The Byrdie Review Boards

​Onyeka Obioha, MD is an L.A.-based board certified medical and cosmetic dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, as well as a member of the Skin of Color Society.  She received her undergraduate degree from Brown University and completed medical school at UCLA. She completed her dermatology residency training at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NYC, where she served as chief resident during her final year. She specializes in skincare, ethnic skin, cosmetic procedures, hair loss, acne, and hyperpigmentation. 

Dendy Engelman, MD, FACMS, FAAD is a highly sought after dermatologic surgeon and lecturer both in the U.S. and in the global arena. She has been featured in hundreds of publications and regularly provides expert advice on television shows like ABC 7 and The Today Show. She consults with multiple beauty brands, and treats and advises many of the leaders, contributors, and experts in the beauty space. In recognition of her achievements, Engelman recently served as the Director of Dermatologic Surgery at New York Medical College, where she trained future Mohs surgeons and dermatologists.

Kavita Mariwalla, MD is a board-certified dermatologist who graduated from Yale University undergraduate and Yale University School of Medicine. She has been a practicing dermatologist for over 16 years and launched her own dermatology practice in West Islip, NY over 8 years ago. As the former Director of Cutaneous Oncology at the Beth Israel Cancer Center in Manhattan, Mariwalla specializes in skin cancer detection and treatment and is a fellowship-trained Mohs Surgeon by the American College of Mohs Surgery. She is also an expert in facial reconstruction and a thought leader in aesthetic dermatology. Mariwalla is a member of the Board of Directors for the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery as well as a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, Women’s Dermatologic Society and American Society for Laser and Medicine and Surgery.

Morgan Rabach, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of LM Medical PLLC, a Dermatology and Facial Plastic Surgery practice that she started with her sister, Dr. Lesley Rabach. In addition to her private practice, she is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Rabach's expertise has been featured in hundreds of print and online publications, as well as on podcasts and TV. 

Michele Farber, MD, FAAD is a New York-based board-certified dermatologist practicing at Schweiger Dermatology in Murray Hill. Her expertise is in skin cancer and general, cosmetic, and procedural dermatology. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed dermatology journals and she has lectured at several dermatology conferences. When she’s not working Dr. Farber is an avid swimmer, tennis player, and traveler.

Julia A. Siegel, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Boston, Massachusetts and practicing at Boston Dermatology and Laser Center. She is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and has authored several peer-reviewed articles that have appeared in both medical and pediatric dermatology journals. She is passionate about preventive care and treats patients of all ages.

Lucy Chen, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Miami, FL. She specializes in Mohs surgery and cutaneous oncology. Her special interests within her field include skin cancer, particularly melanoma, dermoscopy and MOHS surgery. Dr. Chen was born in China and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not working she likes to spend time with her husband, adopted dog, and watching college football.

Lily Talakoub, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist working out of her practice, McLean Dermatology and Skincare Center, in Virginia. Dr. Talakoub has special interests in medical and cosmetic dermatology, and dermatologic surgery and is an expert in diagnosing and treating all adult and pediatric skin disorders, skin cancer surgery and cosmetic dermatology. Dr. Talakoub also serves as a columnist for Dermatology News and previously worked as a medical writer for ABC News. 

Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, is a cosmetic and medical dermatologist practicing in Manhattan, and has spoken at multiple medical conferences nationally. She serves as a faculty member at Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Department of Dermatology, where she completed her dermatology residency. While completing her medical degree at Tulane University School of Medicine, Nazarian was awarded a grant from the Women’s Dermatology Society. Nazarian is a board-certified dermatologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Karen Kagha, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in Boston. She aims to diversify beauty standards and, armed with experiences in pageantry and television, she believes media has an immense power to help her achieve this mission. She has a particular interest in evidence-based aesthetic medicine and in 2021 she partnered with Madison Beer and Vanessa Hudgens to launch their own skin care line. 

Marisa Garshick, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at Cornell where she teaches residents about reviewing the latest dermatology literature. Her specialties include general medical dermatology, including adults and pediatrics, and cosmetic dermatology, including neurotoxins, fillers, chemical peels, and lasers.

Sandy Skotnicki, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist who has been practicing in Toronto, Canada since 1997. Dr. Skotnicki founded Toronto’s Bay Dermatology Centre and serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, divisions of Dermatology and Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Toronto.Her interests particularly focus on allergies and irritation and skin care. She has contributed to various medical journals and has been featured on CBC radio, Elle Canada, and the Toronto Star. She has also authored the bestselling book, Beyond Soap: The Real Truth About What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful, Healthy Glow.

Geeta Yadav, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She began her dermatology career at the Women’s College Hospital and eventually opened her own clinic, Facet Dermatology. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and has extensive experience and training in medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology.

Stacy Chimento, MD, is a board-certified Dermatologist currently residing in Bay Harbor Islands, FL. After growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, she attended Loyola University and would go on to receive her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Miami, all before pursuing her medical career. She has been trained in general medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology and holds an expertise in acne, rosacea, body contouring, laser rejuvenation and injectable aesthetic treatments.

Steven Williams, MD is a Board-certified plastic surgeon based in Oakland, California. A native of Southern California, Dr. Williams started his four-year journey at Yale Medical School where he completed a six-year residency in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.  He serves as the President of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). He is also the founder of Tri Valley Plastic Surgery.

Kimberly Lee, MD is a Board-certified, facial p​lastic & reconstructive surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California. She is the residing Director of the Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgery Center. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of Head and Neck Surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

An Ivy League-educated and fellowship-trained facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Liotta, MD, FACS is dedicated not only to her own practice, but to continued education, research, and innovation in the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Liotta performs a wide variety of facial cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, including laser treatments, BOTOX® Cosmetic, facial fillers, and cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.

JoElle Lee is a skincare expert, educator, author and celebrity esthetician with over 20 years experience in all aspects of the skincare industry. She is most noted for being the former personal esthetician to First Lady Michelle Obama and for co-authoring the bestselling book, Multicultural Skin Treatments: Learn How to Effectively Treat Skin of Color Using Chemical Peels and Laser Treatments. With comprehensive knowledge and experience as a medical esthetician and skincare specialist, JoElle is a highly regarded expert in the field of esthetics.

Rhea Souhleris Grous is the founder of La Suite Skincare at Union Square Dermatology and an aesthetics specialist with more than two decades of skincare experience. Rhea trained with the top estheticians in Melbourne, Paris, Boston and New York and spent ten years as the head—and most requested—esthetician at Bliss Spa in Manhattan. She opened the doors to La Suite Skincare at Union Square Laser Dermatology in 2018, introducing a refreshed aesthetics space with cutting-edge services and new talent.

Jodi Shays has been a licensed esthetician in California for 20 years. She is the owner of Queen Bee Salon & Spa in Culver City. At 22 years old, Jodi moved from her native England to the United States. After working at a major law firm in Boston, she chose to redirect her career. Her passion for beauty took over and soon she moved to California. Since then she has made quite the name for herself as an esthetician and has been featured in several notable newspapers and magazines.

Kafele Hodari, MD is a board-certified dermatologist practicing at Hodari MD Dermatology in California. He specializes in medical dermatology, surgical dermatology, and cosmetic dermatology and aims not only to treat his patients, but to educate them.

Orit Markowitz, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. She has served as Director of Pigmented Lesions and Skin Cancer at Mount Sinai Department of Dermatology as well as Brooklyn Veterans Hospital of Downstate University Medical Center.

Tracy Evans, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in San Francisco. She completed both her internship and dermatology residency at Emory University School of Medicine. She is a member of many notable societies including the American Medical Association and The American Society of Dermatologic Surgery.  

Sunitha Posina, MD is a board-certified physician based in internal medicine in New York. After completing her medical training in India, she completed her post-graduate training in Internal Medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York. She is passionate about educating communities on chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension. She has been featured in notable publications and television news shows and is the founder of the skincare line, Sunsimaya which aims to fuse traditional eastern medicine with modern science.

Steve Klimczak, MD is an internal medicine specialist based in New Jersey. He completed medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and currently works as a hospitalist at the Atlantic Health System. He aims to find the history of his patients and what makes them unique.

Sara Twogood, MD is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist working and living in Los Angeles for more than a decade. She did her internship and residency at Los Angeles County and University of Southern California and subsequently practiced medicine at Keck Medicine of USC while serving as an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Los Angeles Magazine "Top Doctor" and has a passion for educating the public about female health and wellness.

 With a lifelong passion for female wellness and plant-based medicine, Kiana has been building her practice in the field of sexual wellness, birth work, and holistic health for over 10 years. She is a woman’s health advocate, doula, somatic sex educator, Chief Brand Educator at Foria, and a mother. Her quotes and expertise have appeared on Byrdie, as well as O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Shape, and Betches, and many others.

Amber Klimczak, MD is a fertility doctor based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. She specializes in fertility treatments including IVF, IUI, and surrogacy. She has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journal articles in the fields of genetics, assisted reproductive technology and minimally invasive surgery.

Matt Nejad, DDS, is an expert biomimetic and esthetic dentist based in Beverly Hills, California. After earning his degree he launched his own practice in order to provide Biomimetic and Esthetic dentistry, soon becoming the youngest dentist to join the USC faculty. He is a member of the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Products (SCDP) and his particular areas of interest include adhesion, polymerization stress, residual stress, biomechanics, occlusion, and esthetics.

Victoria Veytsman, DDS started a practice in her hometown of New York several years after graduating with a dentistry degree from the New York University College of Dentistry. With a background in art, her vision was merging health and beauty in a way that made going to the dentist office a completely different experience. The practice is now bicoastal with locations in both NYC and Beverly Hills. She is an advocate for female entrepreneurs and giving back on a larger scale.

Monica Johnson, PsyD earned her Psy.D. at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology, and went on to complete her postdoctoral training year at Cherokee Health Systems in Knoxville, TN. Since completing her schooling, she founded and currently runs Kind Mind Psychology, a private practice in NYC that takes evidenced-based approaches to treat a wide range of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and personality disorders.

Sanam Hafeez, PsyD has been practicing as a licensed (neuro)psychologist in New York City in varying capacities, from clinician to teaching and supervising faculty, at various institutions since 2004. In that time, she founded a center for assessments and evaluations, Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, based in Queens and Manhattan.

Dana Myers, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and life coach based in Philadelphia. She has a special interest in how race, sex, gender, ethnicity, social status and competencies impact those in marginalized communities and aims to help her clients find purpose and peace in life.

Brooke Alpert, MS, RD, CDN is a certified holistic cannabis practitioner, a nationally recognized nutrition expert and a best-selling author. She has been writing and contributing to publications as a nutrition and cannabis expert since 2007. Brooke received her Masters of Science at New York University and completed her training at Mount Sinai Hospital in affiliation with NYU. She is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Brooke completed The Holistic Cannabis Academy’s program to become a cannabis practitioner in 2018.

Andrea Mathis, MA, RDN, LD, is an Alabama-based registered dietitian nutritionist who has worked in several healthcare settings including clinical, public health, and long-term care. She is the owner of the healthy food blogs Beautiful Eats & Things and Little Eats & Things and the author of The Complete Book of Smoothies. She completed her master’s degree in health studies/health promotion from The University of Alabama.

Maryann Walsh, MFN, RD, CDE is a registered dietitian based in Palm Beach, Florida. She grew up in Rhode Island where she began to consume all the information she could about nutrition, diet, and behavior change. After earning her master's degree in Food and Nutrition she began contributing to notable magazines and television shows. She currently resides in Florida with her dog, Cannoli, named after her favorite dessert.

Kimberly Snyder is a holistic wellness expert, nutritionist, renowned speaker, certified yoga instructor, and meditation teacher. She has worked with some of the entertainment industry’s top celebrities, including Drew Barrymore, Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon, and Channing Tatum, among many others, and is the multi-time New York Times bestselling author of Radical Beauty, co-written with Deepak Chopra. Kimberly founded the Solluna and The Solluna Circle, an online and in-person community all based around its Four Cornerstones of True Beauty: food, body, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth.

Jesse Feder, RDN, is a Florida-based registered dietitian whose goal is to help clients improve their fitness and nutrition to better their lives. He completed a master's degree in nutrition and dietetics and his bachelor's degree in exercise physiology. He currently works as a registered dietitian and personal trainer at Defy Therapy and Wellness.

Briana Bain, DPT, PT is a physical therapist based in Virginia Beach, VA. She works as a Physical Therapist at Adler Therapy Group and a BodyPump Instructor at OneLife Fitness.

Harry Fischer is a Washington, D.C. based Performance Physical Therapist. After receiving his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Old Dominion University, he went on to work for Healthy Baller Physical Therapy. He specializes in rehab for high school and college athletes, as well as active adults.

Jen Polzak, MES, ACE-CPT, PN is a senior manager of fitness, overseeing two large non-profit facilities in Manhattan. She has been in the fitness industry for over a decade, specializing in nutrition coaching, personal training, post-rehabilitation exercises, and weight loss. Jen stays on top of fitness and diet trends, as they are ever-changing. She is a runner, a USAPL Powerlifter, a CrossFit athlete, and a coach.

Traci Copeland is a fitness trainer based in New York. She specializes in yoga, fitness, dance, and running. As a Nike Training Club Master Trainer, Traci aims to create workouts that will encourage women to challenge themselves in order to attain higher goals. In addition to her passion for fitness, Traci is an experienced dancer, having been a hip hop/street jazz dancer for artists including Jay Z, Beyoncé, and Black-Eyed Peas.

Joe Masiello, CSCS, MES, is the co-founder of Focus Integrated Fitness, a private personal training company based in New York City, and Focus Personal Training Institute, a state-licensed and nationally accredited institution for the training and education of personal trainers (also in New York City). He has been featured in numerous media outlets including Woman's Health, Cosmopolitan, SELF Magazine, Star Magazine, Men's Fitness, DailyMail.com, Entrepreneur, Fitness Magazine, BetterTV, and Fox 5. 

Christine Bullock has been teaching fitness and working in the beauty business around the world for over two decades. Christine is the creator of Evolution 20®, a 60-day fitness and nutritional program, Super Shred, and Body Reborn Post-Natal DVD Series. She can be seen as a trainer and judge on Netflix’s “Fit for Fashion” reality show. Christine combined her knowledge of the body and nutrition to develop the award-winning body care brand, KAYO Body Care. Christine holds certifications in Yoga, Pilates, General Fitness, Pre & Post Natal Fitness, and Nutritional Counseling and holds a B.A. in psychology and education. Christine is a go-to wellness expert and can be seen on E!, Netflix, Bravo, Hallmark Channel, VH-1, Star TV, California Life, and HSN.

Kaitlin McGrath, DPT, is a Colorado-based physical therapist who has been working in outpatient orthopedics for two years. She holds a master's degree from the University of Colorado, Denver, and a doctorate in physical therapy from Mary Baldwin University. She currently serves as a clinical director at Strive Physical Therapy.

Shab Caspara is a New York City-based trichologist and hair stylist with over 15 years of experience in the industry. She specializes in healthy hair growth and scalp wellness. She earned her stylist certification from Vidal Sassoon before completing her trichology certification with the United States Trichology Institute in 2019. Shab aims to empower her clients with her skillset, hoping to provide peace to customers who want to look their best at all times. Her clients vary from fashion designers to executives.

Nigella Miller learned the artistry of hairstyling and barbering from an early age and currently services a vast of array of clientele at her hair studio in Brooklyn, NY.  Her service is focused on hair care, cutting, barbering, and styling. Having more than 13 years of editorial and clientele work, she's gained the knowledge and experience to work on various hair textures, lengths, and styles. She was the creative director of hair for the Fall 2019 Pyer Moss Show. Nigella has also worked on major campaigns for brands such as Estée Lauder, Burberry, DVF, Urban Outfitters, American Eagle, Pony, Original Penguin, Chnge, Pyer Moss, Guess, and Sprayground.

Candace Witherspoon grew up in Liberia, West Africa, where her passion for hair began. She has spent the last decade in New York City, specializing in all textures of curly hair. She now owns Candace Witherspoon Salon in Chelsea, a place where every guest can embrace their curls from a place of love. 

Abby Haliti is an expert in hair color. She has over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry, serving as a color director and currently owning a salon, specializing in hair coloring expertise and color correction. Abby is a trained hair color expert in French Balayage from Paris and have received training at the L'Oréal Academy.

Jaleesa Jaikaran is a New York-based makeup artist who specializes in the transformative powers makeup can have. Over the years, Jaleesa has built up her makeup brand on platforms like YouTube where she has over 50k subscribers and on Instagram where she has over 29k followers. Jaleesa is inspired by diverse cultures and aims to use beauty transformations as a way to raise the self-esteem of women.

Sky Kim is a Korean-American hairstylist and visual artist who made her way to NYC via Seoul, Los Angeles, and Colorado. Starting in a boutique salon in SoHo as a stylist, Sky continued her development as an apprentice (and now full-time stylist) at Serge Normant at John Frieda under the mentorship of DJ Quintero. Outside of the salon, she has also worked on shoots for Maybelline, Allure, Numero magazine, and more, and worked with designers such as Daniel Silverstain and Jonathan Simkhai.

Jeremy Tardo is a bi-coastal hair colorist and a member of Byrdie's Beauty & Wellness Board. He has served as Color Department Head, Educational Director, and Salon Director in New Orleans, San Diego, and Beverly Hills. Today, he works with clients such as Miley Cyrus, Jared Leto, Miranda Kerr, Helen Hunt, and Florence and the Machine, and sees clients at Salon Benjamin in Beverly Hills. 

Evelyn Lim is a nail expert with more than 18 years of experience. She currently serves as the chief educator of Paintbox, a top nail studio in NYC. In this role, Evelyn oversees the training and development of artists in nail specialty, artistry, continuing education, creating content for social media, and offering expert advice on but not limited to education/nail health-based articles. Her experience is truly eclectic, as her work embalming in a funeral home and participating in an archeological field study in Romania, have shaped her skills in research and anatomy.

Ashley has been writing for Byrdie since 2015. She is a makeup artist by day, but uses her love for makeup and writing to bring her clients and readers the latest news on the industry. Using her exclusive opportunities to see new product launches, she's always in the know of what's up-and-coming, and makes sure she stays that way. Her experience as a makeup artist includes weddings, NYFW, print, editorial, television, and celebrity. You can read her work on Makeup.com, E! Style Collective, and more.

Cozmo Faris is a professional piercer with over 12 years of experience.  In addition to piercing and jewelry services, he handles membership applications for The Association of Professional Piercers (APP), contributes to the @safepiercing Instagram account, and teaches technique courses both online as well as at the annual APP conference.

Eva Karabudak is a tattoo artist with more than 10 years of experience. After studying at the The Fine Arts Academy of Ankara in Turkey, she owned and operated her own studio in Istanbul before moving to New York for an artist residency. In 2020, Eva then went on to open Atelier Eva, a luxury tattoo studio with two locations in Brooklyn, NY. Her studios reimagine the tattoo experience with inclusive, welcoming and elevated environments, complete with beautiful design, tranquil music, and an abundance of light. She has tattooed the likes of Sam Smith, SZA, Chloë Grace Moretz and more.

Mira Mariah is a Brooklyn-based former fashion designer turned renowned tattoo artist. You might already know her from the name of her Instagram handle/tattoo shop, girlknewyork. The visual artist has, in addition to working with famous celebrity clientele like Ariana Grande, Ilana Glazer, and Pete Davidson, inspired a new generation of tattoo artists with her modern feminist designs. Mira left her job as an assistant fashion designer in 2014 and soon began a tattoo apprenticeship she discovered from a Craigslist ad. Since then she has become one of the most widely respected tattoo artists with over 200k Instagram followers. She focuses primarily on tattooing femme images and is highly sought after for her skills.

Hope is an aromatic healer, essential oil formulator, teacher, and writer who has been working in the wellness space for more than 35 years. She began her professional career as a dancer and choreographer until she got injured and turned to the healing arts and aromatherapy for her cure and professional certification. In 1980, she established her private practice in the healing arts in New York City and has held faculty positions at Harvard and Boston universities' advanced theater programs. In 2008 she launched her brand H. Gillerman Organics to spas and wellness outlets.