iTS-CORE

Skin disease affects one out of every four children in America. In rural communities, limited access to pediatric dermatologists results in poorly controlled disease, missed school, and frequent emergency department visits.  One approach to improve health equity for children with skin disease is with innovative skin health and science education programs. 

The Interactive Technology for Skin: Community Outreach, Research, and Education (iTS-CORE) is an interactive educational workshop for teens. Our community engagement program is unique in that we provide dermatology-focused education with new virtual reality and augmented reality platforms that teach students valuable lessons about how to take care of their skin, the largest organ in the body! In parallel, we explore what it means to be a dermatologist. Students engage directly with medical students and dermatologists, gaining inspiration and insight into careers like nursing, physician assistants, and physician-scientist roles. By combining innovative technology, mentorship, and unique hands-on experiences, we provide a transformative learning environment that empowers students to envision and pursue their future in healthcare and dermatology. 

We have community partnerships. The goals of our community outreach program are to:

• Teach students about the structure of skin, how the skin functions, and how to choose skin care products and sunscreen.
• Teach important tips about sun safety, the effects of  ultraviolet radiation, and skin cancer prevention
• Provide hands-on experience using cutting-edge dermatology equipment, such as non-invasive imaging equipment with AI and biophysical measurement tools

• We have the perfect setting at Stanford with experts in child skin health and community-based educational programs, Wipe Out Melanoma-California, and novel technologies to advance health equity.
• We are using  Augmented Reality (AR) and/or Virtual Reality (VR) to teach critical skin cancer prevention lessons.
• AR/VR can be used to change behavior by visualizing the future self and practicing healthy skin care routines, like applying sunscreen.

• Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and prevention is critical.
• Just one blistering sunburn in childhood doubles the chance of melanoma.
• Photodamage can occur even when there is no visible sunburn.
• The time to intervene with skin cancer prevention education is in early childhood and adolescence.

• We aim to reduce suffering from skin cancer through an AR/VR educational intervention in middle and high school. In this game, students will:

• Create an avatar with personalized features.
• Paint on sunscreen.
• Choose fun hats and sunglasses.
• Seek shade.
• Visualize future face with and without sun protection.
• See the effects of photodamage with wrinkles, sunspots, and skin growths.