Invited International Speakers
Professor Firas Al-Niaimi
A highly experienced and skilled consultant dermatologist, Mohs and laser expert with nearly 20 years’ experience Professor Firas Al-Niaimi is a professor in dermatology with over 230 scientific publications in medical journals, 10 book chapters (and his own book) and over 500 scientific lectures in 90 countries around the globe. He is one of the UK's most prolific and well-published laser dermatologists and one with a renowned international standing.
Professor Firas Al-Niaimi is a highly experienced and respected consultant dermatologist with over 20 years of medical experience trained in some of the UK's top hospitals including the world-renowned St. John's Institute of Dermatology at St. Thomas’ Hospital where he completed a prestigious laser and Mohs Surgical Fellowship, and continued to work as an Honorary Consultant for several years in addition to further advanced training in several laser centres in the USA.
In addition to his busy private practice in London, he is involved in academic research and international teaching and training of doctors and has so far trained over 1 000 doctors around the world in advanced laser treatments. He was awarded the Global Excellence Award for being the Consultant Dermatologist of The Year in 2019 and 2022 – based on his services and commitment to dermatology and the laser field. In 2021 he was appointed Professor in Dermatology and becomes the first and only Professor in Laser Dermatology in the UK.
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Professor Valeria Aoki
Prof Valeria Aoki is a Professor of Dermatology at the University of São Paulo Medical School. She is also the current President of the International Relations Office of the same university, and sits on the Board of Directors of the International Eczema Council. She is also the Regional Ambassador for the Association of Academic Health Centres International - Latin America and the Caribbean.
Professor Aoki is qualified and renowned in the fields of immunodermatology, molecular biology, healthcare, clinical research, medical education and life sciences. She is a Post-doctoral Fellow, with a specific focus on immunodermatology which she sat for from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Professor Ousmane Faye
Professor Ousmane Faye is a Professor of Dermatology and the Head of Department of Dermatology at the Faculty of Medicine of Bamako. He is also a Consultant Dermatologist at Bamako Hospital of Dermatology and Head of the Mali Teledermatology Project and Centre for Research and Training in Dermatology of Diversity (CEREFORD).
For the past 25 years, Prof Faye has worked in the largest Reference Centre for leprosy and dermatological diseases. He is the former Director General of the Dermatology Hospital of Bamako; Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Bamako; Associate Professor at the Clinical Department of CNAM Ex Marchoux Institute; and Associate Professor at the Henri Mondor Hospital in Créteil, France.
His pioneering work in the Teledermatology project in Mali has ensured the treatment of dermatological diseases online, ensuring numerous research projects in the fields of leprosy, leishmaniasis, epidemiology of skin diseases and – most recently – atopic dermatitis.
Prof Faye is a multi-award winning specialist, the most recent being in 2021 with the receipt of the Foreign Corresponding Member of the French National Academy of Medicine award.
His areas of interest include leprosy, leishmaniasis and other tropical infectious diseases; skin diseases and public health; teledermatology and atopic dermatitis
Dr Iltefat Hamzavi
Dr Iltefat Hamzavi graduated with a medical degree from the University of Michigan before sitting his dermatology specialty at Wayne State Columbia. He is currently a dermatologist in private practice at Mazavi Dermatology / Dermatology Specialists and the multi-cultural dermatology center at the Henry Forde Hospital.
Dr Hamzavi’s primary areas of interest and focus are vitiligo, vitiligo surgery, photodermatology, and hidradenitis suppurtiva.
He is the co-founder and former board chair at the Global Vitiligo Foundation, former president of the Hidradenitis Supperativa Foundation where he remains an active board member.
Dr Hamzavi is a recipient of the AAD Patient Care Award and service awards from both the Vitiligo and HS Foundations and has published over 300 articles and text book articles in high-impact journals.
Professor Roland Kaufmann
Professor Roland Kaufmann studied Medicine at Berne University, completing his internships in Sydney, Milano, Frankfurt and Montreal. After a two-year residency in Internal Medicine, he opted to specialise in Dermatology in Darmstadt Germany, where he resided until 1986.
He then became a Dermatologist and senior lecturer at Ulm University, a position he held until 1994. His habilitation thesis was on the about the role of integrin receptor adhesion molecules in skin cancers. Among several other clinical research projects, Prof Kaufmann was involved in pioneering work in mid-infrared ablative laser systems and in photodynamic treatment. In 1994 he was elected Chair Professor of Dermatology at Frankfurt University and in 1995 was appointed as Head of the Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology.
Between 2000 and 2011, he served as CEO and Chief Medical Director of the University Hospital Frankfurt where, in addition to Dermatosurgery and Dermato-Oncology, he is subspecialised in Clinical Allergology, Phlebology, Medical Tumour Therapy, and Dermatopathology.
His major research activities focus on clinical trials of innovative drugs for inflammatory skin diseases and skin cancers with a special Clinical Research and Skin Cancer Center in his department.
Prof Kaufmann has held the position of President of the German Society of Dermatology, and Founding President of the German Society of Dermatosurgery. He regularly serves as teacher in surgery courses of Euroderm Excellence and the European Academy of Dermatology & Venerology (EADV).
He is member of major national and internal societies, is an honorary member of Swiss and French Society and published over 500 papers, textbooks (including the German Standard textbook on Dermatosurgery in its 5th edition) and book-chapters in diverse fields of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology.
Professor Kaufmann retired in 2024 and serves as senior consultant Dermatosurgeon at Mainz University Dermatology and as Dermatopathologist and General Dermatologist in Clinics of Medermis group.
Dr Konstantinos Liopyris
Dr Konstantinos Liopyris is a dermatologist in private practice at the Andreas Sygros Hospital for Cutaneous and Venereal Diseases, and his dedication and commitment to advancing dermatological sciences has earned him a place among the top 10 dermatologists, worldwide.
He combines patient care with rigorous scientific inquiry and his research interests are deeply rooted in the complexities of skin diseases – particularly Keratoacanthoma and the innovative application of imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosis. Driven by a desire to improve patient outcomes, he explores the potential of AI to revolutionise the detection and diagnosis of skin cancers, notably melanoma. His work in this area is characterised by a meticulous approach, integrating patient-contextual skin images to enhance the accuracy of AI-based diagnostic tools. Dr Liopyris’ contributions extend beyond the laboratory and clinic, and he actively engages with the wider medical community, sharing insights and expertise at international conferences.
Dr Liopyris recently served as a panellist at the 23rd Dermatology Biday Conference, contributing to discussions on cutting-edge dermatological practices. In addition, his research is regularly published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology where his study on AI-based melanoma garnered significant attention.
He serves as a Research Consultant at the renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and this collaboration underscores his commitment to translational research and pursuit of innovative solutions to challenging dermatological conditions
Dr Liopyris’ work demonstrates a profound understanding of the intersection between clinical practice and technological advancement, positioning him as a leading voice in the evolution of dermatology.
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