The JCMS Dermatology Podcast with Dr Kirk Barber

How can dermatologists better understand—and improve—the lived experience of patients with vulvar disease?

In this episode of JCMS Author Interviews, Dr. Kirk Barber speaks with Dr. Marlene Dytoc about her article, Evaluating the Impact of the Vulvar Quality of Life Index for New Patient Dermatology Assessments, in the Jan/Feb 2026 issue of the JCMS. Together, they explore how the Vulvar Quality of Life Index (VQLI) helps capture the often-overlooked burden of vulvar conditions and can strengthen communication between physicians and patients.

The conversation also highlights the surprising impact of expert-led virtual support groups for...

In this episode of JCMS Author Interviews, Dr. Steve Feldman returns to discuss his three recent publications in the Nov/Dec 2025 issue of the Journal and what they reveal about modern dermatology practice.

The conversation moves beyond the research to explore bigger themes: how patients perceive care, why empathy matters more than efficiency, and whether technology—from dermatoscopes to AI—actually improves outcomes or simply reinforces trust.

Dr. Feldman also shares practical insights on patient behavior, telemedicine, and the surprising limits of large healthcare databases.

Dr. Steve Feldman is a professor of dermatology, path...

Pediatric hand eczema is more common than we think — and it’s not simply “adult hand eczema in smaller hands.”

In this episode, Dr. Kirk Barber sits down with Dr. Sonja Molin to explore why pediatric hand eczema deserves its own clinical lens. From COVID-era handwashing to slime exposure, allergic contact dermatitis, and patch testing strategies, this conversation unpacks the real-world triggers affecting children today — and how to manage them effectively.

They discuss practical treatment pearls, when to patch test, steroid strategy, non-steroidal options, emerging topical JAK data, and how to empower kids and parents in long-te...

Dermatologist and researcher Fiona Lovegrove joins the JCMS Author Interviews Podcast to discuss new Canadian consensus guidance on the diagnosis and management of bullous pemphigoid.

In this episode, Dr. Kirk Barber and Dr. Lovegrove explore her Nov/Dec Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery article “Navigating Bullous Pemphigoid: Consensus Recommendations for Diagnosis and Management – A Canadian Perspective.” The conversation focuses on the rising prevalence and clinical complexity of bullous pemphigoid, evolving diagnostic tools, and practical, evidence-based strategies to achieve disease control while minimizing steroid-related harm.

Topics covered include:

Dr. David Croitoru is a Toronto-based dermatologist and clinician-investigator at University Health Network and Women’s College Hospital. He leads Canada’s largest Pyoderma Gangrenosum clinic and supports national dermatology research and training through SKiN Canada.

Dr. Yeung also shares how patient experiences inspire his research and why PN management is entering a more hopeful era.

Dr. Joseph Jorizzo is known for his expertise in medical dermatology and the cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease. He is Professor of Dermatology at Wake Forest University and Clinical Professor at Weill Cornell. A prolific author and lecturer, he has contributed extensively to leading dermatology textbooks and has held key leadership roles within the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dr. Hélène Veillette is Division Head of Dermatology at CHU de Québec–Université Laval, where she also serves as a Clinical Associate Professor and Researcher. Her expertise includes hidradenitis suppurativa, biotherapies, and complex dermatologic conditions. She is passionate about improving multidisciplinary care for patients with psychocutaneous diseases.

Dr. Mariusz Sapijaszko is a board-certified dermatologist, Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta, and Medical Director of the Western Canada Dermatology Institute. Dr. Sapijaszko specializes in skin cancer surgery and cosmetic dermatology and currently serves as President-Elect of the Canadian Dermatology Association.

In this special Editor's Choice edition of the JCMS podcast, Dr. Kirk Barber engages in a follow-up conversation with Cathryn Sibbald about her JCMS Lecture at the 2025 Canadian Dermatology Association conference in Halifax. Dr Sibbald, a pediatric dermatologist at SickKids Hospital and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, delves into the complexities of treating alopecia areata. Highlights include a nuanced discussion on the importance of a holistic and patient-centered approach, the role of JAK inhibitors, and the integration of traditional therapies like methotrexate and topical treatments. Dr. Sibbald emphasizes understanding the patient's goals, assessing psychosocial impacts, and using...

Medico-legal complaints against physicians are a significant source of anxiety and could be associated with defensive medical practices that may correlate with poor patient outcomes. Little is known about patient concerns brought to regulatory bodies and courts against dermatologists in Canada. The article discussed here aims to correct that.

Dr. Mohannad Abu-Hilal is a dermatologist and assistant professor in the department of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton.

Ray Zahab is a Canadian Explorer, ultra distance runner and Founder of non-profit impossible2Possible. A recent recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, Ray is an Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada’s Top Explorers. In 2024, Ray was awarded the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration, from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He has ran 17,000+ km across the world’s deserts, and unsupported expeditions in some of the coldest places on the planet.

Dr. Marlene Dytoc is a clinical professor at the University of Alberta and the director of several specialty dermatology clinics including psychodermatology.

Dr. Joseph Lam is an Investigator and Pediatric Dermatologist with the BC Children's Hospital. He’s also a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Dermatology and the Department of Pediatrics at UBC.

Dr. Mark Kirchhof is the Division Head of Dermatology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital. And he is the president of the CDA.

Dr. Ivan Litvonov is an Associate Professor and Director of the Division of Dermatology for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University. And he’s an associate editor at the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery.

Dr. Christopher Chew is a dermatologist at the Skin Health Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He is also a lecturer and program coordinator at Monash University Medical School, where he is pursuing a PhD studying vitiligo and melanocyte biology.

Dr. Ron Vender is founder and director of Dermatrials Research Incorporated and Venderm Innovations in Psoriasis. He’s a Dermatologist and an associate clinical professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Dr. Dominique Hanna is a dermatologist and associate professor at the University of Sherbrooke. She’s also a past president of The Association of Dermatology Specialists of Quebec. And she has been a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Dermatology Association, where she has been actively involved in expert committees including on Telehealth.

Dr. Reetesh Bose is a dermatologist at the Ottawa Hospital and lecturer on the faculty of the University of Ottawa. In 2021, he founded Canada’s first skin of color dermatology clinic at the Ottawa Hospital.

“The State of Artificial Intelligence in Skin Cancer Publications.“

Updates on Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris - A Scoping Review

Your host Kirk Barber is thrilled to welcome Dr Melinda Gooderham back to the podcast for a fascinating conversation about her article on Psoriasis in the November-December issue of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery titled:

“Baseline Characteristics of Canadian Patients in the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry - PSOLAR"

Her co-authors on this article are: Robert Bissonnette, Sunil Kalia, Kim A Papp, Lyn C Guenther, Wayne P Gulliver, Vincent Ho, Neil H Shear, Ron Vender, Robert Gniadecki, Vimal H Prajapati, Irina Turchin, Wayne Langholff, Kim Parnell, Scott D Simpson, Nastaran Abbarin, Omair Lakhani and Raed Alhusaye...

Kirk is happy to welcome Dr Feras Al Ghazawi to the podcast for a fascinating discussion on Photodnyamic Therapy, based on the article he co-authored in the January-February edition of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery.

It's titled: “A Review of the Dermatologic Clinical Applications of Topical Photodynamic Therapy."

He’s an Assistant Professor in the division of dermatology at the University of Ottawa Medical school. 

He’s also a Clinician Investigator and a double board certified Dermatologist at the Ottawa Hospital.

His co-authors for this article are: Owen Dan Luo, MD...

Dr Perla Lansang, Dermatologist at the University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Centres and The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children

In some provinces in Canada, there are no Pediatric Dermatologists.

"I think it's important to ask the patient, 'Are you comfortable with the injection and are you having any discomfort from it?'"

Dr Ron Vender is back on the podcast, joining Kirk to discuss his July/August article in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery titled:

"A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Injection Site Reactions in Randomized-Controlled Trials of Biologic Injections."

There are a lot of great clinical pearls in this discussion, and Kirk says he enjoyed the time, expertise and insights Dr Vender brought to this common problem...

Kirk is very happy to have Dr Raed Alhusayen back on the podcast to discuss the fascinating article about melanoma surveillance he co-authored in the September-October issue of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery: "Surveillance After a Previous Cutaneous Melanoma Diagnosis: A Scoping Review of Melanoma Follow-Up Guidelines." 

There are a lot of great pearls to be found in this interview.

The article is open access on the JCMS website.

His co-authors are: Leah Johnston, Samantha Starkey, Ilya Mukovozov, Lynne Robertson and Teresa Petrella.

Dr Raed Alhusayen is a Clinician Inv...

Kirk is thrilled to welcome Dr Vincent Richer back to the podcast to talk about a vitally important issue, in an episode Kirk describes as "a real treat."

The two of them discuss the fascinating article Dr Richer co-authored in the September/October issue of the JCMS titled: “Preventing Eye Injuries From Light and Laser-Based Dermatologic Procedures: A Practical Review.”

The article is open access on the JCMS website. 

Dr Richer's co-author is UBC's Dr Caitlyn Glover.

Dr. Vincent Richer is a medical and cosmetic Dermatologist at Pacific Derm in Vancouver and is...

Kirk is thrilled to have Dr Steven Feldman back on the podcast for a fascinating and wide ranging conversation on Papular Dermatitis, or as it's more broadly known, Itchy Red Bump disease.

The conversation is based on the letter Dr Feldman published in the July/August 2023 issue of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery titled: Characterizing the Treatment of Papular Dermatitis: A Retrospective Chart Review.

His co authors are Rachel E. Tao, Mallory L. Zaino, Katherine R. Salisbury and Joseph L. Jorizzo

Dr Feldman is a Professor of Dermatology, Pathology and Public Heal...

We're thrilled to have Dr Marlene Dytoc back on the podcast. In this episode she and Kirk discuss the fascinating article she co-authored in the March/April edition of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery titled: "Pharmacological Interventions for Primary Psychodermatologic Disorders: An Evidence Mapping and Appraisal of Randomized Controlled Trials."

Kirk and Marlene really bring the world of psychodermatology alive in this thoughtful and wide ranging discussion.

Dr Dytoc's co-authors are Tarek Turk, Chaocheng Liu, Esther Fujiwara, Sebastian Straube, Reidar Hagtvedt, Liz Dennett and Adam Abba-Aji.

Dr Marlene Dytoc is a Clinic...

"Recent research proved that ChatGPT shows more empathy when they reply to patient messages than real physicians."

Today we’ll be talking about a truly fascinating topic, something that is really front and center in medicine, academia and almost every walk of life, Artificial Intelligence.

What is AI? What are its benefits and dangers? How will it change the way we work and live, and practice as dermatologists and academics.

We’re lucky to have as our guest someone who is doing a lot of ground breaking work and thin...

"Itch should be treated aggressively and that ultimately decreases the sleep disturbances and is going to leave not only better outcomes for Atopic Dermatitis, but overall."

Kirk Barber is thrilled to welcome Dr Charles Lynde to the podcast, to talk about his recent article “Sleep Disturbances in Children with Atopic Dermatitis: A Scoping Review," which features in the March/April 2023 issue of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery.

Dr Lynde is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and is also the Medical Director of Lynde Institute for De...

The first ever JCMS live podcast took place at the Canadian Dermatology Association annual conference in June. In front of a live audience, host Kirk Barber sat down with the CDA podcast producer David McGuffin for a look into the world of podcasting. They discuss David's journey from CBC international reporter and war correspondent, to his work as a Senior Producer at NPR as it became a crucible for the podcasting boom, and then starting his own podcast production company and working with the CDA. It's a fascinating discussion full of questions and answers about this new, fast growing...

"We can have AI to read all the reports. I feel getting all that information will enable us to do what we're really good at as physicians, taking care of people and really getting the best decision."

McGill's Dr Philippe Lefrancois joins the JCMS Pod for a conversation about AI that Kirk describes as "intriguing and clearly the future."

Their discussion focuses on Dr Lafrancois' article in the Jan/Feb issue of JCMS: “Artificial Intelligence Training in Canadian Dermatology to Increase Dermatologists Engagement and Enhance Medical Practice," co-authored by Dr Maxine Joly-Chevrier.

They ta...

How to generate more interest in skin science research in Canada

In this special Editor's Choice episode of the JCMS Podcast, Kirk is joined by Dr Cathryn Sibbald to discuss Alopecia Areata. 

Cathryn is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto Medical School and a staff dermatologist at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, with a special interest in inflammatory and autoimmune skin conditions. 

And our interest with Cathryn is that she runs a clinic specifically related to Alopecia.

The focus of Kirk and Cathryn's discussion is around her article which you will find as an in-depth review in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Sur...

On this episode of JCMS Author Interviews, we take you to Verona, Italy for a conversation with Dr Paolo Gisondi about a very important topic: The Metabolic Aspects of Psoriasis. The conversation is based around Dr Gisondi's article in the May/June 2022 edition of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery titled: "Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Is Associated With Reduced Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients With Chronic Plaque Psoriasis."

As Kirk says about this conversation, "It's fascinating to learn how Dr Gisondi changed his practice over time. He's got an expertise and interest in the metabolic area...

"Empathy goes a long way in making the patient increase their adherence to our treatment options, our management plans."

Dr Marlene Dytoc joins Kirk to discuss her letters on why empathy is an important tool in dermatology practices. They appear in the Sept/Oct 2022 and Jan/Feb 2023 issues of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. She and Kirk talk about why empathy helps improve patient outcomes, why it is compatible with efficiency, the many ways doctors can use empathy, including everything from helping patients prep ahead of time for visits, their check-in, wait time...