Konika Patel Schallen, MD is the Medical Director of Candela and the Candela Institute for Excellence, as well as Senior Vice President of Global Clinical Operations. A visionary leader in aesthetic medicine, she is dedicated to advancing energy-based treatments through science, innovation, and education. With experience spanning academia, industry, and private practice, Dr. Schallen has lectured and collaborated with physicians in nearly 50 countries. Having practiced in both Europe and the U.S., she also leads her private practice, CMA Medicine, in Jacksonville, Florida.

Prof. Firas Al-Niaimi, MD is a leading consultant dermatologist with over 20 years of experience. Trained at the world-renowned St John’s Institute of Dermatology at St Thomas’ Hospital, he completed a prestigious fellowship in laser and Mohs micrographic surgery and later pursued advanced laser training in the United States. In addition to his busy London practice, he is active in research, teaching, and global training, having educated over a thousand doctors in advanced laser techniques. Twice named Consultant Dermatologist of the Year (2019 and 2022), he became the UK’s first Professor of Laser Dermatology in 2021, cementing his reputation as a leading figure in the field.