermatology Laser Surgery, Girish S. Munavalli, MD, MHS, FACMS.
In addition, the Board of Directors appointed Gaurav Agnihotri, MD as the new Resident/Fellow Student Board Representative and Junsoo Lee, PhD as the new Early Career Scientist Student Board Representative. View the complete list of ASLMS Board of Directors.
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the largest multi-disciplinary professional organization dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications. ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing biomedical application of lasers and other related technologies worldwide. ASLMS members include physicians, surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals representing multiple specialties, physicists involved in product development, biomedical engineers, biologists, industry representatives, and manufacturers. For more information on the Society’s mission, vision, and leaders, visit aslms.org/about-aslms.