MELA Sciences Announces Election of R. Rox Anderson, MD, to Board of Directors
R. Rox Anderson, M.D., was elected to the MELA Sciences, Inc.’s board of directors at its Annual General Meeting of Stockholders held on September 30, 2015 in Philadelphia. With Dr. Anderson's election, the MELA board of directors has increased to seven members, six of whom are independent.
Jeffrey F. O'Donnell, Chairman of the MELA Board, stated, "Having Dr. Anderson on our Board benefits MELA in so many ways, not the least of which is that Dr. Anderson led the team that developed the first XTRAC® system at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is very familiar with the product, its history and potential. The Board will benefit from his knowledge and counsel. On a personal level, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to work with him again."
"We are delighted to have Dr. Anderson as a member of MELA's board of directors," said Michael R. Stewart, MELA's President and CEO. "Dr. Anderson is a key thought leader in the treatment of dermatological disorders, and conceived and developed many of the non-scarring laser treatments now widely used in dermatology. He has an extensive academic background and impeccable reputation. His significant knowledge and accomplishments in photomedicine will be invaluable to the Company as we integrate our recent acquisition of the XTRAC and VTRAC® businesses and seek new areas of growth in dermatology."
"I am excited to have joined MELA's Board at this stage in the Company's development," said Dr. Anderson. "I am very familiar with the recently acquired XTRAC and VTRAC systems and believe that MELA is now poised to become an important commercial player in dermatology. I look forward to assisting the Company in achieving that status."
Dr. Anderson is a professor at Harvard Medical School, an adjunct professor at MIT, and director of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He conceived and developed non-scarring dermatologic surgery using selectively-absorbed laser pulses, which is now the preferred basis for treatment of birthmarks, pigmented lesions, tattoos, hypertrichosis and other conditions. He has made many contributions to the understanding and development of laser-tissue interactions, tissue optics, photodynamic therapy, and optical diagnostics.
An active practitioner, teacher and researcher, Dr. Anderson's research includes diagnostic tissue imaging and spectroscopy, photodynamic therapy, mechanisms of laser-tissue interactions, adipose tissue biology, low-level light effects and novel therapies for skin disorders. He has authored or co-authored over 250 scientific books and research papers, and 65 issued patents. Dr. Anderson received awards from the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery, and the American Academy of Dermatology.