Leading Dermatologists Get Skin in the Game: Parallel Health Forms Clinical Board to Train AI on Microbiome Data

Parallel Health's Dermatology AI Advisory Team — a cohort of board-certified dermatologists spanning Mohs surgery, cosmetic dermatology, inflammatory disease, and microbiome research, assembled to advance the future of Microbiome Dermatology™.

Board-certified specialists join precision health startup to build AI that predicts skin flares, treatment responses, and disease risk

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, December 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Parallel Health, the predictive precision health company pioneering Microbiome Dermatology™, today announced the formation of its clinical AI advisory team — a cohort of dermatologists spanning aesthetics, oncology, infectious disease, and inflammatory conditions. The group will guide the company's clinical strategy and help train its AI models on proprietary skin microbiome data that could fundamentally change how we understand, predict, and treat chronic skin conditions.

The timing couldn't be more critical. Despite decades of research into skin conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea, treatment remains largely trial-and-error, with patients often cycling through multiple therapies before finding relief. Meanwhile, the skin microbiome, defined as the ecosystem of trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living on our skin, has emerged as a key player in everything from inflammatory disease to skin aging to cancer risk. But until now, no company has had the technology or clinical infrastructure to translate this science into actionable diagnostics and treatments.

"We're not just adding off-the-shelf probiotic ingredients to skincare and calling it microbiome science," said Dr. Nathan Brown, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Parallel Health. "We've built a platform that combines quantitative whole genome sequencing of the skin microbiome with the largest characterized phage and bacterial biobank in dermatology. Now, with this clinical AI advisory team, we can validate what we're seeing in the data and build AI models that actually work in real-world clinical settings."

Unlike most microbiome tests that simply identify which bacteria are present, Parallel's platform quantifies bacterial loads, tracks changes over time, and maps the entire microbial ecosystem on the skin. The company then deploys precision interventions: targeted pre-, pro-, and postbiotic formulations, custom peptide compounds, personalized phages, and, when needed, custom-compounded prescription treatments.

The newly assembled advisory team brings diverse and deep expertise: cosmetic dermatology, skin cancer treatment, complex infectious diseases, and chronic inflammatory conditions, with several holding faculty positions at leading medical institutions and active research programs.

"What Parallel is forging is a critical, missing puzzle piece that may inform and revolutionize the way we diagnose and care for our patients," said Dr. Seaver Soon, board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon. "We finally have the genomic tools and computational power to move beyond one-size-fits-all treatments. This is personalized medicine actually becoming personal."

"I've been treating dermatitis, rosacea, and acne for over 20 years, and it's very difficult to find the right optimal treatments for patients for these conditions that impact their quality of life and confidence," said Dr. David Chu, board-certified dermatologist specializing in inflammatory skin conditions and biotech executive. "The microbiome data Parallel is generating could finally give us answers. Two patients with the same condition may respond differently to the same therapy. When I see two patients with identical-looking issues but different microbiome profiles, it makes perfect sense why they may need different treatments, and the microbiome may serve as a guide. This is the future of personalized dermatology."

The derm advisory team will serve multiple roles: reviewing clinical protocols, guiding product development, contributing to research publications, and, critically, helping label and validate the datasets that power Parallel's predictive models. The company is training AI to forecast skin flares, predict treatment responses, identify early markers of skin cancer, and potentially flag systemic health issues that manifest through skin microbiome changes.

For aesthetic dermatologists, the implications extend beyond treating disease to preventing aging. "Patients invest thousands in anti-aging, but the microbiome, while vital, is not well understood," said Dr. Deirdre Hooper, board-certified dermatologist specializing in cosmetic, medical, and laser dermatology. "What excites me is accessing novel data to identify microbial signatures of healthy versus aging skin, which can transform the field of aesthetics."

For patients, this could mean getting the right treatment on the first try instead of the fifth. For dermatologists, it means having diagnostic tools that go beyond visual inspection. For the healthcare system, it means potentially preventing expensive complications through early intervention.

The announcement comes as Parallel prepares to raise its next funding round to scale its testing platform, expand its product line, and accelerate its AI development. The company has already attracted interest from investors betting on the convergence of microbiome science, precision medicine, and artificial intelligence.

"We're creating an entirely new category, Microbiome Dermatology™, and we're doing it with the clinical rigor and scientific firepower to back it up," said Natalise Kalea Robinson, CEO. "I’m excited to work with brilliant clinicians who see this gap and want to help close it."

The Parallel Health Dermatology Advisory Team:
Dr. Nicole Annest — Board-certified Mohs surgeon; Skin cancer treatment & facial reconstruction specialist
Dr. Melissa Camouse — Founder, Clear Dermatology; Clinical Assistant Professor, Western University; Medical, cosmetic & integrative dermatology
Dr. David Chu — Chief Medical Officer, Castle Creek Biosciences; PhD Immunology; Led Zoryve approvals at Arcutis
Dr. Alvin Coda — Microbiome & innate immunity researcher; Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Scripps Clinic
Dr. Ramin Fathi — Board-certified Mohs surgeon; Assistant Professor, Mayo Clinic; ACMS 2025 Scientific Program Chair
Dr. Matthew Hand — Board-certified Mohs surgeon; Facial plastic surgery & cosmetic dermatology; Harvard Advancing Innovation in Dermatology
Dr. Deirdre Hooper — Associate Clinical Professor, LSU & Tulane; President-Elect, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery; Chair, WDS Legacy Council
Dr. Rachael Moore — Board-certified Mohs surgeon; PIH Health; Volunteer surgeon, LA VA Hospital
Dr. Tri Nguyen — Board-certified Mohs surgeon; Established first Mohs program, MD Anderson; Reconstructive surgery & phlebology
Dr. Roberta Sengelmann — Board-certified Mohs surgeon; Cosmetic surgery & facial rejuvenation; Co-editor, "Surgery of the Skin"; ASDS Board Director
Dr. Seaver Soon — Board-certified Mohs surgeon; President, International Peeling Society; Microbiome
Dr. Daniel Zelac — Chair, Cancer Committee, Scripps Clinic & Green Hospital; Board-certified Mohs surgeon, Scripps Clinic

With a biobank of over 10,000 characterized microbial strains, proprietary genomic data from thousands of patients, and now a world-class clinical advisory team, Parallel Health is positioning itself as the definitive platform for microbiome-based dermatology. And if the company's vision plays out, your next trip to the dermatologist might involve a microbiome test before it involves a prescription pad.

Olivia Jensen
Parallel Health
+1 310-571-8237
press@parallelhealth.io
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