Investigator: Lilit Garibyan, MD, PhD

Email: lgaribyan@mgh.harvard.edu
Lab: Anderson, Rox

Dr. Lilit Garibyan is a board-certified, practicing dermatologist and Associate Professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and Physician-Scientist at Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has expertise in cutting edge translational research in areas of device development, dermatology, cutaneous neurobiology, adipose tissue, and immunology. She has spent 20+ years at Harvard Medical School, where she has taught and trained students, residents and fellows in dermatology, laser and energy-based devices, and problem-based innovation. Her research focuses on innovative biomedical translational discoveries aimed at identifying unmet medical needs and working with multidisciplinary teams to develop novel treatments for those needs.  Dr. Garibyan is an inventor on >20 pending and granted patents, has published over 60 original, peer-reviewed publications and has obtained over $5.5 million grant funding from Department of Defense and NIH for her innovative research. She is the inventor of a platform cooling technology with various therapeutic applications that has led to three venture-backed, start-up companies.  She is the scientific co-founder of two of those companies. She has received “Women in Energy-Based Devices Early Career Development Award” in 2020 and “Dr. Horace Furumoto Young Investigator Award for Innovation” in 2022 from the American Society for Lasers Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). She serves on the board of ASLMS and Photodermatology Society, and on the scientific advisory board of two startup biotechnology companies.

Dr. Garibyan is the co-founder and the Director of the Magic Wand Initiative® and the “Virtual Magic Wand” programs, which teach the process of innovation to clinicians.  These internationally-recognized programs empower, engage, and teach healthcare professionals on how to identify unmet needs and collaborate to identify and implement solutions to problems.  This program has trained >120 clinicians world-wide on how to identify and articulate unmet needs from clinical care and form multidisciplinary teams to develop solutions. Dr Garibyan has given many national and international lectures on the topic of engaging clinicians in problem-based innovation.  She had directed sessions and led workshops in national and international meetings designed to engage healthcare workers in innovation.

Dr. Garibyan has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been invited to give talks at national and international conferences. Dr. Garibyan has also organized and pioneered the establishment of a medical laser clinic in Yerevan, Armenia for the treatment of scars and vascular lesions.

Dr. Garibyan received her B.S. summa cum laude from University of California Los Angeles, her M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in Experimental Pathology/Immunology. Dr. Garibyan was elected to the 2024 Fellows class at the National Academy of Inventors which is the highest distinction afforded exclusively to inventors.

Publications

  • Orestes MI, Feehs KR, Hill GS, Shih R, Collen JF, Montgomery EA, Waring KM, Watson NL, Thomas RW, Garibyan L

    Impact of tongue fat volume on obstructive sleep apnea in non-obese patients. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):33924 - PMID: 41028054 - PMCID: PMC12484950 - DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-08747-z

  • Sandoval AGW, Martinez MJ, Davis RA, Venkatesh KP, Otley CC, Ju W, Anderson RR, Garibyan L

    The role of clinicians in dermatology industry innovation: a qualitative study. Br J Dermatol. 2025;:ePub - PMID: 40971896 - DOI: 10.1093/bjd/ljaf375

  • Ualiyeva S, Basu A, Roguski M, Degirmenci HB, Dubreuil M, Erdil RM, Garibyan L, Arkun K

    Molecular detection of Tropheryma whipplei DNA: a crucial tool for diagnosing Whipple's disease in the brain. Illustrative case. J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2025;9(12):ePub - PMID: 40127479 - PMCID: PMC11933666 - DOI: 10.3171/CASE24687

  • Rao AS, Kim J, Mu A, Young CC, Kalmowitz E, Senter-Zapata M, Whitehead DC, Garibyan L, Landman AB, Succi MD

    Synthetic medical education in dermatology leveraging generative artificial intelligence. NPJ Digit Med. 2025;8(1):247 - PMID: 40320492 - PMCID: PMC12050279 - DOI: 10.1038/s41746-025-01650-x

  • Haykal D, Wyles S, Garibyan L, Cartier H, Gold M

    Exosomes in Cosmetic Dermatology: A Review of Benefits and Challenges. J Drugs Dermatol. 2025;24(1):12-18 - PMID: 39761139 - DOI: 10.36849/JDD.8872

  • du Crest D, Avermaete A, Benz E, Afanasiev O, Galadari H, Medela A, Jones E, Sidani D, Zink A, Hædersdal M, Garibyan L

    Skin & Digital: The 2024 Startups. JID Innov. 2025;5(4):100371 - PMID: 40486659 - PMCID: PMC12141821 - DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2025.100371

  • Zone SE, Zone JJ, Garibyan L

    An Innovative Antidote to Burnout. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2024;17(10):17 - PMID: 39445321 - PMCID: PMC11495161

  • Haykal D, Garibyan L, Flament F, Cartier H

    Hybrid cosmetic dermatology: AI generated horizon. Skin Res Technol. 2024;30(5):e13721 - PMID: 38696225 - PMCID: PMC11064925 - DOI: 10.1111/srt.13721

  • du Crest D, Wustrow P, Worsley O, Geusens B, Badri O, Madhumita M, Papier A, Zink A, Hædersdal M, Garibyan L

    Skin & Digital: The 2023 Startups/Innovators. JID Innov. 2024;5(1):100316 - PMID: 39493507 - PMCID: PMC11530584 - DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2024.100316

  • du Crest D, Madhumita M, Enbiale W, Zink A, Papier A, Matewa G, Castro H, Perandones H, De Guzman J, Rosenbach M, Duong TA, Jack Li YC, Cartier H, Ascher B, Garson S, Haddad A, Liu DZ, Haykal D, Yoo J, Paul N, Cohen Sayag T, Hædersdal M, Freeman E, Garibyan L

    Skin and Digital-The 2024 Narrative. Mayo Clin Proc Digit Health. 2024;2(3):322-330 - PMID: 40206126 - PMCID: PMC11976011 - DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpdig.2024.05.008

  • Christensen RL, Son HG, Zhou EY, Olesen UH, Garibyan L, Farinelli WA, Sakamoto FH, Rox Anderson R, Haedersdal M, Demehri S

    Cutaneous Immune Responses to Ablative Fractional Laser, Heat- and Cold-Based Dermatological Procedures. Lasers Surg Med. 2024;57(1):101-111 - PMID: 39698750 - DOI: 10.1002/lsm.23868

  • Shuhaiber J, Moradi Tuchayi S, Bijari FJ, Guehl NJ, Wang Y, Farinelli WA, Arkun K, El Fakhri G, Anderson RR, Garibyan L

    Injectable ice slurry for reducing pericardial adipose tissue. Lasers Surg Med. 2023;55(7):674-679 - PMID: 37464943 - DOI: 10.1002/lsm.23709

  • Moradi Tuchayi S, Wang Z, Yan J, Garibyan L, Bai X, Gilchrest BA

    Sunscreens: Misconceptions and Misinformation. J Invest Dermatol. 2023;143(8):1406-1411 - PMID: 37054947 - DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.03.1677

  • Moradi Tuchayi S, Khachatryan Y, Wang Y, Rox Anderson R, Wang JS, Wein MN, Garibyan L

    Selective reduction of visceral adipose tissue with injectable ice slurry. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):16350 - PMID: 37770553 - PMCID: PMC10539385 - DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43220-9

  • du Crest D, Garibyan L, Hædersdal M, Zink A, Madhumita M, Harth Y, Bechstein S, Friis J, Riemer C, Kumar N, Parkkinen S, Shpudeiko V

    Skin & Digital-the 2022 startups. Dermatologie (Heidelb). 2023;74(11):899-903 - PMID: 37550513 - DOI: 10.1007/s00105-023-05204-8

  • Richey P, Funk M, Sakamoto F, Plotkin S, Ly I, Jordan J, Muzikansky A, Roberts J, Farinelli W, Levin Y, Garibyan L, Blakeley JO, Anderson RR

    Noninvasive treatment of cutaneous neurofibromas (cNFs): Results of a randomized prospective, direct comparison of four methods. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023;90(4):767-774 - PMID: 38086517 - DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.11.058

  • Levin YS, Lee KC, Raff AB, Breslin JJ, Ju W, Garibyan L

    Training the Next Generation of Clinician-Innovators: The Virtual Magic Wand Program. JID Innov. 2022;2(3):100108 - PMID: 35480395 - PMCID: PMC9035781 - DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2022.100108

  • Garibyan L, Anderson RR

    Patients Are Not Guinea Pigs. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2022;10(1):e4033 - PMID: 35186615 - PMCID: PMC8849310 - DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000004033

  • Bhat P, Garibyan L

    The Potential of CRISPR-Guided Therapies in the Dermatology Clinic. JID Innov. 2022;2(2):100103 - PMID: 35265937 - PMCID: PMC8899042 - DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2022.100103

  • Akintilo L, Pulavarty A, Onwudiwe O, Garibyan L, Lee K

    Skin of color representation in cosmetic clinical trials: A literature review. Lasers Surg Med. 2022;54(6):819-822 - PMID: 35373845 - DOI: 10.1002/lsm.23546

  • Ni P, Farinelli WA, Cheng LL, Farrar CT, Motamarry A, Moradi Tuchayi S, Wang Y, Anderson RR, Garibyan L

    Total ice content and lipid saturation determine adipose tissue cryolipolysis by injection of ice-slurry. Lasers Surg Med. 2022;55(1):116-125 - PMID: 35598082 - PMCID: PMC9676409 - DOI: 10.1002/lsm.23557

  • Davis Rebekah A, Lee Kachiu C, Lee Ivy A, Levin Yakir S, Garibyan L

    Innovating on innovation training with the Virtual Magic Wand (VMW) program: a qualitative study. Arch Dermatol Res. 2022;315(3):513-519 - PMID: 36121556 - PMCID: PMC9483859 - DOI: 10.1007/s00403-022-02392-6

  • Moradi Tuchayi S, Wang Y, Khodorova A, Pence IJ, Evans CL, Anderson RR, Lerner EA, Woolf CJ, Garibyan L

    Cryoneurolysis with Injectable Ice Slurry Modulates Mechanical Skin Pain. J Invest Dermatol. 2022;143(1):134-141.e1 - PMID: 35985498 - DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.07.018

  • Moradi Tuchayi S, Wang Y, Pence IJ, Fast A, Stemmer-Rachamimov A, Evans CL, Anderson RR, Garibyan L

    Full Recovery after Multiple Treatments with Injectable Ice Slurry. J Pain Res. 2022;15:2905-2910 - PMID: 36132994 - PMCID: PMC9482954 - DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S373421

  • Moradi Tuchayi S, Wang Y, Khodorova A, Pence IJ, Stemmer-Rachamimov A, Evans CL, Anderson RR, Garibyan L

    Fast-acting and injectable cryoneurolysis device. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):19891 - PMID: 36400878 - PMCID: PMC9674623 - DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24178-6

  • Garibyan L, Moradi Tuchayi S, Wang Y, Khodorova A, Stemmer-Rachamimov A, Purschke M, Osseiran S, Evans CL, Mao J, Strichartz G, Anderson RR

    Neural Selective Cryoneurolysis with Ice Slurry Injection in a Rat Model. Anesthesiology. 2020;133(1):185-194 - PMID: 31977524 - PMCID: PMC7299828 - DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000003124

  • Lin RL, Garibyan L, Kimball AB, Drake LA

    Systemic causes of hair loss. Ann Med. 2016;48(6):393-402 - PMID: 27145919 - DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2016.1180426

  • Ray Jalian H, Tam J, Vuong LN, Fisher J, Garibyan L, Mihm MC, Zurakowski D, Evans CL, Rox Anderson R

    Selective Cryolysis of Sebaceous Glands. J Invest Dermatol. 2015;135(9):2173-2180 - PMID: 25860384 - DOI: 10.1038/jid.2015.148

  • Garibyan L, Cornelissen L, Sipprell W, Pruessner J, Elmariah S, Luo T, Lerner EA, Jung Y, Evans C, Zurakowski D, Berde CB, Rox Anderson R

    Transient Alterations of Cutaneous Sensory Nerve Function by Noninvasive Cryolipolysis. J Invest Dermatol. 2015;135(11):2623-2631 - PMID: 26099028 - PMCID: PMC4640987 - DOI: 10.1038/jid.2015.233