RAD Scholars
The RAD Scholars program recognizes an elite cohort of medical students and residents who demonstrate an exceptional passion for, and commitment to, the field of rural dermatology.
Hand-selected by the RADS Board of Directors following a rigorous peer-review of submitted abstracts for each event, these individuals represent the next generation of leadership in underserved medicine.
Being named a RAD Scholar is a distinct honor, celebrating both academic excellence and a dedicated focus on expanding dermatological care to rural communities.
2026
Rafael Ozan Homer
University of Washington School of Medicine
Laramie, WY
2026 RAD Scholar - AAD
Presentation
Higher Detection of Clinically Significant Skin Lesions and Preventable Sun-Safety Risk Patterns in Rural Communities
Background
Rural communities face unique barriers to early skin cancer detection and sun-safety education. This project explores patterns of clinically significant skin lesion detection and preventable sun-exposure risks in rural settings.
Student Focus
Rafael Homer is a medical student with deep ties to Wyoming whose work centers on rural dermatology access, community-based skin cancer screening, telehealth research, and health policy advocacy. He is actively involved with The Sun Bus, supporting rural screening events, coordinating student volunteers, and contributing to research efforts.
Future Directions
Rafael plans to return to Wyoming to help expand access to dermatologic care through innovative care delivery models, telehealth, and policy-driven solutions.
Roma Kishor Desai
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Hopkinsville, KY
2026 RAD Scholar - AAD
Presentation
Dermatologist Availability and Family Physician Skin Procedural Activity in Early Melanoma Detection
Background
Early melanoma detection depends on access to dermatologic expertise, yet many rural and underserved areas face significant workforce shortages. This project examines how dermatologist availability and family physician–performed skin procedures support early melanoma detection and address geographic disparities in care.
Student Focus
Roma Desai is a second-year medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, committed to improving dermatologic access in underserved communities. She is a Visiting Scholar at the American Board of Family Medicine, Lead Dermatology Clinic Coordinator at the Salvation Army Clinic, and an Academic Resource Chair at the College of Medicine, with research focused on geographic disparities and primary care’s role in skin cancer detection.
Future Directions
Roma aims to reduce disparities in dermatologic care through research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and care models that strengthen partnerships between primary care and dermatology in rural and underserved communities.
Clayton Frazier
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Fayetteville, AR
2026 RAD Scholar - AAD
Presentation
Access Is a Journey: A Patient-Centered, One-Hour View of Rural Dermatology Across States
Background
Access to dermatologic care varies widely across rural regions and state lines, creating fragmented patient experiences and delayed diagnosis. This presentation offers a patient-centered, cross-state perspective on rural dermatology, illustrating how geographic, systemic, and workforce factors shape access to care and highlighting opportunities to improve continuity and equity for rural patients.
Student Focus
Clayton Frazier is a second-year medical student at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences who grew up in rural Arkansas, where firsthand exposure to healthcare access disparities shaped his interest in dermatology and health services research. His work on access disparities has been published in JAAD International and Pediatric Dermatology, and he is a 2025 recipient of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance Emerging Investigator Research Grant.
Future Directions
Clayton plans to pursue a career in dermatology focused on improving access for underserved communities, both domestically and globally, through patient-centered care, research, and innovative models that bridge gaps across rural healthcare systems.
Mahak Sharma
NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine–Arkansas
Jonesboro, AR
2026 RAD Scholar - AAD
Background
Limited access to dermatologic education and preventive resources contributes to delayed diagnosis and poorer outcomes in underserved communities. SkinScope explores innovative approaches to improving dermatologic literacy through community engagement, digital tools, and early education, with the goal of empowering patients and expanding equitable access to skin health knowledge.
Student Focus
Mahak Sharma is a second-year medical student at NYITCOM–Arkansas pursuing a career in dermatology. Training in a rural medical setting has given her firsthand insight into barriers to specialty care, shaping her commitment to underserved populations. She serves as President of the Dermatology Interest Group, Vice President of the Interdisciplinary Medical Research Association, and Community Outreach Director for SOMA. She is an Edward Giuliano Fellow with global research experience in Athens, Greece, and an AOF Prairie State Scholar recognized for leadership and advocacy.
Future Directions
Mahak aims to advance equitable access to dermatologic care through community outreach, research, and the integration of digital literacy and emerging technologies into patient education and medical training.
Jagjit “Jag” Lally
University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry
2025 RAD Scholar - Reporting at the 2026 AAD
Presentation
Utilization of Existing Infrastructure and Geospatial Modeling to Mitigate Dermatology Deserts in Rural America
Background
Large geographic gaps in dermatologic care persist across rural America, creating significant barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment. This project examines how existing healthcare infrastructure, combined with geospatial modeling and advanced analytics, can be leveraged to identify dermatology deserts and inform targeted, data-driven strategies to improve access in underserved rural regions.
Student Focus
Jag Lally is a third-year medical student at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry completing a dedicated research year. Raised in a rural community in Northern California, he brings personal perspective to his work using large-scale datasets and advanced algorithms to address rural dermatology access gaps. His research also includes developing predictive biomarkers and analytic models to better understand treatment response in eczema and other dermatologic conditions.
Future Directions
Jag aims to advance equitable access to dermatologic care in rural America through data-driven innovation, applying geospatial analysis, predictive modeling, and health systems research to inform scalable solutions for underserved communities
Anisha Venkatesh
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine | Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital
2026 RAD Scholar
RADS 1st Annual Meeting | St. Louis, MO
Presentation
Rural and Underserved Training Opportunities: A National Assessment of U.S. Dermatology Residency Programs
Background
I am currently completing my transitional year residency at Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital while reapplying to dermatology residency. I am deeply committed to improving access to dermatologic care for underserved and rural communities.
My passion for health equity began through community outreach initiatives in college, where I organized mental health wellness classes at a local homeless shelter. During medical school, I continued to pursue service opportunities through leadership. As President of my school’s dermatology club, I developed new community service initiatives, including teaching kids about sun safety at an economically disadvantaged middle school. My love for service and education inspired me to found a program in North Philadelphia where I partnered with local barbers to provide education on common skin and hair conditions, particularly among unhoused individuals and vulnerable populations. Throughout my medical training, I have worked to better understand the barriers to healthcare access, including participating in global medical outreach experiences in two separate countries where I contributed to patient care alongside physicians in rural settings with limited resources.
These experiences solidified my commitment to developing educational initiatives and working directly with my community to expand dermatologic care. I am passionate about blending my love for dermatology with global and undeserved medicine as well as advocating for my patients who experience limited access to care. I am honored to attend the first RADS Conference and grateful for the opportunity to apply to be a RADS Scholar.
Katie Lu
University of California, San Fransisco
2026 RAD Scholar
RADS 1st Annual Meeting | St. Louis, MO
Presentation
TBA
Background
Katie Lu is a medical student at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Her research focuses on improving access to dermatologic care through rural workforce development, teledermatology, and medical education, as well as clinical research in dermato-oncology.
Her work has been published in journals including JAMA Dermatology, JAAD International, and Cell Reports Medicine.
Sophia Kermet
Florida State College of Medicine
2026 RAD Scholar
RADS 1st Annual Meeting | St. Louis, MO
Presentation
Trust Before Technology: Insights Into Rural Patients' Acceptance of Clinician-Guided AI in Dermatology
Background
I was born in Canada to immigrant parents who fled Eastern Europe during the communist in search of safety and opportunity. My parents later won a green card to the United States, coming to pursue the American Dream, something that has shaped my own values and aspirations.
Growing up, I traveled throughout Florida and the southeastern United States as a competitive tennis player while being homeschooled, which exposed me to a wide range of communities, but my parents also choose to live in smaller towns like the villages they grew up in Europe. These experiences gave me a strong appreciation for the resilience, independence, and close-knit nature in rural towns. I was recruited to play NCAA Division I tennis in Texas and following college knew I wanted to follow my dream of giving back and living in the same communities I grew up in.
I currently shadow with Dermatology Associates of Tallahassee, where I rotate through satellite clinics serving rural populations across North Florida. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to improving access to dermatologic care in rural communities, and I hope to continue serving in these settings throughout my career in research and medicine.
Rachel Thomas
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Rockford
2026 RAD Scholar
RADS 1st Annual Meeting | St. Louis, MO
Presentation
TBA
Background
I am a third-year student in the Rural Medical Education (RMED) program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.
Growing up in a small town in Central Illinois, I witnessed both the beauty and the challenges of rural healthcare. I am currently active in melanoma, psychodermatology, and rural health research projects.
RAD Scholars Archive
2025
Natasha Salmen
Presentation:
Event: AAD Innovation | Chicago
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Hometown: Columbiana, OH
Andres Parga
Presentation:
Event: Wyoming Academy of Dermatology
Residency: Transition Year Resident at HCA Florida Healthcare
Ty Theriot
Presentation:
Event: AAD Annual Meeting
Medical School: Louisiana State University
Hometown: St. Martinville, LA
Jag Lally
Presentation:
Event: AAD Innovation | Chicago
Medical School: University of Rochester Medical Center
Hometown: Yuba City, CA
Shelby Salisbury
Presentation:
Event: Wyoming Academy of Dermatology
Medical School: University of Missouri School of Medicine
Hometown: Centralia, MO
Brailyn Weber
Presentation:
Event: AAD Annual Meeting
Medical School: University of North Dakota
Hometown: Fargo, ND
Roma Desai
Presentation:
Event: 1st Annual Research Symposium
Most Outstanding Presentation
Medical School: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Hometown: Hopkinsville, KY
Sarah Hayek
Presentation:
Event: Wyoming Academy of Dermatology
Medical School: University of Mississippi Medical Center
Hometown: Greenville, MS
Tharani Murali
Presentation:
Event: AAD Annual Meeting
Medical School: University of New Mexico
Hometown: Las Cruces, NM
RAD Scholars Archive
2024
John Carl Barba II, MD, MPH
Presentation:
Event:
Medical School: The Ohio State University
Hometown: Byesville, OH