Dr. Zohair Tomi

Professor Dr. Zohair (“Zo”) Tomi, MD, FRCPC, is a Canadian board-certified dermatologist, clinical researcher, and international speaker and educator whose career has spanned more than three decades across clinical practice, academia, and double-blind randomized controlled trials. As President and CEO of Alpha Clinical Research Center in St. John’s and Associate Professor of Medicine (Dermatology) at Memorial University, he served as Principal Investigator in over one hundred Phase II–IV studies in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, atopic dermatitis, and other inflammatory skin diseases, contributing directly to the development and real-world adoption of many modern biologic and targeted therapies. His work has been featured at the World Congress of Dermatology, the American Academy of Dermatology, the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, and major meetings across Canada, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and he has helped shape national standards as a former examiner for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. As founder of the Dermatology Mastery Initiative, he continues to translate complex science into practical expertise for clinicians worldwide.

Clinically, Professor Dr. Tomi is known as a highly respected diagnostician and therapeutic strategist with particular strength in complex inflammatory dermatoses. He completed a five-year dermatology residency at the University of Ottawa followed by a fellowship in laser dermatology under pioneers including Professor Robert Jackson, Professor Nardo Kanigsberg, and Dr. Sharon Laughlin—training that grounded him in meticulous morphologic and pattern-based assessment. This background allows him to rapidly interpret subtle visual and historical clues in conditions such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, chronic hand eczema, urticaria, connective tissue disease, hair and nail disorders, and “mystery” rashes that have defied previous attempts at diagnosis. He is equally deliberate in therapy selection, drawing on deep experience with biologics, oral small molecules, phototherapy, and combination regimens to build treatment plans that are evidence-based, individualized, and sustainable over time.

In procedural and surgical dermatology, Professor Dr. Tomi brings a broad and sophisticated skill set that integrates oncologic safety, function, and aesthetics. He performs excisions for skin cancers and complex benign lesions, as well as grafts and reconstructive flaps—including advancement, rotational, and bilobed designs—aimed at preserving both structure and appearance. His practice also encompasses scar revision and the management of challenging keloid and hypertrophic scars. With fellowship-level training in laser medicine, he has extensive hands-on experience with vascular, pigment, hair-removal, and resurfacing platforms such as pulsed dye and Nd:YAG lasers, CO₂ and Erbium systems, fractional technologies, and IPL, and he combines these with neuromodulators and fillers to achieve natural, harmonious aesthetic outcomes rather than exaggerated change.

As a member of the VIDA Dermatology & Research team in Edmonton, Professor Dr. Tomi will focus on building a centre of excellence for complex inflammatory disease, skin cancer care, and advanced surgical and laser-based aesthetic treatments, while also helping to grow VIDA’s role as a regional hub for clinical research and education. He will work closely with his colleagues at VIDA and with referring physicians to provide clear, actionable consultation letters and collaborative long-term plans, and will mentor colleagues and trainees in morphologic reasoning, therapeutics, and procedural technique. Patients can expect a calm, thorough, and deeply engaged approach in which advanced options—including clinical trials, novel therapies, and AI-supported tools—are used in the background to support, not replace, clear human connection. His aim at VIDA is to add depth, breadth, and global-level expertise in dermatology while contributing to a culture of kindness, curiosity, and continuous improvement.