Meet the Team

Vincent Wan

  • Vincent is a Doctor of Medicine Candidate at the University of British Columbia (2024) and is deeply interested in learning about the psychosocial components to skin diseases such as acne vulgaris. Through his own personal experiences with acne and supporting his mom through her journey with atopic dermatitis (eczema), he has developed interest in the advocacy of marginalized and underrepresented populations who have difficulty accessing care. He has worked with youth for over ten years as a piano teacher and enjoys singing and playing various instruments in musical ensembles in his free time.

Co-Founder & President

Rishika Selvakumar

  • Rishika graduated with a Bachelor of Science from UBC in 2022 and is currently in her last year of the Master of Public Health program at UBC. She is interested in exploring the healthcare field. She joined AEP to support acne education and de-stigmatization.

President

Mehdi Tabesh

Research Coordinator

  • Mehdi graduated with a Bachelor of Science from UBC with a major in Microbiology & Immunology. He joined AEP to educate the younger generation about the facts and myths surrounding acne. Through his own struggles with eczema during elementary and high school, he hopes to destigmatize acne and give young students the tools they need to take better care of themselves and their peers.

Sania Julian

Research Development Lead

  • Sania graduated from UBC in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Sciences. She has a strong interest in healthcare, and joined AEP to help increase and awareness and understanding regarding acne education. She hopes to help increase confidence among youth.

Hannah Salcudean

  • In 2022, Hannah graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Science - specializing in Computer Science and Life Sciences. She is currently completing a Master of Science degree at the University of Southern California. She hopes to continue her education in the medical field in the coming years. Having struggled with teenage acne, Hannah is passionate about using her experience to help educate youth and reduce the stigma around the disorder.

Outreach Executive

Mark Wang

President

  • Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2023 from UBC and is currently pursing a MSc in Medicine. As part of AEP, Mark aims to educate young audiences about acne to dispel misinformation, promote self-esteem, and foster a better understanding of skin health. His goal is to create a supportive environment that empowers individuals to take control of their skincare and address the emotional impact that acne and other skin conditions can have on confidence and well-being.

Michelle Pham

  • In 2023, Michelle graduated from the Bachelor of Science program with a major in Integrated Sciences, specializing in Pathophysiology and Microbiology. She is currently at Western University pursuing her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy. Having struggled with her own acne journey throughout her adolescence, she found that a major factor in her prolonged struggle had to do with the large amount of inaccurate information surrounding the cause of acne and its treatments. The process of trialing various treatments proved to be not only be costly but also time-consuming and detrimental to her skin. Michelle joined Acne Education Project (AEP) in hopes of reducing this misinformation and utilizing this platform to spread evidence-based knowledge to those struggling with skin conditions.

Research Development Executive

Heather Rathgeber

Outreach Lead

  • Heather is a third-year neuroscience student at UBC and has a strong interest in pediatric mental health and medical advocacy. She joined AEP to empower young students in their transition to adolescence by equipping them with evidence-based tools. Heather’s goal is to help destigmatize acne and facilitate open conversations about its impact on self-image and overall wellbeing.

Mahan Maazi

Vice-President

  • Mahan is a second-year medical student at UBC in Vancouver and has a passion in skin disease, acne, and medical advocacy. As part of AEP, Mahan’s goal is to go beyond medicine to address education and awareness around acne in hopes of improving the condition in his community and targeting the psychosocial impacts of acne and skin disease.

Co-founders: Jeffrey Toy, MD (2020-2023), Jason Lee, MD (2020-2023)
Alumni Members: Miranda Tsu, B.Sc (2020-2022), Prabhu Gill, PharmD (2020-2022); Nicole Leith, B.Sc (2020-2023); Madeline Renner, B.A. (2022-2023), Sandy Lum, BASc, MD Candidate (2022-2023); Amy Zeglinski-Spinney, B.Sc, MD Candidate (2023)