The VisualDx Student Advisory Board

Rutha Adhanom

Board member

Charles R. Drew College of Medicine

Rutha is a second-year medical student at Charles R. Drew College of Medicine in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, specializing in Neurobiology and Physiology.

Rutha is an aspiring dermatologist who is passionate about autoimmune dermatology, skin of color, and immune dysfunction and its effects on the skin. Specifically, she is interested in dermatological diseases that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Rutha is dedicated to addressing health disparities through advocacy, biomedical research, and community service. Her goal is to improve outcomes in skin of color and address the disparities that hinder access to care, such as socioeconomic status and low health literacy. Her current research interests include pediatric dermatology, cutaneous lupus, non-scarring/scarring alopecia, and skin of color.

Mharlove Andre

Board member

University of Florida College of Medicine

Mharlove Andre is a dedicated third-year medical student at the University of Florida College of Medicine, originally hailing from Miami. She pursued her undergraduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. Following graduation, Mharlove immersed herself in clinical research at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she spent three years supporting Michael Pistiner, MD, MMSc in the development of the pediatric Food Allergy Advocacy, Education, and Prevention program. It was during this formative period that her passion for dermatology ignited, particularly through her exposure to atopic diseases such as eczema and contact dermatitis.

Since her tenure at MGH, Mharlove has broadened her interests within dermatology to encompass skin of color, autoimmune diseases, hair loss disorders, and rheumatology-dermatology. Committed to fostering diversity in medicine, she actively mentors minority students pursuing careers in dermatology. Her affiliations include memberships in the Skin of Color Society, Student National Medical Association, Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance, and Dermatology Interest Group Association (DIGA). Notably, she serves as the Membership Engagement Chair of Sk(in Depth), a well-known dermatology research newsletter, holds the role of External Affairs Director at her school’s Equal Access Clinic, is on the leadership team for DIGA’s Skin of Color/Increasing Representation Working Group, and coordinates the acquisition of sun safety products for homeless patients through her institution’s Street Medicine program.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Mharlove finds joy in participating in dance classes, attending art festivals and concerts, indulging in reality TV, and traveling to new destinations.

Alexis Arza

Board member

Drexel University

Alexis Arza is a fourth-year medical student at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally from South Florida, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Florida International University. Her interest in dermatology began with her vitiligo diagnosis at age 12, which fostered her commitment to working with pediatric patients with skin conditions. Alexis has expanded her commitment to this by serving as a leader for a vitiligo support group for teenagers. Additionally, Alexis is dedicated to expanding diversity in medical education and has worked on projects that emphasize the need for skin of color representation in medical curricula. As a Cuban-American, she has also advocated for greater cultural awareness in medical training to better serve diverse patient populations.

In her free time, she enjoys photography, traveling, and spending time with her husband and their corgi. Her research interests include pediatric dermatology, vulvar dermatoses, and medical education. Alexis hopes to work with underserved pediatric populations and address disparities in skin health equity in her future career.

Colin Burnette

Board member

Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Colin Burnette is a third-year medical student at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, aspiring to make meaningful contributions in the field of dermatology. He completed his undergraduate studies at Roanoke College, earning a B.S. in Biochemistry. His previous volunteer work at the local free clinic shaped his passion for community outreach and addressing healthcare inequities. His current research focuses on patient advocacy, prescription patterns, and sun-smart education within the field of dermatology. His passions have driven his current grant work, which aims to implement and maintain a community-based sun-safe initiative.

Colin is involved in various medical associations, including Sigma Sigma Phi, the National Psoriasis Foundation, the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, and the Skin of Color Society. Additionally, he has held several leadership roles, including serving as the president of his school’s Dermatology Interest Group chapter and serving as a Committee Chair for the annual statewide Florida Dermatology Trainee Advocacy Day. 

In his free time, Colin enjoys swimming, a love he has for nearly two decades, as well as reading, running, and exploring new music. In the future, Colin hopes to continue advancing the accessibility of medical education, with a focus on enhancing dermatologic care for underserved communities.

Alicia Edwards

Board member

Howard University College of Medicine

Alicia Edwards is a native of Savannah, Georgia and graduate of Spelman College. Experiencing the fearlessness of her mentors and classmates at Spelman encouraged her to pursue a career in medicine and advocate for underserved populations. Her passion to serve and love for community motivated her decision to attend Howard University College of Medicine. Currently, Alicia is on a research year focused on cutaneous diseases with a higher prevalence and worse prognosis in skin of color patients. Her current research experience and interests include alopecia, hidradenitis suppurativa, skin of color, and vitiligo.

She has student membership affiliations with the American Medical Association, Skin of Color Society, Student National Medical Association, and National Medical Association. Alicia served as President of the Howard University Dermatology Student Society (HUDS), Region 6 MAPS liaison, HUDS Social Media Manager, and three terms as a student representative on Howard’s admission committee. She currently serves on the VisualDx Student Advisory Board, the National MAPS Committee as the Convention Planning Coordinator, and Learn2Derm Executive Board as the Social Media Manager. Alicia uses her positions to open doors and present opportunities to disadvantaged students. Her ultimate goal is to provide expectational care to patients in need, advocate for students of color to enter spaces they are traditionally excluded, and to organize with policy makers to ensure the medical system is inclusive and equitable.

Iain Encarnacion

Board member

Eastern Virginia Medical School

Iain Encarnacion is a 3^rd year medical student at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk, VA. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia in 2018, he worked as a medical assistant for two years before pursuing his Master’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences at EVMS. He is particularly passionate about sexual and gender diverse (SGD) health as well as racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. He aims to bring awareness to healthcare issues affecting these marginalized communities with the hopes of improving research, cultural competency, and ultimately equitable access to care for these groups. As a queer Filipino-American, Iain understands possessing multiple social identities impacts one’s health, and he hopes to advance intersectional approaches to all aspects of medicine.

He serves as the Co-Chair of the planning committee for an annual state-wide Virginia Dermatology Trainee Advocacy Day. Additionally, Iain has peer reviewed for the Journal of Student-Run Clinics and the American Academy of Dermatology’s Basic Dermatology Curriculum. In his research, he has examined the effect of dermatologic diseases disproportionately affecting the LGBTQ community and efforts to promote SGD curricula in medical education.

Roy Mendoza

Board member

University of California, Riverside School of Medicine

Roy Mendoza is a 3^rd year medical student at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. A Southern California native, Roy received his Bachelors of Science degree in Biological Sciences with honors from California State University, Fullerton. His research during undergrad focused on uncovering health disparities, and he has continued this work as a medical student through multiple grant-funded research projects focused on cutaneous malignancies in undergraduate athletes, Latinx individuals and immunosuppressed / HIV positive populations. In his free time, Roy enjoys volunteering at free clinics throughout the Inland Empire; he recently co-founded an initiative made to provide accessible, skin cancer prevention education in multilingual free clinic settings. Looking ahead, Roy aspires to continue this work, with a particular interest in expanding his research in skin of color dermatology, LGBTQ+ dermatology, and addressing health disparities in cutaneous oncology.

Ananya Munjal

Board member

University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

Ananya Munjal is a third-year medical student at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Having studied creative writing and human physiology in college, she is passionate about the intersections between medicine and the arts, and has channeled this into initiatives such as Sk(in depth), a dermatology research newsletter, and The Appendix, a digital art magazine. She recently completed a research fellowship at Johns Hopkins investigating care disparities in cutaneous lymphoma patients and seeing firsthand the impact of healthcare inequalities on marginalized communities.

In her free time, Ananya enjoys reading, writing, pilates, and cooking new cuisines for her friends and family. Her research interests include pediatric dermatology, women’s health dermatology, and cutaneous lymphoma. In the future, she hopes to continue working to bridge the gap in rural and urban healthcare disparities for communities like her own.

Afua Ofori-Darko

Board member

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Afua Ofori-Darko is a second year medical student at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She attended Tufts University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology & Community Health. Prior to medical school, Afua worked in the health start-up and innovation space, and has carried her interests in the medical innovation field with her to VisualDx. Her current research interests include medical education, public health dermatology, and using AI to improve dermatologic outcomes in marginalized populations.

Christine Olagun-Samuel

Board member

NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Christine Olagun-Samuel is a third-year medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, starting her research year in July. She grew up in Paramus, New Jersey, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a BA in Health and Societies. At Penn, Christine was an avid writer and reporter for the school newspaper, developed public health education programming in West Philadelphia focused on lead poisoning, and founded a magazine highlighting the experiences of minority students at Penn.

After graduating, she spent part of her gap year as a Fulbright Research student in Johannesburg, studying the impact of apartheid policies on the structure of the current healthcare system in South Africa. At NYU Grossman School of Medicine, she has continued to explore her interests in health policy, addressing healthcare disparities and research.

Currently, her research focuses on developing evidence-based dermatological community education tools for patients of color. In her second year of medical school, she co-founded The SHEA Project: Salons for Health Education and Access, a community health education program for Black Women focused on dermatologic and reproductive health based in Harlem Beauty Salons. She is passionate about using health literacy and advocacy to bridge healthcare gaps in underserved communities. Additionally, she has served as the research coordinator at the NYC Free Clinic and currently sits on her school’s Humanities and Bioethics Committee. In her free time, Christine enjoys taking portrait photography, going on long bike rides, and painting.

Idowu Olugbade

Board member

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Idowu ‘Idee’ is a first-generation Nigerian-American medical student. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University, she worked as a community health worker in Baltimore, MD, which ignited her passion for medicine and led her to the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Currently, she serves as a LEAD Fellow at the Warren Alpert Medical School Office of Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OBEDI), supporting
initiatives and programing for underrepresented medical students and the Providence community.

Her clinical interests are in pediatrics and dermatology, where she aims to positively impact the lives of young patients and their families. Idee is actively involved in various medical associations, including the American Medical Association, Society of Pediatric Dermatology, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Student National Medical Association, where she holds the role of treasurer for her regional chapter. Additionally, she is a member of the
leadership team at Skin of Color Community, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free, accessible dermatologic education to underserved communities.

Outside of her academic pursuits, Idee finds joy in photography, playing soccer, and spending time with her niece.

Chinenye Onejeme

Board member

University of Texas Medical Branch - John Sealy School of Medicine

Chinenye Onejeme is a third-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch – John Sealy School of Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry at The University of Texas at Austin. Her professional pursuits are underscored by a dedication to aiding the underserved, advocating for heightened diversity within clinical research, and fostering advancements in pediatric dermatology.

In her free time, Chinenye also finds fulfilment in preparing delicious meals for her family and friends, dancing her heart out at Zumba, exploring new destinations, attending concerts, and calligraphy. Additionally, her research interests are equally diverse and include global health dermatology, pediatric dermatology, psychodermatology and skin-of-color research. Her goal is to persist in endeavors aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility for marginalized communities, striving fervently to improve healthcare disparities in these regions.

Dominique F. Revan

Board member

University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine

Dominique F. Revan is a third-year medical student at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and an alumna of Pepperdine University. She founded Stay Ambitious Co. in order to celebrate and empower women of color and to offer mentorship to URM. In her medical program, she held positions as Co-President of the Dermatology Interest Group, Co-Manager of the student-run free dermatology clinic, and Co-President of the Jacobs Community Group Fitness Club. As an aspiring dermatologist, Dominique is determined to reduce the access gap and racial disparities in the field through community outreach and research. She is currently the Co-Chair of the VisualDx Student Advisory Board and a member of the NMA Derm Strategic Communications Committee. She is excited to be part of the mission in improving health equity and health outcomes for patients of color. Her current interests include skin of color, global health, skin cancer, pigmentary disorders, atopic dermatitis, alopecia, and health disparities. Outside of medical school, Dominique loves to work out, travel, and create content for social media.

Hannah Riva

Board member

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

Hannah Riva is a medical student and Foster scholar at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Class of 2025. Hannah attended the University of Texas at Austin as a Dedman scholar and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and biology minor. She received her master’s degree in physician assistant studies from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and practiced for several years as a PA in surgery, including neurosurgery and thoracic surgery. Hannah has volunteered at local clinics for underserved patients for years and has volunteered on numerous international medical trips in Mexico and Central America. Her research interests include cutaneous oncology and psychoneurocutaneous disorders.

Alexys Wright

Board member

Tulane University School of Medicine

Alexys Wright is a native of both New Orleans and Belize. Both of these regions present with similar healthcare challenges, and at an early age, having direct exposure to these medical inequities led Alexys to medicine and her lifelong commitment to serving.

Alexys is a second-year medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine interested in Dermatology. She is focused on forming an exceptional medical foundation to become a physician who competently treats and educates patients and encourages weaving together communities while identifying the needs of diverse communities and advocating for increased representation in medicine. As an aspiring physician, Alexys recognizes the importance of research and clinician care that targets Dermatological conditions on Black and Brown skin to further learn about their complexities and how to better advocate for patients.

Alexys has membership affiliations with the Skin of Color Society, Student National Medical Association, and National Medical Association. She serves as the President of the Student National Medical Association Chapter at Tulane while maintaining a primary role in its Health Equity Advancement Through Leadership pipeline program. As a former educator, Alexys values the importance of education and mentorship. She received a 2024 Good Knowledge Skin Grant through the American Academy of Dermatology. She is a Student Coordinator of Mentorship and Youth Engagement for the 15 White Coats. Alexys hopes to continue a medical career rooted in alleviating medical inaccessibility, competently treating communities, especially Black and Brown populations, and advocating for increased diversity and representation in medicine.