DREAM™ Initiative Releases, The Full Spectrum of Dermatology: A Diverse and Inclusive Atlas

IRVINE, Calif. and PHOENIX, Sept. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, and SkinBetter Science through their DREAM^TM (Driving Racial Equity in Aesthetic Medicine) initiative are supporting the development and distribution of The Full Spectrum of Dermatology: A Diverse and Inclusive Atlas, a dermatology atlas that will display images of the most commonly seen dermatology conditions in an array of skin tones. This unique, full-color atlas aims to advance education among clinicians, with the intent to visually teach dermatologists, dermatology residents, and other clinicians to recognize various skin conditions in different skin tones.

Leaders from academic dermatology and education have joined together to create this comprehensive atlas that will help to address what has become a well-documented gap in dermatology education. Developed by co-editors Misty Eleryan, MD, MS, and Adam Friedman, MD, published by SanovaWorks and Educational Testing & Assessment Systems, the Atlas includes high-quality images taken by dermatologists trained in medical photography which provide side-by-side images of the most commonly seen dermatology conditions in a full spectrum of skin tones.

"To effectively diagnose and manage skin diseases in all patients, dermatologists need to be fluent in the diverse array of clinical presentations of even the most common skin diseases in all skin tones," said Dr. Friedman, professor and chair of dermatology at GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. "The investment being made by leaders of our dermatology community and industry in this innovative project validates and highlights its extraordinary importance."

"As physicians, we take an oath to do no harm to our patients; we can now better live up to this oath for ALL of our patients, especially those with darker skin, by educating ourselves on the variations of presentations of common dermatoses on all skin tones," said Dr. Eleryan, a micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Aligned with the vision of the DREAM initiative, the Atlas received development funding from Skinbetter Science and Allergan Aesthetics, which will make copies available to all U.S. dermatology residents and program directors.

"Understanding the need for racial equity in all sectors of society, Skinbetter Science and Allergan Aesthetics, as part of their DREAM Initiative, supports the Atlas' efforts to advance the education of healthcare practitioners. This comprehensive collection of images is designed to better serve the full spectrum of skin tones--hopefully providing physicians and other healthcare practitioners the opportunity to advance diagnosis," said Jonah Shacknai, Executive Chairman of Skinbetter Science.

"The DREAM Initiative™ is committed to furthering the principles of racial and ethnic diversity, inclusion, respect and understanding in the fields of dermatology and plastic surgery. We're proud of the release of this Atlas and continue to work with Skinbetter Science to create meaningful, positive change within our own companies, and with our customers," said Carrie Strom, Senior Vice President, AbbVie and President, Global Allergan Aesthetics.

Contributing fellows and members of the Atlas Advisory Committee include:

Fellows

• Nagasai Adusumilli, MBA
• Gabrielle Benesh, BS
• Alexis Carrington, MD
• Nneamaka Ezekwe, MD

Advisory Council

• Blair Allais, MD
• Olabola Awosika, MD
• Steven R. Cohen MD MPH
• Holly Kerr, MD
• Adeline Kikam, DO, MS
• Jenny Kim, MD, PhD
• Alex Ortega Loayza, MD
• Lynn McKinley-Grant, MD
• Ginette Okoye, MD
• Lauren Payne, MD
• Raja Sivamani MD MS AP
• Mara C. Weinstein Velez, MD

About Allergan Aesthetics

At Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, we develop, manufacture, and market a portfolio of leading aesthetics brands and products. Our aesthetics portfolio includes facial injectables, body contouring, plastics, skin care, and more. Our goal is to consistently provide our customers with innovation, education, exceptional service, and a commitment to excellence, all with a personal touch. For more information, visit www.AllerganAesthetics.com.

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About Skinbetter Science

The Skinbetter Science team of aesthetic experts has a profound understanding of skin aging and what it takes to help defy the effects of time. Tapping into a rich dermatological heritage, the team at Skinbetter Science set out to create a new paradigm in clinical skincare. Cutting-edge, data-driven science is the principal driving force behind all our unique formulations. Skinbetter Science award-winning products are available exclusively through the leading dermatology, plastic surgery and medical aesthetics practices nationwide.

For more information, visit Skinbetter.com.

About SanovaWorks

SanovaWorks is the parent brand for its portfolio of products, including the JDD Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, ODAC Dermatology, Aesthetic & Surgical Conference, and the Skin of Color Update conference. Through their Educational Testing and Assessment Systems division they also produce such brands as Dermatology In-Review and Next Steps in Dermatology.

SOURCE AbbVie