The Women’s Dermatologic Society has announced Valerie Callender, M.D., as the President of WDS and a member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Callender joined the Women’s Dermatologic Society as a member in January of 1991 and became active through her participation with the WDS Service Committee, as it so closely reflected her passion of getting involved in the community and giving back.
Since 2004, Dr. Callender has chaired multiple service events for WDS’s national sun-safety campaign, “Play Safe in the Sun,” to conduct free skin cancer screenings for event participants and the public. Dr. Callender and WDS partnered with other organizations, such as La Roche-Posey, the Ladies Professional Golf Association, Susan G. Komen, The Links and the Congressional Black Caucus. She also organized local community service events through the WDS Coast-to-Coast and Dove Self-Esteem programs. Dr. Callender’s contributions to WDS also include serving as the WDS Secretary from 2010-2013, Board of Directors 2006-2013, WDS Fundraising Committee Co-Chair from 2011-2013, WDS Long Range Planning Committee Chair from 2013-2014, and mentoring several dermatologic residents through the WDS Mentorship Award Program.
The Women's Dermatologic Society, founded in 1973, and is dedicated to helping dermatologists fulfill their greatest potential and assisting them in making a contribution to our specialty and society. To achieve this goal, the Society relies on the active participation of its members, who represent a diverse cross-section of professional subspecialties. Currently there are approximately 1,500 national and international members while the numbers rise daily.
The mission of the Women's Dermatologic Society is to support dermatologists by striving to promote leadership, development of relationships through mentoring and networking, demonstrate a commitment to service through community outreach and volunteerism, provide a forum for communications and research relevant to women’s and family issues, advocate excellence in patient care and education and promote the highest ethical standards.
Dr. Valerie Callender is an internationally recognized Board Certified Dermatologist, who is known for her sensitive and cutting-edge approach to management of hair loss in women, the treatment of pigmented disorders and is also a prolific contributor to the dermatology literature. She has co-edited a textbook on Treatment for Skin of Color and has written 18 textbook chapters and more than 45 peer-reviewed articles for academic journals. Dr. Callender is a frequently invited speaker to national and international meetings, where she has made more than 160 presentations, including presentations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Portugal, South Africa, United Kingdom, and many others. Dr. Callender has been a Visiting Professor at many dermatology programs, including the Mayo Clinic, Brown University, Boston University, Tufts University, The State University of New York, University of Maryland and the Henry Ford Health System.
Dr. Callender has conducted and participated in over 40 research studies and clinical trials for both therapeutic and cosmetic products and is a consultant for some of the world’s leading cosmetic and consumer brands. She is the medical director of the Callender Dermatology & Cosmetic Center, which combines medical and surgical dermatology, clinical research, medical skin care, and aesthetics procedures in a relaxing spa environment. Dr. Callender received her medical degree from Howard University, where she also did her residency and currently serves as an Associate Professor of Dermatology.
