Hi, I’m Keng Chen.

I grew up in a rural part of Malaysia in the 70’s, and migrated to Australia in the late 80’s where I attended Randwick Boys High School. I then went to medical school in University of NSW, and graduated with First Class Honours in 1998, winning academic prizes along the way including the Prize in Practical Anatomy, the W.G. Tellesson Memorial Prize in Clinical Studies, and the Sugarman’s Pathology Medal in Clinical Pathology.

Following residency at St George Hospital, I started to pursue a career in dermatology, which involved being a research fellow, and sitting for entrance exams. I was awarded the Ken Paver Medal, which is the Australasian College of Dermatologists’ prize for the entrance exams, and eventually started training in dermatology. This involved rotations through various hospitals including St Vincent’s, Westmead and Prince of Wales Hospitals, and The Royal Haslar Hospital, in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Back then, it was a military hospital serving Her Majesty’s finest.

I qualified as a specialist in dermatology, becoming a Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists in 2007, and started this practice, Sable Dermatology, in 2008. I have held various positions in the past including:

  • Associate Editor, Australasian Journal of Dermatology, where I reviewed hundreds of research submissions for publication

  • NSW State Faculty Chair, Australasian College of Dermatologists, with many tasks including assessing, interviewing and selecting the next generation of Australian dermatologists

  • Staff Specialist, Department of Dermatology, Westmead Hospital, where I was also the Supervisor of Training, involved in supervising and training dermatology trainees

Nowadays, an area of interest for me is in Clinical Epidemiology, having obtained a Masters of Medicine in Clinical Epidemiology from the School of Public Health, University of Sydney. I specialise in Evidenced-Based-Medicine, which is a movement to promote science-based practices and interventions in medicine.

List of peer-reviewed publications:

  1. Chen K, Lim A, Shumack S. Teledermatology: influence of zoning and education on diagnostic pick-up rate. Australasian Journal of Dermatology 2002; 43: 171-4.

  2. Chen K, See A, Shumack S. Website discussion forums: results of an Australian program to promote telecommunication in dermatology. Journal of Telemedicine and Telehealth 2002; 8 (Suppl. 3): S5-6.

  3. Chen K, See A, Shumack S. Epidemiology and pathogenesis of scleroderma. Australasian Journal of Dermatology 2003; 44: 1-7.

  4. Chen K, Shumack S, Wootton R. Teledermatology can produce high-quality care at low cost. Disease Management and Health Outcomes 2003; 11: 209-15.

  5. Chen K, See J. Late-onset acne in women. Medicine Today 2003; 4: 49-56.

  6. Chen K, Yap LM, Marks R, Shumack S. Short course therapy with imiquimod 5% cream for solar keratoses: A randomised controlled trial. Australasian Journal of Dermatology 2003; 44: 250-5.

  7. Chen K, Shumack S. Successful treatment of Bowen’s disease using a cycle regime of imiquimod 5% cream. Clinical & Experimental Dermatology. 2003; 28 Suppl 1:10-2.

  8. Tran H, Chen K, Shumack S. Summary of actinic keratosis studies with imiquimod 5% cream. British Journal Dermatology 2003: 149 Suppl 66: 37-39.

  9. Tran H, Chen K, Shumack S. Epidemiology and aetiology of basal cell carcinoma. British Journal Dermatology. 2003; 149 Suppl. 66: 50-52.

  10. Chen K, Craig JC, Shumack S. Oral retinoids for the prevention of skin cancers in solid organ transplant recipients: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. British Journal of Dermatology 2005; 152: 518-2.

  11. Tran H, Chen K, Lim A, Jabbour J, Shumack S. Assessing diagnostic skill in dermatology: A comparison between general practitioners and dermatologists. Australasian Journal of Dermatology. 2005; 46: 230-4.

  12. McRae MY, Chen K, Sharma R, Fernandez-Penas P. Localised cutaneous immunoglobulin G4. International Journal of Derrmatology. 2015; 54: 955-8.

  13. George L, Hamann I, Chen K, Choi J, Fernandez-Penas P. An analysis of the dermatological uses of mycophenolate mofetil in a tertiary hospital. Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2015; 1: 63-6.

  14. Chen K, Zagarella S. Re: The risk of psychiatric disorders in finasteride users with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and androgenetic alopecia (AGA): A population-based case–control study. Australasian Journal of Dermatology 2024; https://doi.org/10.1111/ajd.14380