Acne Academy Members

Alison Layton M.B;Ch.B.; FRCP

Dr Alison Layton was appointed as Consultant Dermatologist at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust in 1994.  She has a particular interest in androgen mediated disorders including acne and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).  She sits on the Executive Council of PCOS UK.  She has conducted many clinic trials embracing acne and rosacea as well as other inflammatory dermatoses.  She is also involved in basic science research looking at the immunology and microbiological aspects of acne.  She is one of the reviewers for the prodigy guidelines for rosacea and acne as well as for a number of NICE guidelines related to dermatological conditions.  She has written the acne chapter for the eighth edition of Rook’s Textbook of Dermatology and a recent chapter on Sebaceous  Gland disorders for the Oxford Textbook of Medicine.  She has lectured and presented at many international symposiums on subjects related to acne and rosacea and has written many chapters and review articles specifically relating to these conditions. Dr Layton is Associate Medical Director for research for her trust.

Christine Clark BSc, MSc, PhD, FRPharmS, FCPP (Hon)

Christine Clark was appointed as the first teacher/practitioner in clinical pharmacy in the UK.  In this post she developed clinical pharmacy practice, teaching and research activities.  She was a founder member of the United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association and served as chairman from 1985 until 1988.

She is the author of over 40 papers on clinical pharmacy and the winner of several awards for distinguished practice in pharmacy.

She has worked extensively with the pharmaceutical industry and has been involved in many joint projects. She served on the Commissioning Board for Health Technology Assessment for six years.

In 1996 she started to develop an interest in dermatology. In 2002 she completed a PhD in evidence-based medicine, focused on the treatment of psoriasis.  She has served as a member of the National Eczema Society Scientific Committee, the Dermatology Workforce Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skin. Until December 2005 she held a part-time post as Research Fellow in Clinical Therapeutics at Bradford University. In 2006, she was appointed to the NICE Guidelines Development Group for childhood eczema. She is also an honorary fellow of the College of Pharmacy Practice. Currently she works as a medical writer and consultant.

Career achievements

• Established practice as a freelance medical writer. Clients include major pharma companies, medical device manufacturers and numerous pharmaceutical publications.  Projects include preparation of conference reports, news items, feature article and advisory board reports.
• Recognised as a pharmacist with specialist knowledge in dermatology.
• Established consultancy practice built on extensive knowledge and experience of pharmacy in the health service. Clients include hospitals in the UK and Sweden, Government bodies and professional organisations. Projects include annual reports, practice guidelines and reports of compliance with practice standards.
• Recent work in the fields of controlled drugs (narcotics), medication safety, handling of hazardous drugs, anticoagulation, diagnostic imaging and dermatology.
• Experienced presenter of workshops for community pharmacists in medicines use reviews in dermatology and pain.
• Founder member and past chairman of the United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association
• Author of over 40 papers on clinical pharmacy and the winner of several awards for distinguished practice in pharmacy.
• January 2009 – elected Chairman of the Skin Care Campaign

Keith Freeman FRCP

Consultant Dermatologist, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust & Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust

Keith has been a Consultant Dermatologist for over 20 years, and has worked in the Armed Forces, NHS and private sectors.  He looked after very large numbers of service personnel with acne early in his career and has continued this interest.  Patients with acne make up a significant part of his clinical practice. 

He is a proponent of integrated dermatology services which cross the traditional boundary between primary and secondary care.  He has therefore been actively involved in developing co-ordinated strategies to deal with acne of differing degrees of severity, both physical and psychological.

Stephen Kownacki MBBS, LRCP, MRCS, DRCOG, MRCGP

A GP first and foremost for more than 30 years Stephen  developed an interest in skin disease while he was in training for general practice. He has nurtured his interest and knowledge through a long standing attachment to a specialist skin department in Northampton and was a founder member and is now the executive chairman of the Primary Care Dermatology Society. The PCDS represents over a thousand GPs with an interest in dermatology and exists to provide education for them and any one else who will listen.

He has a history of lecturing, writing for magazines and working with nurses to provide services to the public in general and for young people in particular. Helping those with acne as well as eczema and psoriasis.He set up an open access clinic for local people in his area which, while there was money, proved very successful. This was to educate and inform people of the best way to look after their skin since so many people have never been properly taught how to use treatments they have bought or been prescribed.

He is passionate about making knowledge and facilities available for sufferers of skin disease through political (with a small “p”) changes as well as through education of all health care workers and their patients.

Rebecca Penzer RN, BSc, MSc

Rebecca is a Community Dermatology Specialist Nurse in King’s Lynn for Norfolk Community Health and Care.  She has recently become a Visiting Clinical Fellow of the Faculty of Health and Human Sciences at the University of Hertfordshire.  She is the co-Editor of Dermatological Nursing (the official journal of the British Dermatological Nursing Group) and on the Editorial Board of Community Dermatology, a journal aimed at a health care professional audience in the developing world.  Other committee work includes acting as Trustee to the Psoriasis Association.  In 2009 she received the Stone Award from the BDNG for her contribution to dermatological nursing.  She has published and presented widely.