In dermatology, we are fortunate to have many insightful practitioners and great teachers and mentors. Some are bright stars in our special universe–others unsung heroes. All of these colleagues have much to share, from wisdom to humor to insights into dermatology and life. This column allows us to gain insight from these practitioners and learn more about them.
Ragna Thorleifsdottir, MD, PhD, completed medical school at the University of Iceland before moving to Sweden to complete her residency training in dermatology and venereology at the University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden. She then joined the faculty of Uppsala University Hospital Department of Dermatology and lives and works in Uppsala together with her husband and 3 children.
Dr Thorleifsdottir sees general dermatology patients at the hospital and is responsible for the psoriasis outpatient clinic and the inpatient care of patients with complex cutaneous diseases with her colleagues. She is also responsible for treating refractory cases of hidradenitis suppurativa.
Building upon investigative dermatology training in Iceland, Dr Thorleifsdottir’s primary research focus is basic immunological and clinical research of psoriasis, with projects directed at assessing the relationship between psoriasis and trigger factors such as streptococcal throat infections. She also conducted the first randomized clinical trial on the effect of tonsillectomy on chronic plaque psoriasis. She has active research collaborations internationally, including researchers at University of Iceland and University of Michigan Medical School, in Ann Arbor, MI.
Dr Thorleifsdottir has received the Michael Hornstein Memorial Scholarship of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology and the Albert M. Kligman Fellowship Award of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. There are numerous things that give me pleasure at work but first and foremost is all my patients. I like getting to know them and building a personal connection while meeting their dermatology needs. It is also truly satisfying to see how the impact of treatment can affect a patient’s life, from small simple procedures to life-changing systemic treatments. Secondly, we are challenged when we treat diseases that we do not yet have a full understanding of, such as psoriasis. That is why I like the bench-to-bedside and bedside-to-bench approach where we go back to the lab to seek knowledge to improve therapeutic outcomes. In the past decade, we have seen ground-breaking advances in psoriasis research. New effective treatments have been and are being developed, both small molecules and biologic target therapy. Piece by piece we are filling in the missing pieces in the big psoriasis puzzle regarding immunologic pathways, genetics, and environmental factors affecting psoriasis. Eventually this will lead to personalized medicine, where we can offer our patients the best treatment based on clinical and genetic profiling.
Q. What is your greatest regret?
A. I try not to dwell on regrets anymore, it is usually a waste of energy and you cannot change the past. It is however, important to learn from your mistakes and, if anything, I have learned to believe in myself more, speak up more, and connect to others more, being the shy person I am.
Article continues on page 2
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Q. Who was your hero/mentor and why?
A. My maternal grandmother is my hero. Despite numerous difficulties during her life, she was an independent strong woman with humor and depth of character. Coming from poverty in the north of Iceland, abandoned by her mother, she got herself to school in Copenhagen where she met my grandfather. Unfortunately, they were unable to leave the city for many years and my grandfather was forced to discontinue medical school due to WWII. After moving back to Iceland, experiencing the loss of a child, raising 3 daughters, and a divorce, she ran a successful restaurant in Reykjavik for decades. She really took matters into her own hands.
I have also been blessed with several extraordinary mentors, starting with my PhD mentor, Dr Helgi Valdimarsson, professor emeritus at the department of immunology in Iceland. His unbridled passion for psoriasis research is contagious and influenced my research path. Drs Jon Hjaltalin Olafsson and Bardur Sigurgeirsson have also been great mentors, inspiring me to become a dermatologist and showing me that you can pursue both an academic and clinical career. Lastly, I have had some great mentors in Sweden, Dr Marie Virtanen and Anders Vahlquist, professor emeritus, who have fueled my interests with expertise, support, and enthusiasm.
Q. What is the greatest political danger in the field of dermatology?
A. I think that we have allowed our specialty to become more and more marginalized. Many other specialities regard us only as “consultants” and in both Europe and North America we have lost our inpatient facilities. We do treat severe and even potentially life-threatening diseases and it is important to have access to inpatient care in these cases. Furthermore, I think that the public and media regard us increasingly as an aesthetic speciality rather than highly-skilled experts in dermatologic diseases of the skin, hair, and nails.
Q.What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
A. From my mother: You can achieve anything you want if you just set your mind to it. Got me through college, medical school, and my PhD studies. =
Q. Which medical figure in history would you want to have a drink with and why?
A. I would want to sit down with the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates. He established medicine as a profession and founded the Hippocratic school of medicine 400 years bc. Hippocrates was wise, compassionate, and honest, and he laid the basis for professionalism in medicine. He collected data, conducted clinical observations and experiments, and even extended his findings into family history and environmental factors, the same as we do today. The Hippocratic oath is still as relevant today as back then, and I have good memories from graduating from medical school and signing the oath.
Dr Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.
In dermatology, we are fortunate to have many insightful practitioners and great teachers and mentors. Some are bright stars in our special universe–others unsung heroes. All of these colleagues have much to share, from wisdom to humor to insights into dermatology and life. This column allows us to gain insight from these practitioners and learn more about them.
Ragna Thorleifsdottir, MD, PhD, completed medical school at the University of Iceland before moving to Sweden to complete her residency training in dermatology and venereology at the University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden. She then joined the faculty of Uppsala University Hospital Department of Dermatology and lives and works in Uppsala together with her husband and 3 children.
Dr Thorleifsdottir sees general dermatology patients at the hospital and is responsible for the psoriasis outpatient clinic and the inpatient care of patients with complex cutaneous diseases with her colleagues. She is also responsible for treating refractory cases of hidradenitis suppurativa.
Building upon investigative dermatology training in Iceland, Dr Thorleifsdottir’s primary research focus is basic immunological and clinical research of psoriasis, with projects directed at assessing the relationship between psoriasis and trigger factors such as streptococcal throat infections. She also conducted the first randomized clinical trial on the effect of tonsillectomy on chronic plaque psoriasis. She has active research collaborations internationally, including researchers at University of Iceland and University of Michigan Medical School, in Ann Arbor, MI.
Dr Thorleifsdottir has received the Michael Hornstein Memorial Scholarship of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology and the Albert M. Kligman Fellowship Award of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. There are numerous things that give me pleasure at work but first and foremost is all my patients. I like getting to know them and building a personal connection while meeting their dermatology needs. It is also truly satisfying to see how the impact of treatment can affect a patient’s life, from small simple procedures to life-changing systemic treatments. Secondly, we are challenged when we treat diseases that we do not yet have a full understanding of, such as psoriasis. That is why I like the bench-to-bedside and bedside-to-bench approach where we go back to the lab to seek knowledge to improve therapeutic outcomes. In the past decade, we have seen ground-breaking advances in psoriasis research. New effective treatments have been and are being developed, both small molecules and biologic target therapy. Piece by piece we are filling in the missing pieces in the big psoriasis puzzle regarding immunologic pathways, genetics, and environmental factors affecting psoriasis. Eventually this will lead to personalized medicine, where we can offer our patients the best treatment based on clinical and genetic profiling.
Q. What is your greatest regret?
A. I try not to dwell on regrets anymore, it is usually a waste of energy and you cannot change the past. It is however, important to learn from your mistakes and, if anything, I have learned to believe in myself more, speak up more, and connect to others more, being the shy person I am.
Article continues on page 2
{{pagebreak}}
Q. Who was your hero/mentor and why?
A. My maternal grandmother is my hero. Despite numerous difficulties during her life, she was an independent strong woman with humor and depth of character. Coming from poverty in the north of Iceland, abandoned by her mother, she got herself to school in Copenhagen where she met my grandfather. Unfortunately, they were unable to leave the city for many years and my grandfather was forced to discontinue medical school due to WWII. After moving back to Iceland, experiencing the loss of a child, raising 3 daughters, and a divorce, she ran a successful restaurant in Reykjavik for decades. She really took matters into her own hands.
I have also been blessed with several extraordinary mentors, starting with my PhD mentor, Dr Helgi Valdimarsson, professor emeritus at the department of immunology in Iceland. His unbridled passion for psoriasis research is contagious and influenced my research path. Drs Jon Hjaltalin Olafsson and Bardur Sigurgeirsson have also been great mentors, inspiring me to become a dermatologist and showing me that you can pursue both an academic and clinical career. Lastly, I have had some great mentors in Sweden, Dr Marie Virtanen and Anders Vahlquist, professor emeritus, who have fueled my interests with expertise, support, and enthusiasm.
Q. What is the greatest political danger in the field of dermatology?
A. I think that we have allowed our specialty to become more and more marginalized. Many other specialities regard us only as “consultants” and in both Europe and North America we have lost our inpatient facilities. We do treat severe and even potentially life-threatening diseases and it is important to have access to inpatient care in these cases. Furthermore, I think that the public and media regard us increasingly as an aesthetic speciality rather than highly-skilled experts in dermatologic diseases of the skin, hair, and nails.
Q.What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
A. From my mother: You can achieve anything you want if you just set your mind to it. Got me through college, medical school, and my PhD studies. =
Q. Which medical figure in history would you want to have a drink with and why?
A. I would want to sit down with the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates. He established medicine as a profession and founded the Hippocratic school of medicine 400 years bc. Hippocrates was wise, compassionate, and honest, and he laid the basis for professionalism in medicine. He collected data, conducted clinical observations and experiments, and even extended his findings into family history and environmental factors, the same as we do today. The Hippocratic oath is still as relevant today as back then, and I have good memories from graduating from medical school and signing the oath.
Dr Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.
In dermatology, we are fortunate to have many insightful practitioners and great teachers and mentors. Some are bright stars in our special universe–others unsung heroes. All of these colleagues have much to share, from wisdom to humor to insights into dermatology and life. This column allows us to gain insight from these practitioners and learn more about them.
Ragna Thorleifsdottir, MD, PhD, completed medical school at the University of Iceland before moving to Sweden to complete her residency training in dermatology and venereology at the University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden. She then joined the faculty of Uppsala University Hospital Department of Dermatology and lives and works in Uppsala together with her husband and 3 children.
Dr Thorleifsdottir sees general dermatology patients at the hospital and is responsible for the psoriasis outpatient clinic and the inpatient care of patients with complex cutaneous diseases with her colleagues. She is also responsible for treating refractory cases of hidradenitis suppurativa.
Building upon investigative dermatology training in Iceland, Dr Thorleifsdottir’s primary research focus is basic immunological and clinical research of psoriasis, with projects directed at assessing the relationship between psoriasis and trigger factors such as streptococcal throat infections. She also conducted the first randomized clinical trial on the effect of tonsillectomy on chronic plaque psoriasis. She has active research collaborations internationally, including researchers at University of Iceland and University of Michigan Medical School, in Ann Arbor, MI.
Dr Thorleifsdottir has received the Michael Hornstein Memorial Scholarship of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology and the Albert M. Kligman Fellowship Award of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. There are numerous things that give me pleasure at work but first and foremost is all my patients. I like getting to know them and building a personal connection while meeting their dermatology needs. It is also truly satisfying to see how the impact of treatment can affect a patient’s life, from small simple procedures to life-changing systemic treatments. Secondly, we are challenged when we treat diseases that we do not yet have a full understanding of, such as psoriasis. That is why I like the bench-to-bedside and bedside-to-bench approach where we go back to the lab to seek knowledge to improve therapeutic outcomes. In the past decade, we have seen ground-breaking advances in psoriasis research. New effective treatments have been and are being developed, both small molecules and biologic target therapy. Piece by piece we are filling in the missing pieces in the big psoriasis puzzle regarding immunologic pathways, genetics, and environmental factors affecting psoriasis. Eventually this will lead to personalized medicine, where we can offer our patients the best treatment based on clinical and genetic profiling.
Q. What is your greatest regret?
A. I try not to dwell on regrets anymore, it is usually a waste of energy and you cannot change the past. It is however, important to learn from your mistakes and, if anything, I have learned to believe in myself more, speak up more, and connect to others more, being the shy person I am.
Article continues on page 2
{{pagebreak}}
Q. Who was your hero/mentor and why?
A. My maternal grandmother is my hero. Despite numerous difficulties during her life, she was an independent strong woman with humor and depth of character. Coming from poverty in the north of Iceland, abandoned by her mother, she got herself to school in Copenhagen where she met my grandfather. Unfortunately, they were unable to leave the city for many years and my grandfather was forced to discontinue medical school due to WWII. After moving back to Iceland, experiencing the loss of a child, raising 3 daughters, and a divorce, she ran a successful restaurant in Reykjavik for decades. She really took matters into her own hands.
I have also been blessed with several extraordinary mentors, starting with my PhD mentor, Dr Helgi Valdimarsson, professor emeritus at the department of immunology in Iceland. His unbridled passion for psoriasis research is contagious and influenced my research path. Drs Jon Hjaltalin Olafsson and Bardur Sigurgeirsson have also been great mentors, inspiring me to become a dermatologist and showing me that you can pursue both an academic and clinical career. Lastly, I have had some great mentors in Sweden, Dr Marie Virtanen and Anders Vahlquist, professor emeritus, who have fueled my interests with expertise, support, and enthusiasm.
Q. What is the greatest political danger in the field of dermatology?
A. I think that we have allowed our specialty to become more and more marginalized. Many other specialities regard us only as “consultants” and in both Europe and North America we have lost our inpatient facilities. We do treat severe and even potentially life-threatening diseases and it is important to have access to inpatient care in these cases. Furthermore, I think that the public and media regard us increasingly as an aesthetic speciality rather than highly-skilled experts in dermatologic diseases of the skin, hair, and nails.
Q.What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
A. From my mother: You can achieve anything you want if you just set your mind to it. Got me through college, medical school, and my PhD studies. =
Q. Which medical figure in history would you want to have a drink with and why?
A. I would want to sit down with the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates. He established medicine as a profession and founded the Hippocratic school of medicine 400 years bc. Hippocrates was wise, compassionate, and honest, and he laid the basis for professionalism in medicine. He collected data, conducted clinical observations and experiments, and even extended his findings into family history and environmental factors, the same as we do today. The Hippocratic oath is still as relevant today as back then, and I have good memories from graduating from medical school and signing the oath.
Dr Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.
