Different skin types react differently to UV radiation, which is used in the treatment of skin conditions such as psoriasis and childhood eczema. Knowledge of how individual skin types react to radiation is crucial to adjusting UV doses and thus improving the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of skin conditions.
After decades of research in this field and doctorates in medicine and pharmacy, Hans Christian Wulf, Senior Physician and Professor at Bispebjerg Hospital, has now added a technical doctorate to his list of achievements. A milestone that would not have been possible without interdisciplinary collaboration with engineers, he says:
“I see the role of engineering in the development of modern medical treatment as a necessity. I don’t believe that doctors can do and know everything,” says Hans Christian Wulf.
Hans Christian Wulf is likely the first Danish person to have obtained three different doctorates. There is no central register of doctorates awarded in Denmark, but neither DTU nor Hans Christian Wulf himself is aware of this having happened before.
He earned his technical doctorate by developing devices that measure skin redness and pigmentation when exposed to UV radiation, which allows treatments to be tailored to the individual patient. In addition, Hans Christian Wulf has defined the international unit of measurement SED (Standard Erythema Dose), which UV doses are measured in.
The engineering approach was also evident in the invention of optimized UV cabins (specialized rooms used in light therapy) that can reduce the required UV dose by up to 68 percent, thereby enhancing the safety of patients.
Among other things, these inventions and the associated research are presented in Hans Christian Wulf’s thesis, which earned him his technical doctorate.
Since 1996, Hans Christian Wulf has served as a Professor and Senior Hospital Physician at the dermatology department of Bispebjerg Hospital.
His doctoral thesis consists of 12 research publications spanning a period from 1994 onwards. The complete thesis, Technological developments in photodermatology, is available here.
