What We Mean When We Say "Skin of Color" in Dermatology: A Closer Look with Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, MSCI
Chovatiya, expert clinical dermatologist and researcher, points out that the term "skin of color" comprises a heterogenous set of topics, in an interview at AAD 2025.
"I'd say a better way to think about it is understanding the diversity that underlies a lot of dermatologic disease, both in terms of clinical manifestations and how that affects treatment-related and/or quality-of-life- related outcomes."
The area of skin of color as a focus in research of dermatologic disorders has seen renewed emphasis in the past several years, according to Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, MSCI. Chovatiya, clinical associate professor of medicine at the Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School, in Chicago, IL, pointed out that rather than approaching the topic with social constructs such as race and ethnicity in mind, a more productive way to think about study in the area is to ask about the diversity that underlies a lot of dermatologic diseases.
During an interview with Patient Care© at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, Chovatiya talked more about shifts in academic and research focus toward understanding that diversity and also the disparities in treatment and outcomes that are often correlated.
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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Plus: Find more expert interviews and updates on research from the 2025 AAD annual meeting here.
