Melanin Isn't Everything: Skin Physiology Does Not Conform to Socially Defined Variables, Explains Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, MSCI
AAD 2025: Chovatiya discusses whether melanin concentration plays a role in skin physiology and cautioned against typing with factors that are not true biologic constructs.
The concentration of melanin in skin, responsible for perceived tone and Fitzpatrick phototype, certainly affects response to solar radiation and so contributes to differences in risk for skin cancer, Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, MSCI, told Patient Care Online© during an interview at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, March 7-11, in Orlando, FL. "For many of these other diseases that are largely immune mediated in nature, that's a little trickier," he continued. Research findings on whether melanin concentration affects barrier and/or immune system dysregulation are mixed, Chovatiya said.
In the interview above, the expert dermatologist and researcher discusses the challenge posed by applying socially defined variables, ie, race or ethnicity, when discussing skin differences based on tone, because they are not true biologic constructs.
Chovatiya is also founder and director of the Center for Medical Dermatology + Immunology Research in Chicago, IL, and recognized internationally for his research into the intersection of cutaneous immunology and inflammatory disease. He has a particular interest in optimizing patient-centered care, understanding chronic disease burden, especially in understudied inflammatory diseases, exploring health and social disparities, and improving care across diverse skin types.
See below for more of the Patient Care interview with Chovatiya.
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