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Palo Alto, CA 94304
Fax: (650) 721-5526
As a doctor, my approach is to build trusted partnerships with families and children so that I can understand their treatment goals and help them achieve these goals in ways that are most comfortable for them. It's important to me that both parents and children feel heard and understood.
It's incredibly rewarding to empower kids through healthier skin, which can mean advocating for just the right treatment and discovering new and improved treatments. I love helping kids achieve healthy skin so they can feel their best. I'm dedicated to connecting patients with clinical research trials and contributing to research on specific skin conditions particularly hemangiomas, birthmarks, and PHACE syndrome. My research also aims to develop solutions to health disparities through improved access to pediatric dermatologists and treatments.
It is a joy to care for kids as they grow—from infants to children to successful teens. Having a skin condition can be challenging. I love helping kids have healthy skin so they can focus on having fun!
University of Wisconsin Madison Office of the Registrar, Madison, WI, 05/17/1998
UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Pediatric Residency, Oakland, CA, 06/30/2000
UCSF Dept of Dermatology, San Francisco, CA, 06/30/2006
UCSF Dept of Dermatology, San Francisco, CA, 06/30/2007
Dermatology, American Board of Dermatology
Pediatric Dermatology, American Board of Dermatology
Cutaneous capillary malformations (CMs) describe a group of vascular birthmarks with heterogeneous presentations. CMs may present as an isolated finding or with other associations, including glaucoma and leptomeningeal angiomatosis (i.e., Sturge-Weber syndrome) or pigmentary birthmarks (i.e., phakomatosis pigmentovascularis). The use of targeted genetic sequencing has revealed that postzygotic somatic variations in GNAQ and GNA11 at codon 183 are associated with CMs. We report five patients with early-onset hypertension and discuss possible pathogenesis of hypertension.Twenty-nine patients with CMs, confirmed GNAQ/11 postzygotic variants, and documented past medical history were identified from a multi-institutional vascular anomalies study. Early-onset hypertension was defined as hypertension before the age of 55years. Clinical data were reviewed for evidence of hypertension, such as documentation of diagnosis or elevated blood pressure measurements.Five of the 29 patients identified as having GNAQ/11 postzygotic variants had documented early-onset hypertension. Three individuals harbored a GNAQ p.R183Q variant, and two individuals harbored a GNA11 p.R183C variant. All individuals had extensive cutaneous CMs involving the trunk and covering 9%-56% of their body surface area. The median age of hypertension diagnosis was 15years (range 11-24years), with three individuals having renal abnormalities on imaging.Early-onset hypertension is associated with extensive CMs harboring somatic variations in GNAQ/11. Here, we expand on the GNAQ/11 phenotype and hypothesize potential mechanisms driving hypertension. We recommend serial blood pressure measurements in patients with extensive CMs on the trunk and extremities to screen for early-onset hypertension.
View details for DOI 10.1111/pde.15103
View details for PubMedID 36440997
Prompt and accurate diagnosis of infantile hemangiomas is essential to prevent potential complications. This can be difficult due to high rates of misdiagnosis and poor access to pediatric dermatologists. In this study, we trained an artificial intelligence algorithm to diagnose infantile hemangiomas based on clinical images. Our algorithm achieved a 91.7% overall accuracy in the diagnosis of facial infantile hemangiomas.
View details for DOI 10.1111/pde.15149
View details for PubMedID 36164801
View details for DOI 10.1111/pde.15103
View details for Web of Science ID 000851481700001
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jdcr.2021.08.042
View details for PubMedID 35519799
Topical and systemic retinoids are often used long-term in the treatment of ichthyoses and other disorders of cornification. The Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) Use of Retinoids in Ichthyosis Work Group was formed to address the numerous clinical concerns with use of these medications in children and adolescents and to establish best practices regarding the use of retinoids. Consensus was achieved using the Delphi process with recommendations based on the best available evidence and expert opinion. An executive summary of the results is presented herein.
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jaad.2021.08.047
View details for PubMedID 34499997
Topical and systemic retinoids have long been used in the treatment of ichthyoses and other disorders of cornification. Due to the need for long-term use of retinoids for these disorders, often beginning in childhood, numerous clinical concerns must be considered. Systemic retinoids have known side effects involving bone and eye. Additionally, potential psychiatric and cardiovascular effects need to be considered. Contraceptive concerns, as well as the additive cardiovascular and bone effects of systemic retinoid use with hormonal contraception must also be deliberated for patients of childbearing potential. The Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) Use of Retinoids in Ichthyosis Work Group was formed to address these issues and to establish best practices regarding the use of retinoids in ichthyoses based on available evidence and expert opinion.
View details for DOI 10.1111/pde.14408
View details for PubMedID 33169909
Costello syndrome (CS) is a RASopathy caused by activating germline mutations in HRAS. Due to ubiquitous HRAS gene expression, CS affects multiple organ systems and individuals are predisposed to cancer. Individuals with CS may have distinctive craniofacial features, cardiac anomalies, growth and developmental delays, as well as dermatological, orthopedic, ocular, and neurological issues; however, considerable overlap with other RASopathies exists. Medical evaluation requires an understanding of the multifaceted phenotype. Subspecialists may have limited experience in caring for these individuals because of the rarity of CS. Furthermore, the phenotypic presentation may vary with the underlying genotype. These guidelines were developed by an interdisciplinary team of experts in order to encourage timely health care practices and provide medical management guidelines for the primary and specialty care provider, as well as for the families and affected individuals across their lifespan. These guidelines are based on expert opinion and do not represent evidence-based guidelines due to the lack of data for this rare condition.
View details for DOI 10.1002/ajmg.a.61270
View details for PubMedID 31222966
The RASopathies are a group of disorders due to variations of genes associated with the Ras/MAPK pathway. Some of the RASopathies include neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), Noonan syndrome, Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines, cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC) syndrome, Costello syndrome, Legius syndrome, and capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation (CM-AVM) syndrome. In combination, the RASopathies are a frequent group of genetic disorders. This report summarizes the proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Genetic Disorders of the Ras/MAPK pathway and highlights gaps in the field. 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
View details for DOI 10.1002/ajmg.a.37723
View details for PubMedID 27155140
View details for DOI 10.1038/jid.2014.227
View details for Web of Science ID 000343271200003
View details for PubMedCentralID PMC4350365