Diversity, Inclusion & Equity
Mission Statement
The Department of Dermatology of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is committed to cultivating an environment that achieves excellence by attracting exceptional and diverse individuals poised to become leaders and innovators in dermatology for the betterment of humanity.
We believe that a diverse community includes individuals across a broad spectrum of race and ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, physical and mental abilities, economic, geographic, political philosophy, and intellectual focus. In creating a culture of diversity and inclusion, we hope to cultivate a department that is reflective of our broader community, where we are able to constantly reflect and expand our perspectives.
We are committed to improving equity throughout our community through serving the unique needs of our diversifying patient population, partnering with community organizations to improve access to Dermatologic care, promoting inclusion of a diverse patient population in clinical research, and cultivating a diverse Dermatology workforce by recruitment and retention underrepresented minority trainees and faculty.
Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Committee
The Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Committee is composed of faculty, residents and staff and co-chaired by Drs. Roopal Kundu and Julia Riley. The committee meets quarterly to work towards expansion of our mission and goals.
Committee Members
| Oyinade Aderibigbe, MD | Joaquin Brieva, MD |
| Brandi Kenner-Bell, MD | Roopal Kundu, MD |
| Amy Paller, MD | Bethany E Perez White, PhD |
| Julia Riley, MD | Cuong Nguyen, MD |
| Stephanie Rangel, PhD | Jennifer Shastry, MD |
Recent Events
Congratulations Dr. Julia Riley for being recognized by CommunityHealth as Volunteer Preceptor of the Year! At their recent awards ceremony, she was commended for her excellence teaching medical student volunteers about providing critical care for the center’s patients of many skin types.
Read More HereEducation
Skin of Color Education
At Northwestern Dermatology, we value the representation of all skin types in dermatologic educational material from medical student lectures through residency training. In an effort to address this, we have edited all medical student lectures to include clinical images of skin of color, when relevant. Additionally, Northwestern residents partake in an annual Skin of Color Curriculum, specifically designed to focus on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions common in Skin of Color.
Research
Clinical Trials
We are committed to recruitment of a diverse patient population for clinical trials.
Pfizer Skin of Color Research Fellowship
Northwestern Dermatology was awarded the Dermatology Research in Skin of Color Fellowship grant from 2022-2023. Our fellows, Sneha Poondru and Kourtney Scott, recently completed their year-long fellowship where they focused on research in Skin of Color.
Featured Publications
Poondru S, Alvi S, LeWitt TM, Haddadin R, Kundu RV. Ocular findings in vitiligo and recommendations for dermatologists. Int J Dermatol. 2023 Nov 2. doi: 10.1111/ijd.16883. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37919864.
Poondru S, Scott K, Riley JM. Electronic Nicotine Dispensing Systems Compared to Traditional Cigarettes in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Patient and Dermatologist Perceptions. Skin Appendage Disord. 2023 Oct;9(5):355-360. doi: 10.1159/000531079. Epub 2023 Jun 28. PMID: 37900770; PMCID: PMC10601959.
Zhu YO, MacDonnell S, Kaplan T, Liu C, Ali Y, Rangel SM, Wipperman MF, Belback M, Sun DS, Ren Z, Zhou XA, Halasz G, Morton L, Kundu RV. Defining a Unique Gene Expression Profile in Mature and Developing Keloids. JID Innov. 2023 May 19;3(5):100211. doi: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2023.100211. PMID: 37564104; PMCID: PMC10410242.
Poondru S, Scott K, Riley JM. Wound care counseling of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: perspectives of dermatologists. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2023 Jul 18;9(3):e096. doi: 10.1097/JW9.0000000000000096. PMID: 37469805; PMCID: PMC10353709.
Daftary K, Poondru S, Patel N, Shramuk M, Muhammad L, Kundu RV. Colorism attitudes and use of skin lightening agents in the United States. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2023 Jul 13;9(3):e092. doi: 10.1097/JW9.0000000000000092. PMID: 37457383; PMCID: PMC10344531.
Yang LJ, Knoll J, Kundu RV. Consumer attitudes toward aging skin during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2023 Jul 14;9(3):e095. doi: 10.1097/JW9.0000000000000095. PMID: 37457381; PMCID: PMC10348726.
Poondru S, Scott K, Riley JM. Barriers to Dermatologic Care and Use of Internet Sources in Hidradenitis Suppurativa. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023 Jul 1;22(7):710-711. doi: 10.36849/JDD.7355. PMID: 37410039.
Poondru S, Kundu RV. Use of camouflage in vitiligo: A cross-sectional survey. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2023 Jun 23. doi: 10.1111/jocd.15882. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37352455.
Kundu RV, Aderibigbe O, Riley JM. Managing Facial Hyperpigmentation. JAMA Dermatol. 2023 Jul 1;159(7):778-779. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2023.1414. PMID: 37285123.
Scott K, Poondru S, Jackson KL, Kundu RV. Patient views on race concordance and cultural mindfulness in dermatology: A cross-sectional study among people of color in the United States. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 Sep;89(3):613-614. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.05.034. Epub 2023 May 22. PMID: 37224967.
Scott K, Poondru S, Jackson KL, Kundu RV. The need for greater skin of color training: perspectives from communities of color. Arch Dermatol Res. 2023 Oct;315(8):2441-2444. doi: 10.1007/s00403-023-02635-0. Epub 2023 May 11. PMID: 37166525.
Hooper MJ, Veon FL, Enriquez GL, Nguyen M, Grimes CB, LeWitt TM, Pang Y, Case S, Choi J, Guitart J, Burns MB, Zhou XA. Retrospective analysis of sepsis in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma reveals significantly greater risk in Black patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 Feb;88(2):329-337. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2022.10.029. Epub 2022 Oct 17. PMID: 36265823; PMCID: PMC9839541.
Klopot A, Baida G, Kel A, Tsoi LC, Perez White BE, Budunova I. Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Intrinsic Proinflammatory Signaling in Healthy African American Skin. J Invest Dermatol. 2022 May;142(5):1360-1371.e15. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.09.031. Epub 2021 Oct 29. PMID: 34757068; PMCID: PMC9038646.
Clinical Care
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Ethnic Skin was one of the first centers in the United States specifically dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of skin, hair and nail conditions unique to women and men of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, such as Black, Asian, East Indian, Latinx and mixed descent. Selected services include the treatment of acne, melasma, skin discoloration, keloid scarring and more.
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Community Programs
Community Health Clinic
Northwestern Dermatology has a long-standing relationship with the Community Health Clinic (CHC) located on Chicago's West Side. CHC provides medical care at no cost to low-income, uninsured adults. Dermatology attending physicians and residents volunteer one Saturday per month, evaluating and managing a diverse array of dermatologic conditions.