The Vascular Birthmarks Foundation

Dr. Linda Rozell-Shannon, PhD President and Founder

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Contact Information:

Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic

University of California Health

VBF Expert
  • International Port Wine Stain Laser Specialist
  • Founder & Director – UC Irvine Vascular Birthmarks and Malformations Diagnostic and Treatment Center
  • Medical Director – Beckman Laser Institute
  • Professor of Surgery, Biomedical Engineering & Dermatology – University of California Irvine

J. Stuart Nelson, M.D., Ph.D, is Medical Director of the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, and Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine.  Dr. Nelson served as president of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) 2001-2002 and editor-in-chief of the ASLMS journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 2005-2015. Dr. Nelson has published more than 350 scientific articles and 16 book chapters.  He has been awarded 15 patents for developing biomedical devices from the Patent and Trademark Office, United States Department of Commerce. Dr. Nelson and colleagues developed the “Dynamic Cooling Device” which in conjunction with laser technology has become the treatment of choice for the treatment of port wine stain birthmarks, hemangiomas and other vascular malformations. Worldwide, this methodology developed by Dr. Nelson has now been incorporated into more than 25,000 laser devices.

Dr. Nelson’s university-based clinical practice and research combines his expertise in engineering, optics, medicine and surgery. He specializes in the clinical management of infants, young children and adults with port wine stains, hemangiomas and other vascular malformations. In addition to Dr. Nelson’s faculty, research, teaching and clinical responsibilities, he is the Director of the Vascular Birthmarks and Malformations Diagnostic and Treatment Center at the University of California Irvine Medical Center.

  • Birthmarks Types:

    Hemangioma, Venous Malformation, Lymphatic Malformation, Port Wine Stain, AVM, Combination, Other

  • Birthmark Syndromes:

    Sturge-Weber Syndrome, PHACES, CLOVES, Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome, Other

  • Practice Specialties:

    Surgery, Pediatrics, Dermatology, Other

  • Procedures Offered:

    Laser